This is about an intolerant alternate world that we, as the human race, should all hope we will never see or become.
This alternate world is called Borders. Picture a sphere, just like Earth. The Borders are four feet high walls that separate the world into 3 distinct areas. The three areas are not equal in size. They are not equal because of the way the occupants are classified, which is primarily based on the amount of money and is attached to the family name. AreaOne is the royals and the rich. This first group amounts to just ten percent of the population. AreaTwo is the middle-working class and amounts to Thirty percent of the
population. Then the last, AreaThree is the poor and destitute. AreaThree is the largest in population at sixty percent.
AreaOne, the royalty and rich population run the land, creates and refines laws to their liking and executes punishment as necessary. Borders is not a democracy. If the royal and rich say it is law, it is so- and is not to be questioned. If it is, the person that questions will face a violent punishment, which is also not to be questioned. Punishment was always carried out in front of the public every Friday at noon. Borders was ruled by nine judges. An odd number was used purposely so that there was never a "tie".
The punishment ceremonies were viewed as a reason for everyone to come to the Borders Square to drink and celebrate. Most likely, if you asked someone if they knew what the prisoner about to be punished had done, they had no idea - they were just there for the food, drink and the 'show'. Just glad it was not them.
Today's punishments were going to be especially graphic to Fourteen year old Ric. He usually enjoyed the wild show and throwing back beers when no one was watching while listening to the charges being read and then watching the punishment be carried out at that very moment. He had to admit, after a few beers, he found himself cheering for more. But today was different, because he knew two of the prisoners, they were his best friends, Daryl and John, both of them the same age as Ric and both of them scheduled for their charges and punishment today. Both the charges and punishment were for the dumbest of reasons. But, again - Borders, is not a democracy and there was no outlet to argue the point that Daryl and John did not do anything wrong. Daryl and John were being helpful. They were walking yesterday in AreaThree when they saw a girl on the other side of the wall, step in a pot hole while walking home from school and drop all of her books and hurt her ankle. She laid there yelling for help. Daryl paused and said - "Let's go help her."
"Are you kidding? She's on the other side of the border in AreaOne. If we cross it we're breaking the law."
"Nah...were helping her. I think if word gets around that we're being helpful and kind that might help relations between AreaOne and AreaThree."
"Or likely get us killed!" John said as he followed him over the wall anyway. Lena saw them coming, and at first was scared. She had never spoke to an AreaThree resident. As a matter of fact, it was against the law. Daryl smiled at her and said
"I see that look, I won't hurt you. Neither will my friend. My name is Daryl and my friend is John, we want to help you get home."
The girl, Lena, said thank you and was very appreciative of Daryl carrying her books and John holding her up so she could lean on his shoulder and limp home. The problem? When they got her home and her father found out what had happened, instead of saying thank you and appreciating the help Lena had needed. Lena's father got very upset and angry that two boys from AreaThree touched his daughter. They had no right to touch his daughter - She was an AreaOne resident. By touching her, to help or otherwise was against the law of the land. The girl, Lena tried to explain to her father that they had been of great help.
"I'd still be laying there if they hadn't helped me!" Her father did not waiver, he just said "They are AreaThree scum and they touched you. It is against the law and this will be discussed with the judges tomorrow at the Friday gathering.
This is where the sad intolerance showed the most. The father did not say thank you or care that their intentions were good and they had helped his daughter. He, instead, that Friday went to the judges and complained about two scummy AreaThree boys as he described them had touched his daughter. 'The injustice of the whole matter had to be addressed he claimed. So the judges discussed the matter in private, taking only ten minutes total and came back with a verdict. The main judge spoke:
"Today is Friday. At 12:00 the sentences assigned to AreaTwo and AreaThree will all be completed, including the two new arrivals, AreaThree boys, who we have decided will be Drawn and Quartered for illegal contact with Lena Jackson, an AreaOne occupant. Loud cheers erupted from the crowd. The more blood and gore that the judges promised, the louder the crowd begged for more. The judges were surveying the crowds, smiling and bowing like rock stars. They were very satisfied with their decision.
This whole party atmosphere was so wrong Ric thought to himself. He was glaring at police as they dragged his best friend, Daryl up on the stage and then John. The judge that had stirred up the crowd grabbed Daryl by the hair, took an iron bar that was in a box of 'tools' and smacked Daryl straight in the face. He had done it so fast that Daryl had not had a chance to even cover his face and his nose flattened, snapped and exploded into a fountain of blood. He laid on the stage where the judge had thrown him down. Ric felt like he couldn't breathe. John had tears in his eyes and somewhere in the back Lena, who had covered her face so she wouldn't be seen or recognized sobbed silently.
"We'll be back at exactly twelve to finish our work. Police!! if any prisoner tries to leave the stage, stop them in any way you must, but if I had to make a suggestion, i'd suggest chopping off their feet. After that, prisoners are hardly a problem." He laughed as he walked away.
Twelve came and everyone was waiting at the square, low murmuring across the crowd was gaining excitement. Ric and the disguised Lena were at the back of the crowd.
Lena was crying, she felt so bad that because they got caught being kind to her, that they were to be put to death. All for talking to someone in the wrong class.
Ric felt a pain in his chest as he realized that this was going to happen, and there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing at all, except to use them as an example of kindness and courage and that they did the right thing by helping Lena, even though they knew the possible consequences. He would miss them both, but he knew they would never had done it any other way. They helped Lena get home and she was okay. Maybe someday the father would be able to look past the intolerance he felt for the lower class and be thankful that he still had his daughter.
Maybe someday everyone will be able to look past intolerance and differences and be thankful for all types of people. Maybe someday we will all learn to coexist and learn from each other.
He had gotten lost in his thoughts and looked up at the stage. The metal bands had been placed around Daryl and John's arms and legs and the pulling began. The screams and cries echoed off every bone in Ric's body, off every building, throughout the sky and no one moved until the blood curdling screams stopped. They were gone, Daryl and John had paid the ultimate price for crossing the line to help someone. Lena stared at the stage, but said nothing. She wiped her eyes and looked at Ric.
"It's my fault...I'll never be able to forgive myself." She looked at the stage again at the same time as Ric - they were taking the bodies down and wrapping them in a sheet to be buried in. Then she said
"I have to go back to AreaOne, we are to never speak again."
He had nothing to say to her and walked away. He knew she hurt, because of the intolerance between the borders, they all did. Two were dead and two were broken. Ric wondered if Daryl and John had made a mistake by saving her? He hoped not. But the sad fact remained that his friends, best friends were dead because of intolerance and that intolerance was a much easier emotion to succumb to then acceptance. He never attended another Friday
gathering.