The Other Side

Prologue

The Other Side

Prologue:

When I was a little girl, the town’s council built this high wall. It was not like normal walls that were built out of bricks; it was a wall that was 30 feet tall and made from silver coated cement. Silver that, I knew, was not paint.

 It was a wall that alienated the town of Inverell into two separate parts, and no one knew why they did it. It would have been impossible to find out without being killed.

 When I was little, only six years old, it was hard to know what to feel. My mother, as well as the rest of the adults in town, knew to be terrified. Most of the people in Inverell went to church every weekend and prayed for those people that we could sometimes hear weeping on the other side of the wall.They also prayed for themselves, as they had lost almost everything. Including their families and friends, who only did what Mayor Christopher had ordered upon them.

 But little did the people living north of Inverell’s wall know that praying for the people on South wall would never serve them good, as they were no ordinary people.

 About six months after the wall was built, we could hear them renovating on the other side of the wall; the part of the town which was segregated from the North. At the same time, Mayor Christopher started ordering the counsel and the military to check every house on our side. None of us knew what it was for, but not many tried to argue. The several people who had argued were taken under suspicion and violently taken away for some time, but most eventually returned after their house was checked thoroughly. Anyone – including my mother – who were asked what had happened during the time they were taken away would never say a word. If they tried, all that would come out of their mouths was a hoarse croak, as if they were being strangled to death by an invisible rope or hands.

 There were times when the military or counsel would take people away and they’d never return. Other times, the especially pesky were immediately executed in front of the whole town. Mayor Christopher’s only excuse for doing so was that, they were evil and they were here to ruin our town.Sometimes he would go as far as tying them to posts and burning them. That lousy vindication wasn’t enough for the people and it turned out, since after that, the people in this town became braver than any of them would have ever expected. They argued, bellowing out there declarations, voicing their anger, opinions and hatred upon Mayor Christopher for what he was doing to them and their families. It turned out though, that the military were also on Mayor Christopher’s side and a rampage started.

 Several people were shot and beaten.

 Mayor Christopher was protected.

 A riot started.

 It didn’t take long for the people to realize that fighting against the military and mayor was useless. So many of them just cried or fell to their knees and prayed, a couple of the people even knelt in front of Mayor Christopher and begged for mercy. None was given, of course. The soldiers dragged them away, beating them in front of everyone, until they had no choice but to fall silent and listen to him.

 “There has been a slight change in management, as you can all see. From now on, you live by my rules and you honour me.” The mayor bellowed, “No more fun and games—”

A groan had come from one of the beaten men on the ground, under Mayor Christopher’s foot. The people watched as the Mayor got out his gun and shot him, permanently silencing him. People screamed.

 Mayor Christopher cleared his throat and went on, “As your elected Mayor of Inverell, I hereby declare this town in a state of quarantine. No one is to leave here and no one is to come here.”

 That had been the first speech he made when this all went down.

 Being just a small child, I didn’t know what to think, but I knew I was scared. I had wanted to know why anyone wasn’t stopping this and what this was all about, but nobody knew. Or they did, but nobody was going to tell me.

 The wall being there, the Mayor of Inverell set a rule, which everyone had to follow or would be suffering lethal consequences. It was the number one rule of the town, above even murder. It was the only speech that he had ever made without hurting anyone. “Nobody, dead or alive, was ever to step foot over or caught trying to breach the wall. If you do, you will be sure to suffer lethal consequences, along with anyone who shared any part or knew of it. Do I make myself clear?”

 Mayor Christopher had undoubtedly made himself clear, as no one was brave enough to even step within a small radius of the wall.

 Except, one day, I became sure I would never be doing it again.

 --------------

Written by @whisperrrmyname100x 

Edited by @oldpeopleburning 

Cover by @IsaSecret

Trailer by @_BeMyAugustus