The loud explosion tore the stillness of the night. I woke up to my father’s shouting, “Get up! Japanese air raid!” Fear grasped me as planes roared overhead and bombs crashed all around. When I was buried to my bed at the moment, my father grabbed me and we hurdled toward the darkness outside the torn-down door with my father and sister.
Outside the darkness was chased away by tongues of flame stretching hundred of meters into the night sky. Thick, acrid smoke swirled down the devastated streets. The incendiary bombs rained down from the night sky, sparkling and spraying sparks. I looked up, being entranced. “Look! Like meteors! So beautiful!” I murmured.
Since I could run faster than my mother and sister so from time to time, I would stop to look back. However, as the road was inundated with a flood of people running around and screaming chaotically, I lost trace of them. I looked around with my threatened eyes, desperately searched for their silhouettes. Thousands of faces were whirling past but none looked familiar to me. Suddenly, a cold shiver was sent down my spine and I was overcome with intense panic. I began to scream and cry as loudly as I could. I soon became bathed with my own perspiration and tear.
