Chapter 1
Dozens of people kneeled on the cold concrete ground. In their eyes gleamed a fierce determined light. A desperate hope and an angry exhaustion. For they always lived in fear and they were so tired of living such a meager life.
Life was hard when you live in society that was a game. Those with fair skin always won and all the colors always came in last place.
They were tired of the half excuses, the thinly veiled executions, having to dig early graves for their murdered kin. Being loathed for something they had no control over.
Armani flinched as the baton came down hard on the young man sitting next to her.
Panic and fear flooded her mind. 'This was a peaceful protest, why were they being treated like criminals?' she thought as she watched Enforcers walking among the rows of bowed people, her people, each brandishing a metal baton, a taser, and a gun. Each wearing layers of armor.
'They're treating us like dangerous animals' she thought as another was beaten just for making eye contact.
She was so scared, would her name be another on the news? another who died in an 'accident' and the Enforcer responsible would get a paid vacation and be allowed to return to their life at the end of the month after the judge ruled them not guilty.
It was then she remembered something her brother, Sean, had said. "Pacifism and disobedience only works when the oppressing class wants to subdue and rule, but what's going on here is different. We know that we are their natural equals, but they can't accept that fact. They love having the upperhand and winning. What they want is to debase us, humiliate us, and regain the control they had over us. They have no problems with killing us or even a few of their own if it means they might win. And they will if we let them, because they already own the world and that means the whole world is against us. All we've got are our kin and our morals." he said staring at her somberly. "Then what are we supposed to do? If we fight then they'll only demonize us" Armani said.
He nodded, "You have to fight, with every word, every breath, and every action. Every second is a battle and the war won't be won until we get justice" Sean said.
A cold wretched anger boiled in her belly as another was pepper sprayed.
Standing quickly she bounded up the stone steps of the monument, snatching the megaphone off the ground where the speaker had dropped it.
"Stand up! We have done nothing wrong yet here we kneel before them as if we were their lesser. Here they walk among us in armor and deadly weapons, treating us as if we were dangerous beasts. You call yourself good Enforcers yet here you stand and watch as the corrupt Enforcers abuse their power and the publics trust. If you are neutral in such an evil situation then you are no longer good, you are just as corrupt and evil. Betraying and bastardizing the law you swear to uphold" Armani bellowed into the megaphone. Her voice ringing clear through to the world.
She only saw four Enforcers from the front, she never saw the three coming from the left nor the two from the right.
She didn't feel the impact as they threw her to he ground, but she saw the fire of her words ignite her peoples worn souls. She saw them stand as the Enforcer pulled the trigger.
