Breaking the Curse

Chapter 1

1943. World War II. The Vietnamese government, under the control of France, began to build a military base near Lakewood, the border province of Indochina-Cambodia. The base spans 260 acres of land and it is called Camp Huntsville. Rumors suggest that the Camp was run by both the Thai and American governments, not the Vietnamese government.

After gaining independence from France in 1953, Cambodia's official name was changed to the Kingdom of Cambodia. However, a successful coup led by the general of the nation resulted in the country getting its name changed again to the People's Republic of Cambodia in 1955. The Vietnam War began in the same year.

By the end of the Vietnam War and the fall of Saigon in 1975, Camp Hunstville was shut down for undisclosed reasons.

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The Day of Independence Day, Ninth of November 1960

Lakewood was a small and quiet town in the People's Republic of Cambodia. It had been returned by France to Cambodia in 1955, after years of colonial rule. Nothing ever seemed to go wrong in Lakewood.

Alice was a typical teenager who lived in a small rural town. She had blonde hair, blue eyes, and a slender figure. She was smart, kind, and independent. She liked to keep her problems to herself and be on her own.

Alice lived with her foster mother and her two half-siblings from her first husband. Her foster mother was a nice lady who had taken Alice in after her parents died in a fire. She loved her as her own, but she had her own troubles. Her second husband worked away from home, and she had to take care of everything by herself.

Alice began her day as usual. She woke up early, took a shower, and got dressed. She went downstairs and saw her brother in the living room. He was eating cereal and watching TV. She didn't see her mother anywhere.

"Good morning, Max," Alice greeted him with a smile.

"Good morning, Alice," Max replied happily.

"Where's Mom?" Alice asked.

"She's still sleeping," Max said.

Alice sighed. She knew that her mother had been drinking again last night. She had heard her stumbling around and mumbling to herself. She had hoped that she would get better, but she hadn't.

Alice went to the kitchen and made some toast and eggs for herself and Max. She brought them to the living room and sat down next to him. She turned off the TV and told him to eat his breakfast.

"Hey, I was watching that!" Max protested.

"You can watch it later. You need to eat something healthy," Alice said.

"But I don't like eggs," Max whined.

"Too bad. You have to eat them anyway," Alice said firmly.

Max pouted, but he obeyed his sister. He knew that she was in charge when their mom was not around. He respected her for taking care of him and their sister Lily, who was at their grandma's house for the weekend.

Alice ate her breakfast and checked the time. She realized that she had to go soon.

"Max, I have to go now. I'm meeting my friends at the usual spot," Alice said.

"Okay, sis. Have a good day at school," Max said.

"Thanks, squirt. You too," Alice said.

She grabbed her backpack and kissed Max on the cheek. She told him to lock the door after she left and not to open it for anyone except their dad or grandma. She also told him to call her if anything happened or if he needed anything.