Never Fall Down

Angka’s radio station says glorious victory for the Khmer Rouge is at hand but the Voice of America says the Vietnamese now control Cambodia’s eastern province and are taking more land every day. It also says many Cambodian soldiers and civilians are fleeing to Thailand.

Arn’s group loses a battle and has to take refuge in the jungle. With no supplies, they drink urine and sleep among vines, mosquitoes, snakes, and tigers. Sombo seems to have a new favorite in the group: Koong, the weakest boy in their group. Arn becomes jealous. Arn’s group runs into his sister’s again. Now she is even sicker than before and Arn knows she will not survive much longer. He considers shooting her to save her from being raped by Vietnamese soldiers or eaten by tigers, but he cannot bring himself to do it. When they part, he knows he has seen her for the last time.

Arn’s troop comes upon a makeshift village of Cambodians in the jungle and Sombo sneaks back and slaughters them in the night because he thinks the villagers gave away his troop’s position to the Vietnamese.