Why Are Loot All, Burn All?

Papa was up and early, humming quietly to himself as he swept the floor. “Papa, why are you sweeping the floor?” He stopped sweeping and smiled gently at me. “Ji Ling, even in times of great desperation, one must stay clean and rid themselves of the evil presence,” he said, giving the floor a strong, hard sweep. I nodded to myself. Indeed, the Japanese were like the evil presence. Their mantra, “Kill all, Loot all, Burn all” has laid our beautiful city into ruins. Once bustling streets filled with traders and trishaws were now laid bare, with puddles of blood here or there. The cloudless sky that made us feel safe to be under no longer existed; there was only grey smoke, ashes, and airplanes flying through the sky, like ugly black beetles.
Papa froze, and dropped his broom. Scooping both of us into his arms, he carried us into the cupboard on the far left, out of sight from the door. The banging on our door was growing louder, and I could hear the wood
“Be silent and do not move in this cupboard, understand? Papa will be gone for just a few minutes. If you are not silent, the evil spirits will come and get you.” Papa’s face was twisted with great anguish and pain, distorting his handsome features. With shaking hands, he traced our faces, looking at us intently.
The door gave in, and Papa whirled around, slamming the cupboard doors shut. I held a hand against Xiao Li’s mouth, only to notice that it was trembling. The cupboard doors were slightly ajar, and I could see Papa, but not the Japanese soldier who was interrogating him. Listening closely, I could hear the Japanese officer speak in heavily accented Chinese to Papa. “In the name of the Imperial Majesty, Emperor Hirohito, Japanese soldiers are now allowed to arrest any men thought to be soldiers. You seem to be a Chinese soldier.” spat the Japanese soldier. My heart pounded. Is Papa going to be taken away? Xiao Li squirmed next to me, impatient to understand what the soldier was saying. An odd clicking sound came from the Japanese soldier, a terrifying shine of metal following soon after. As my father moved back, I could see the object the soldier was holding was the dreaded bayonet. Its cruel tip was coated with blood, and I let out a loud gasp. The bayonet moved