hapless people were quickly taken away and dumped onto the surface of the ever growing Great Wall because
there was no better way of disposing of the corpses. Yuwen became gaunter and gaunter thanks to the lack of
nutrition and vitamins. While he worked sedulously, his parents and neighbor were working equally hard…
On a road leading to Xian, a troop of five people consisting of Yuwen’s parents and Yuanzhi’s family sat down
for a well-deserved rest. They had travelled many kilometers, asking everyone whether they knew about the
whereabouts of Yuwen. Some said many people were taken north, near Beijing. As a result, they trekked
recklessly towards Beijing, oblivious to the freezing cold that wrapped them in its tight clench.
Time flew by, and Yuwen was on the verge of collapse - only the cacophonous sound of the general kept him in
focus, reminding him of the massive job he had to accomplish. One day, a wave of exhaustion blew over him.
He staggered for a bit, before staying still, swaying like the wind which he was used to in his homeland. The
general’s cries grew softer, and Yuwen fell to his knees. He dropped the brick he was holding, and closed his
eyes for the last time…
Two days later, a bevy of five people came up the slope to inquire about a boy. When they asked one of the
workers, the worker pointed to the wall and shook his head. A cry rose up from within Ah Mee, as she leapt
forward and banged her fists against the wall. The sound that replied to her drumming was the voices of
millions of dead civilians, raising their voices in harmony.
“
Emmm… errrr…” an eerie sound filled the night, spreading its gentle beauty throughout Huanghuacheng
Village. It seemed as if the sound came from nowhere, a diaphanous speaker singing its uncanny melody. The
villagers in Huanghuacheng Village had learnt to both fear and respect this echo that resonated throughout the
mountains, as they knew that every note represented each and every drop of sweat and tear of the millions that
had sacrificed for the construction of the Great Wall. This sound was the Voice - the Voice of the Great Wall.
* * *