The private who found the dictionary, a kid by the name of Polanski, fussed over the children's dictionary with the Japanese pilot for hours. He circled words, then the pilot yelled at him because apparently they were the wrong words, and soon enough they were stringing sentences together.

Once a line of communication had been established - however threadbare it was - Polanski summoned the General. I went with him. General Eastford sat across from the pilot - whose name, Polanski discovered, was Kaito - he began the interrogation.

"Where are you from, soldier?"

Polanski searched the phrase book and pointed to a question.

Kaito read, and then nodded. "Hiroshima," he said. "He-ro-shi-ma," he repeated, as if we were children.

Polanski said, "he says he's from-"

"We heard. Ask him how he got here," the General said.

Polanski pointed to a different phrase in the book, shuffling some pages. Kaito responded slowly, then grabbed the book and began circling words. He handed it back to Polaski, who read their English counterparts.

"Bright... light. Loud... noise. Danger. We come here."

"Ok," said the General. "He definitely said we? How many are you?"

Polanski repeated the translation process.

"Many... to begin. Less... today."

"Numbers, private, get me numbers," the General said.

Polanski shuffled the book, then argued with Kaito for a while.

"It sounds like.... around 50,000 sir. 50,000 alive today."

"In both cities? In Hiroshima and Nagasaki?"

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

Kaito hissed. He spat over his shoulder and then mumbled something that sounded like a prayer.

"What was that? Private, tell me what that was," the General said.

Polanski nervously skimmed the book, then showed Kaito a question.

"It seems like... he doesn't like Nagasaki."

I spoke up. "Why? Was there a war?"

Polanski shrugged. He "chatted" with Kaito some more.

"At first. Nagasaki went...crazy. I think that's what he's saying. They came to Hiroshima and...."

Polanski stopped, but he didn't have to translate to understand. Kaito was miming eating something, biting into his arm like he was an animal.

"They tried to cannibalize the other city," Polanski said. "Ate people. Kids."

"Jesus Christ," the General said. "What happened next?"

"Hiroshima fought off Nagasaki... with planes. Nagasaki went back to their.... island. A few years later, Hiroshima took the fight to them, tried invading Nagasaki for... food."

Kaito was gesturing emphatically, imploring Polanski to tell us something.

"What is it, private?"

Polanski fidgeted. "He wants you to know that Hiroshima wasn't going to eat people. They aren't cannibals."

"Wonderful news. God, this is a mess. Well what happened?"

Polanski pointed to a question. Kaito responded.

"When they got there, to the other island... it was empty. The people were gone."

"All dead? Can't say I'm surprised, if they were resorting to cannibalism."

"No... not dead." Polanski said. Kaito was repeatedly saying "no" in English and pointing to a word.

"He says they were gone. Not dead. No... bodies."

The skin on the back of my neck prickled; I shivered. "He's saying they vanished?" I asked.

Polanski translated.

"Yes," said Kaito, in English. "Vanish."

"Private, what is he trying to say to us here?"

Kaito was speaking rapidly again to Polanski, gesturing wildly. He seemed desperate to tell us something. Finally, he grabbed the dictionary and began searching for the words he needed. Painstakingly, he copied the unfamiliar English letters onto the back page. When he was done, handed it back to Polanski, looking at him wide eyed.

Polanski read, then froze. He handed the message to the General, who, pale faced, handed it to me.

I read the message, scrawled desperately in child-like handwriting:

N O T A L O N E