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The thundering noise of the helicopter kept me from falling asleep, one other copter was rallying us through.

It was about time we reached the Cambodian rain forest . The morning was young, it was only half past 6..

lieutenant Herman Ridley: Dr Nasir, Are you ready for this?

Dr Nasir Ahmed: There's very little I haven't seen serving the UN for 20 years of my life.

lieutenant Herman Ridley: well, I can assure you this much Dr Nasir, this trip may turn haywire on us, with due respect to your 20 years of experience.

The lush green undergrowth down there claimed my father's life during the name wars.

Dr Nasir: We'll just get down, get to that village, give them the necessary vaccines and get back at the LIZ, job done. And as long as we have

a translator and a guide, I think we can cut ourselves from trouble.

Sargent Malson Craig: Doctor, its harder done than said, and I think we're just about to find out why.

The bush on the ground below the helicopter acted like its bieng blown by a hair dryier. The helicopters landed and we got off board,

The Translator  Mr Meizing Lau and the guide Mr Dominic chang, Greeted us. I shook hands with Mr Lau, but Mr chang didn't extend his hand.

Mr Meizing was an ordinary man, he always had a smile on his face, but there was something about Chang, he had a quarel with the man who set him for 

hire, he was speaking a foreign language, but it gave me an impression that he dosen't like this job. Why? my mind answered, his recent

ventures might not have been so pleasent.

Surgeant Malson decided we camp where we arrived and spend the night, and start moving when dawn breaks in. I sat by the fire with Private Morph

Private Morph: I've got a feeling the choppers wont be back for us when we get back here.

I cleaned my specs and asked: And why do you feel this way?

Private Morph suddenly sunk his dagger into the ground with great force and said: something's gonna go wrong, I just know it.

I looked at private Morph, he was quiete, tensed and very often sharpening his dagger. The man had Went to many violent missions and

survived, he has the blood of those many lives he took in his hands, his appearence is as cold blooded as he actually is

and I believed his insticts were too, as sharp as his dagger.

We landed on an open field with forest circling it,

I took a look around myself and I saw dark hallow openings of path ways to enter the woods, but they didnt seem like path ways at night, They rather seemed 

like doorways to hell or some sort of nightmare.

Dominic Chang said: You see Dr Nasir, this forest is cursed and haunted with the spirits and blood of hundreds of thousands of people.

I asked: You speak english?

Chang got a litle irritated with my question and walked away.

The sun was finally visible for a few minutes and then disappeared again, it was quarter past seven in the morning, 

and the sky was getting darker as the minutes passed by.

Surgeant Malson: We're late, and its about to rain, we should move.

Private Morph: Dont you think we needed more armed men than two choppers full of nurses and baby sitters.

Surgeant Malson: That decision wasent mine to make private, and after all, medics and bandages are the main purpose of this mission.

Private Morph: Yeah, but they'll be useless after we're dead.

We entered the forest through one of those path ways, I could smell the stench of decomposing flesh around me already, or my mind was just playing with me.

Just a minute ahead I got a bit startled of what i saw just a few steps further. It was a swamp, atleast it use to be, but now it is a mass grave overflowing

with dead bodies, Maggots, hounds and bugs were feeding on the flesh of the dead, 

flyies flying all around, and the smell was even stronger and more repelling.

15 minutes passed and it started raining which slowed us down even further. we were walking through a knee deep of mud and the rain water blurred my glasses

which made progress very difficult for me. I gazed up at the trees and realized how easy it was to lose your track get lost and die in here, and when

you do get lost, The forest starts to eat you alive, by every painstaking bit you have left.

Ridly asked Chang: Hey there, Chang Lad, heard you speak english,so, how long do you suppose it'll take us to get to that damn village?

Chang: we should be there by sun down

Ridly: so, all those bodies we've seen at that swamp were victims of the desease that we're here for? 

Chang answered with a little pause: only a few of them.

Ridly smiled and kept walking.

The rain forest we walked through was home to many unknown and deadly animals, and my back was itching like hell.

I tried to imagine that what could've bit me, and hoped it was nothing too serious

Morph cought a site of me, so he came close and asked me to take my shirt off, I did as he said, Ridly was standing next to him behind me, I looked back

and saw his freaked expression as he looked at my back, Morph took his dagger out.

I asked' hey, What's with the knife Morphy?

Morph Replied: There's about 45 leaches sucking you dry on your back, Do you want them to keep doing their job?

I stood still, and morph pulled each of them off my back with his dagger, He showed me one of them, it got as fat as a tennis ball.

It was 5.30 PM The rain had finally stopped 2 hours ago. Malson said' I think I smell something burning, its coming from the east

Chang suddenly stormed to the tallest tree he could find and climbed over it like a chimp.

Chang said: I see smoke! I see smoke!. He rushed back down, and said: There are people waiting for us over that place, We must go, now!.

So we went. There were 5 men waiting for us, They greeted us with a smile and took us to their village. As we entered the village, I saw adults and children

suffering from deseases, mothers cryieng, The village population droped from 400 down to just 243 people within a mattar of months. Our nurses and doctors spread over and treated them

although there were just 7 of them. so I joined in and took blood samples. It turned out mosquetoes were the enemy, they suffered from Dengu, Malarhea, and

other viral fevers. They were all curable but their village was so deep inside the woods that they got cut off from ordinary civilization and proper medication

The other doctors and Nurses were assaigned to stay there for 2 years and give them a good medical perspective so that they can handle themselves,

and we were assaigned to leave them there. The village was full of temples

Buddha Temples, alot ofreligious people, playful children, ones who werent sick helping the others, and traditional celebrations were also made.

What amagezed me most about those people is that, although they were facing an ordeal during that time, they all cheer up, stay happy and calm,

and sustain peace. So speaking of celebration, they make an exotic tea, sit in circle put a toast, we joined them that night and I was offered the

the tea. I refused but they kept insisting that have so, the smell of the tea was bitter but very rehydrating, the flavour stayed in my mouth for a week

I tried to find a toilet and failed, so Mr lau insisted to help, and took me a few steps

back to the woods and walked away. so, I realized this must be it. I was feeling insecure, what if someone turns up from the back while I do the deed.

so I walked further inside. The time was midnight, it was 2.45 AM, Now there is no one else with me, I heard crikets and frogs calling out continiousy.

it was a moonless night, and chang's word about haunting

spirits crossed my mind, I asked myself 'am I scared now'. I finished my thing, and I suddenly couldn't recognize Where I was at, so started walking at

the direction I thought I came from. Fear was making some space in my head. My torch was running low on battery and started to flicker,

My heart skipped a beat every time it did, I was begining to think I was lost. suddenly my torch flicked off leaving me in pitch black. I felt literally

blind, nothing was visible anymore. as I walked I stepped on bush and got knocked by trees, my worst fear was to step on a venomous snake. Then I suddenly saw

a light and heard someone shouting 'Dr Nasir! where are you' I yelled back 'I am over here'

It was Chang, after all he is the only person who knows these woods better than any of us.

Chang came to me, smiled and said' even taking a shit here can be dangerous '

I replied ' would it be too much to ask for you to get me the hell out of here already'

Chang laughed out loud and we left.

As we were walking throught the woods I now realized how far inside I've went unconciously, and where I was heading on my own was deeper inside hell.

I looked at chang and asked him' so, I saw you having a fight with your employer the day we landed, What's it about?

Chang'I am going to die tomorrow, and you will be in a lot of trouble'

I asked' How the hell do you know?

Chang' I can see things'

I smiled and asked' What, you see dead people?'

Chang got angry' You will see what I see for yourselves tomorrow'

We came back to the village, All the lanterns of the vilage were worn off, it was dark and everyone fell asleep.

I saw Morph sitting by a fire, smoking a cigar, so, I joined him.

Morph asked' What time is it?

I saw my Watch and saw it was a quarter past four in the morning

I asked' Dont you ever sleep?'

Morph' couldn't, care for a cigar?'

I took a cigar, lit it and asked' Did it ever occur to you that Chang might be a little cracked in the head'

Morph replied' He has every reason to, he'd seen some bad stuff, terrible stuff maybe'

I asked' For how long did you know him.

Morph replied' A couple of weeks I suppose'

I asked' so how do you know so much'

Morph replied' His eyes, when he looks at the woods, tells me alot about him.

I walked to my chember and tried to get a little nap, but I couldn't Chang's haunting words made me feel discomforted and slightly intimidated,

What if, what that guy says turns out to be real. Malson came to my room to wake me up,

Surg Malson' Wake up doctor, its time to go'

I asked' Already!'

Surg Malson: its 10 Am, What do you expect me to do, let you wake up tomorrow morning?

I said' I couldn't sleep last night, I got lost in the woods tryieng to take a shit, and chang broght me back'

Surg Malson' yeah, heard about that, well, doctor, the sooner we start moving the better'

I nodded with my tired eyes almost shut.

We got prepared to get moving again, Ridly wasn't with us yet so we waited, I staired at Chang, and I noticed the unique way he gazed at the forest

which Morph told me about.So, I walked and stood close to him.

I asked' Hey chang, would you mind if I asked you a few questions?

Chang frowned and said' I can't promise anything doctor'

I smiled and said' If you hated coming here with us so much, why did you bother taking this job?'

Chang' I had lost everything the same way these people were, I've had no one to help me when my time was dark, and I want no one else to feel the same way'

I grieved and said' I'm very sorry for you brother'.

Ridly arrived and we started towards the appointed landing zone. Due to the rain the day before, the forest soil was damp, which summoned a giant army of mosquitoes

which were responsable for so many death in that village, we walked and slapped ourselves, Mr lau was bitten so much all around his face, arm and back, that he 

started to look like very old tomato.

Ridly prepared a fire torch to make smoke and stray away the bugs, although, it wasnt enough.

We got back to the place we arrived by sun set. Malson started to try and communicate with the transport facility. The frequencies were discrete, so it

took him a little time to connect with HQ.

Malson' Requesting air transportation at (Name of the particular land site), over'

Voice from the other side' Negetive, there has been a minor set back, over'

Malson's hands began to shiver as he got angry and rough on his voice ' what the fuck Did you just say to me! I was promised air support (at the particular time and date)!

VFOS' I am extreemly sorry Surgeant Malson, we had been informed of a huge fleet of armed vehicles and men of the camaroon tribe to be heading

to the direction of the current landing zone, they cannot be negotiated with and are considered hostile, over'

Malson' so, what options do we have?

VOFS' Surgeant Malson, be advised, there is a large number of camaroon territories all over the forest, camping at unknow locations are not an option,

you and your men adviced head back to the village and stay put untill the situation is under controll.

Malson started Shaking violently with rage, looked at me and said'see, harder done, than fucking said!'

Morph looked down and smiled. 

Malson' We  shuold leave, now! they'll be here within an hour, if we're caught we're dead'

I was terribly Tired, my entire body was scowered with bites of mosquotoes and other poisonus insects, I looked at the forest,

I never wanted to get back in there, and my mind was crying for this to suddenly become a bad dream and I would wake up,

unfortunately it wasn't, we had been walking for 12 hours straight, only the unfogiving intervel at the LZ was the only place we had a chance to pause.

it was 8.15 PM, we decided to settle and managed to make a precise shelter while we still had light.

Chang asked Ridly' Do you believe in God, angels & satan?'

Ridly' I'm not a very religous man, but why do you ask?

Chang pointed his index finger at the buring fire and said trembling voice'something is watching me'

Ridly' aaa, listen Chang lad, I am all stressed out, and we both need some rest'

Chang was very frightened some reason he almost let cry 'I cannot rest it will get me if close my eyes'

Ridly was annoyed' the fuck are you talking about?' and left to sleep.

We woke up at a 5 AM, and it was still too dark to see, it was going to rain again. we were counting ourselves and chan was missing.

we found him were he laid to sleep.he looked pale and was in a very awkward position, his entire body was set in a way no one could sleep in.

Ridly yelled' ei Chang wake up buddy!' Malson shrugged him with great force. but no response there was.

Malson gazed at me in amazement and asked'Is he dead doctor?'

I could see he wasen't breathing, I cheked his pulse and it was stone.He was ice cold and

he was obviously dead

Malson put his fingers on Chang's eyes and shut them.

Morph cheked his body for snake bites for asia's most viscous snake the King Cobra are at large in the jungle.

There was none.

I observed and couldn't figure what killed him.

But Morph found a note he wrote, it said' Do not travel south'

MR Lau was acting hysteric, he had never seen a person die before his eyes, and he realized we were in a lot of trouble.

Malson and Morph stood togather saperating themselves from us a moment later.

Malson' From the moment I landed at Compan, I knew something bad's gonna happen'

Morph' join the club'

Malson' What do you suggest we do now private?'

Morph' I have a blurry memory, but I think I know how to get to that village'

Malson' you sure'

Morph' Do you think the risk is worth taking?'

Malson' well, I dont see we have much of of a choise' Malson paused a little while and

asked 'ei, Morph?'

Morph' hmm'

Malson asked' wondered why Chang's last words were don't move south?'

Morph' I have no idea sir.he was a litte mysterious all through out the campaign,if we're lost my survival skills tell

me always find a river and follow and the closest river we have is due south'

Malson' he was an experienced guide, he must have a reason to forbid us to head that way'

Morph' God know what sir'.

I was feeling evermore uncomfotable, the mystic guide predicted his death quite accurately, and we were apperently in trouble.

Ridly burried Chang where we setteled. And Morph became his replacement.

We started moving again. half an hour of walk and we finally found something that looked like rough old road.

Ridly heard something and slowly we started listening to it as well. it was a vehicle, a moment later it sounded like a lot of them 

it was the massive fleet of the camaroon tribe vehicles, Malson' everyone, take cover!'

The vehicles passed by us while we hid under the bushes , Malson whispered' stay put everyone please!'.

all of a sudden Mr Lau got too excited and ran to those vehicles yelling in foreign language.

Ridly'its done, were in deepshit'

Malson' Do not fire your weopens, lets try to negotiate'

The vehicles stopped, they were a paramilitary force who looked like a real army,

Their vehilces where armed with mortar canons, ammoes, 50-cal heavy maching guns, men armed with Ak-47s, Bazukas

Morph knew that those men whon't reason with us so, he carefully hid his dagger inside a hidden compartment

of his boot.

A few men came off board to see who we were. They spoke with Mr Lau, while we showed up with our hands on the air and hour primary weapons exposed.

The men yelled at us. Lau began to translate' Drop your weopons immidiately'

We carefuly laid down our weopens on the ground,

There were 3 men who came to investigate us, they were discussing something among themselves,

Lau overheard them and whispered ' they think you white people are spies from british goverment'

I said'why are these men so stupid, if we were spies, why would we reveal ourselves to them, & I am not even white'

Mr Lau said in a trembling voice' They will take us in for interogation'

Morph said angrily'see what you just get us into cry baby

Mr lau said crying ' I am extremly sorry, but I am a father of motherless children, If I die There's no one left to look after them.

Morph looked down with rage and guilt and didnt know what to do.

A men came and said ' you have to come with us'

Malson' But we are not spies, we are from the UN'

Lau translated the reply from

the tribe's man' our supiriors will decide that'

Two men tied all our hands with rope, and we got onboard one of their vehicles. and sat down with other soilders.

It started raining heavily, the trucks were moving sluggishly, working its way through the mud.

Ridly gazed at the pathway and said' atleast we dont have to walk through molten choclate'

Malson' what makes you so sure that's good news?'

Morph' we've seen something we weren't supposed to, they're gonna kill us because we know too much of their set up'

I asked 'how on earth do you know?'

Morph' I was here 4 years back, I had mistaken them as civilization, but had the pluck to get myself out'

I asked' how did you escape'

Morph' I broke a neck, took a gun, ran away without a trace'

Ridly' Fuckin hudini arent't ya!

A man from the front seat yelled jibbrish at us, it meant shut up I supposed.

I was a 46 year old gentleman, and I wasnt married to anyone yet, I had always delayed most of my social relationships,

and I had no children, no wife, & my folks died of a long time ago and the only family I had left was a cousin of

mine who had everything I didn't and had some unknown issues with me. I began to realize what I had so missed and started to envy a man like Mr Lau

who has every reason to live, which I had not.

The vehicle suddenly gave us a violent jerk. it felt like one of the wheels of the truck fell into a deep mud burrow.

The truck excelerated full throttle, pushed, but no distance was covered, it was rather splashing bits of mud behind which dug the hole

deeper. the tribe's men got off their vehicles and tried to figre how they can manage the situation

Malson seemed tense, he was thinking. there was a narrow and shallow river that may be easy to cross right next to the pathway.

Malson looked at Morph and asked ' you done?'

I looked at morph with surprise, his hands were untied. so, he nodded back to Malson.

Malson looked at Mr Lau and said' tell them we can help them get them get the truck up and running again'

Lau told the driver, the man hesitated, but when he saw things werent working out properly

he allowed us to let off.

By then most of the other vehicles had left and we were alone with just a 5 men and a truck gaurding us.

Malson saw the 4 others having a conversation from adistance and only one stood gaurd pointing a gun at us as we worked

Malson gave a mild signal to Morph. Malson distracted the gaurd while I saw a knife flew like a dart and 

plunged into man's forehead. THe other men did not see us. Morph pulled off his dagger feelinglessly from the man's forehead

and we stared making a run for it.when we finally got to the other side of the river, they say us 

and were doing. 

The men fired at us instantiniously as we started running for our lives. My heart was pounding so loud, I could hear hit

I could see tree burks get hit by bullets near us and bieng shredded apart, the men were obviously following us.

As we ran, bullets were showered at us, a shot was missed by an in inch of Ridly's clothe.

Malson noticed there was another swamp full of dead bodies justahead of us, and believe me, the smell pusshed me as if it were a solid wall

Malson yelled in a hurry 'take your shirts off and jump as deep as you can, its our only chance!'

I was hesitating then Morph ran at me and threw me over the swamp along with himself. It was the most squeemish thing I had ever done'

all our heads were turned over so they would'nt recognize us, Malson smartly hid our shirts somewhere so that it wouldn't turn

out a loose end. I heard the men yelling at us and coming our way. They came very close to the swamp and were utterly surprised that

we sprinted away so fast. I had suddenly to sneeze, I just had to, my god forsaken nose was prickling too much at this moment.

Morph put pressed my nose closed so that I couldn't blow this up. Malson was praying Mr Lau wouldn't lose his nerve.

The men crossed the swamp to look for us, and lau heard them ask for back up to search for us, and they headded back for us.

The slimy maggots the flies, the dead stench and the unpleasent situation made me vommet after we came out of there.

Malson realized that although we got ourselves out of tribe trouble, we were now entirely lost in an ocean woods.

Malson looked at his watch and asked morph' Can you lead us back this time?'

Morph' negetive, I've lost track of our location and they took my compus'

Malson 'The fuck we do now?'

Morph didn't know what to answer to that question anymore.

The sky was getting darkar and we needed  fire, I wondered what an open sky when the sun sets would look like and longed to see it,

although I didn't know If I were to see that again.

Ridly prepared fire. We were to camp very near the swamp,

and that was agonizing, more bugs, more mosquetoe bites, snakes and the disturbing smell. our food stock was taken from us so we laid starving.