During world war 2, the Japanese soldiers did many atrocities that up to this day, many people still cannot forgive them, and even the dead would not let them off.

The school holidays were approaching, my friends and i decided to BBQ overnight at east coast beach to relieve the exams stress. We decided to BBQ at the quieter part of east coast so that we can have more freedom and space for our activities. We arrived there at about 7 o’clock to start the bbq, it was fun till things started to turn strange. My friends, usually active, felt really tired all of the sudden. I looked at my watch and it was only 9! My friends are the type that sleeps at 2 am, anyway we decided to sleep.

I couldn’t sleep. I was turning and tossing around in the tent. My friend who shared the same tent asked me not to toss too much, as i was disturbing him, so i laid straight and close my eyes, hoping that i would be able to sleep. I looked at my watch and it was 10pm. I walked out of my tent as i was really unable to sleep. I sat down on the sand and looked out to the sea. I felt dizzy all of the sudden and decided to rest my head on my knees. After about 15 mins or so, i looked up and to my amazement, there was this Chinese old man dressed in torn clothes, came up to me and mumbled something in hokkien. I didn’t understand what he said, but from his weary face, i could see that he was in trouble. Somebody was shouting at the back of me as i was trying to figure out who this old man was and why he was here alone, i thought it was my friends shouting, but when i turn around, it was actually a group of soldiers, looking very fierce and i thought why was this group of NS men so angry about. When i turn back to look at the old man, his face expression changed. He was angry and started to pull my shirt, almost ripping it off. A sharp blow was given to this old man’s head by a soldier using the rifle butt. He collapsed to the ground and started bleeding. I looked up and saw that the soldiers was dressed in Japanese army uniform, with the Japanese flag symbol on their sleeves. The soldiers bowed to me and began to strike the old man till he was motionless on the ground.

I was horrified. Who were these people? Are they ghosts from the past? And why do the soldiers protect me?

There were women screaming at my back and i dare not look.

Suddenly, i was shaken violently and it was like i awoke from a dream. I found myself seated beside the bbq pit. My friends told me that i fell asleep . I looked at my watch and it was 9:05. I told myself that it was all a dream and there was nothing to be afraid about. But it seems so real.

I went home the next day, my mum quickly asked me to her bedroom. She showed me old photographs of her granddad and told me that he was a Japanese officer. He was actually the officer who carried out the execution of many Chinese people at east coast beach.

I asked her why she tell me all these, she told me that the night before, she dream of a Chinese old man who pleaded her to tell me about my great grand dad, and said that he would kill me if i wasn’t told.

I was puzzled. What did my great grand dad do to this Chinese old man to come after me, even after he has died? And why did the spirits of the dead Japanese soldiers came back to protect me?