Land Of The Dead

3 || The Oppressors Vs The Oppressed.

Bulchewski High School.

Chloe's POV.

"Can anyone tell me what happened in the history of the Whalians?" Mrs Potter pushed her glasses up as she leaned against her table. Her lips were set in a straight line as she waited patiently for an answer.

The class was quiet for a few minutes, everyone looked anywhere but at her.

"None of you did the assignment?" She snapped. "For each minute that passes, I will have you run the field for it if someone doesn't answer." She threatened.

I cleared my throat and raised my hand.

"Chloe, yes go ahead and tell us." She smiled at me and I could hear the relief sighs of my classmates.

"The government's reign was cruel for years and eventually the citizens got tired. They got tired of the constant insecurity in the country, the food scarcity, and the lack of basic amenities like education, electricity, good road networks, and working hospitals amongst many other things. Death was on a rise as well, rather than being protected by their country they were killed.."

I sighed, the world is truly ugly.

"A lagoon with over 500 bodies, youths, children and teenagers was discovered. Women were getting raped and killed on a daily, young boys were being killed for daring to look good. The youth protested peacefully but they opened fire on them. After many decades of cruelty, Whalians decided they had had enough.”

“And so they slaughtered every single one in politics, both those who had ruled previously and those who were currently in office. They spared no one in their bloody massacre, not even the families of said people. They made sure they completely eradicated the root of their problems."

Mrs Potter nodded in agreement with me. "Yes and now tell us, do you think they took the massacre too far?"

"No," I answered in a heartbeat.

She blinked rapidly, completely taken aback by how quick I was to answer.

"The families were innocent, do you still agree with your answer?" She rephrased.

"They were not, their families knew what was happening, did they not? What difference did they make? What effort was made to stop the cruelty? Nothing. Mrs Potter, instead these people lived largely, off the blood and deaths of others who were innocent. That makes them guilty by association and by negligence, hell it should be homicide even. Seeing people suffering and not doing anything."

"What if they had no choice?"

"If you were married to someone in power, or were the daughter of someone in power, would you do nothing about it?"

Mabel spoke up suddenly. "If they were cruel to the masses, then there is a chance that the families feared them."

"That may be true, but it is not enough. If they really did care or have any form of human empathy in them, they would have been on the battleground with the citizens rather than basking in riches obtained through blood." I redirected my attention to her.

She faced me properly. "Some people value their lives, not everyone is so bold."

"And you think those that were killed on a daily, do not value their lives?" I arched my eyebrow.

"I am not saying they don't, but there could have been a different way to go about it. Besides, we don't know the full history as we were not there, how are you sure they were completely innocent?"

I scoffed. "There is no way you read about their history and think this way. You choose to see it from the perspective of the abuser but not from the perspective of the abused."

"Perhaps." She shrugged.

"I understand you may be too witless to understand their plight. Let me bring you to more recent struggles people are having. The LGBTQ are being brutalised daily, alongside the people of colour and Asians. I am sure we all have a good idea of the ill-treatments they're facing. If they decide to retaliate, albeit in a less violent way, would you blame them?"

"Surely. They can just go back to where they belong since they do not like how they're being treated."

"You're joking?" Betty gaped at her.

"If they can't handle being oppressed then they should remove themselves from where they're being oppressed. It's as easy as that." She rolled her eyes.

"You're telling me that if somehow, we the majority become oppressed, you would you simply tuck your tail and run?"

"The majority will never be oppressed, we will always be the oppressors."

I exhaled, she can not be real.

"What of LGBTQ members that are from this country, where can they run to?" Betty asked.

"They should never have existed in the first place." She replied in a duh tone.

"Mabel!" Mrs Potter warned.

"The world was better off without them, I have the right to not like them. I do not care if you people classify it as homophobia."

“Mabel, correct me if I’m wrong. What you’re saying is if you are ever part of the group that is being oppressed, you would just go elsewhere? You wouldn’t fight?”

She pursed her lips and released them with a loud ‘pop’ sound. “I wouldn’t bother fighting a battle I can not win.”

She was part of what was wrong with this world. The group of people that didn't care if the world was burning down in flames because they were unaffected. The group of people that are fine as long as it's not them who's being oppressed. I hate them.

I locked eyes with her. "I can feel just the tip of the pain they felt through history, I wonder how terrible it must have been for them."

Mabel flicked her hair and scoffed. "Are you saying you would have been a part of the slaughterers?"

"No, because I would have died a long time ago fighting for my rights."

"Wow!" Betty commented from her seat.

"If not, you would?" She frowned.

"Would you be a part of those that were slaughtered then, Mabel?"

"I think that's enough you two." Mrs Potter tried to break the tension.

The class broke into a murmur as Mrs Potter grabbed her things. I looked out the window. The honks of cars were soft but I could hear how busy it was out there. If we were on the third floor, I’d have a clear view of the busy roads but alas we were on the ground floor.

When I was in junior school, whenever I was mad at Mabel, I would just count the cars that passed by until my rage dissolved. I jumped a bit from a scream beyond the fence. It was not near but the pain in the scream was much too clear and frightening to be ignored. My classmates however did not seem to have heard what I did. I swallowed and t=returned my focus to the class.

“You know I’m right ma’am. The one you should be worried about is Chloe. Clearly, she has murder tendencies.” Mabel sneered.

The bell rang and I was grateful for it, if this had gone on any further, I would have gotten detention for beating the shit out of that bitch. Distracted by the annoying Mabel Hopkins, I forgot about the scream from earlier and maybe it was best to do so.