The Fear of Living in Iraq

My family was living on a farm near Mosul at the time. We moved there because Saddam kept attacking the Kurdish areas. It was cheap, we didn't have to pay rent because we watered the crops for the farmer. The scenes we saw were horrific. Once I saw the most enormous explosion and people were rushing about trying to help the wounded. There was a burning car with two men trapped inside. Another time I was standing next to an Iraqi soldier who suddenly started shooting. Our parents would try to tell us not to worry. They said it was like a game the soldiers were playing. But at night, I'd have vivid nightmares. If I'd seen blood or bodies in the day,