𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐊𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐚 [𝐁𝐱𝐁]

CHAPTER 5 : Disgruntled Keffas

CHAPTER 5 : Disgruntled Keffas

Zhavia Yorush age 14|

By mid-morning thousands of disgruntled mixed bloods gathered around the Central Business District. I was one of them along with Crocodile and Zandile to witness the highly unusual demonstration of popular sentiment from our people. Who had long been repressed and greatly conned by the existing government under Kaplan's rule.

We were protesting vote rigging by the West Electoral Commission which had corruptly ensured Robert Kaplan's win. My brother Tiger and his friends had evidence of the claims. They had also gone on record, to other nations but no one in our country was willing to listen. Allies from the South and East suggested a peaceful protest and Tiger's friend was leading it.

On our way to the protest, Crocodile talked about how much the growing chaos administered was perhaps a great excuse and a blessing in disguise, for us. To take back our respect by whatever means necessary. As we climbed out of the car and appraised the chaos before us, Tiger and his political associates agreed with Crocodile. They always did. This was one of those times I was envious of Crocodile. He connected with my brother more than I ever could.

"Alright comrades," Tiger said. "It's time."

Then everyone was off into the protest. For about twenty minutes until anti-riot police were deployed. Despite the police's show of force; the crowd swelled. Some protesters much to my horror burned government vehicles and destroyed Pureblood supremacy property. Masked soldiers, armed with assault rifles, whips, baton sticks and sjamboks, were deployed all over in competing numbers into the CBD area of protest.

"We'll burn you all, Keffa filth!!!"

"Kill that piece of Keffa filth!!!"

"Keffa!"

"Filth!"

"Keffa Filth!!!"

They kept yelling as they used their whips, baton sticks, and sjamboks to beat protesting people of my blood. I wished for tears to well up and run down my face but no such thing was happening, my body wasn't complying with my needs. Crocodile and Zandile were beside me in one moment then in the next they'd gone in the crowd both, throwing pebbles at the armoured full-blooded men.

Despite the anger building inside me to retaliate, I chose to search for my brother or any of his close friends instead. I needed them to stop the chaos. There was so much blood everywhere, mixed bloods were being brutally beaten. Some of them saw it fit to retaliate but we were outnumbered and had even less armoury than the full bloods.

Violence had become the only language in these streets to both; my people and full bloods. I needed my brother to stop it all but then a thought settled into my mind. I feared my brother was one of them, a cry tore out of me. I could picture him as one of the people who kept facing the armoured men, not in any way putting a stop to this. Bile rose in my stomach until I could taste acid on my tongue.

"Come, come," Tiger's girlfriend said.

I yanked my hand back from her hold, I had to find my brother first. I didn't want to go anywhere without him. I didn't want the police to open his limbs with their baton sticks. I didn't even want Dad to know he'd been here.

"Zhavia please!!" his fiance's pleadings were suspended in the air. I hadn't even realized I was fighting her hold until she was literally carrying me over her shoulder.

"No!!!!!" I protested, tears finally falling when I saw not only one but four lifeless figures. Of kids younger than I crowded in on by full bloods.

"We have to help them!!" I cried, trying to get out of her hold. "They are kids here! They are kids out there! Look! We have to go help them!"

"They look dead," I couldn't tell who'd said that between Crocodile and Zandile, hadn't even noticed they were back. Just that they shared similar voices that I couldn't be bothered to pay attention to at that moment. When every fibre in my being wanted to save those kids.

The government force was murdering them, in broad daylight, right in front of me. A baton stick landed on one of the lifeless kids and blood splattered everywhere.

"Shit," My sister in law covered my eyes with her hands. "Open the door!" she then ordered someone.

I struggled, fighting her hold, I had to help those kids and find my brother first. Eventually, two men helped her throw me inside the back seat of the car. My two best friends climbed in too and then she sped off the scene.

By the time we'd gotten on route 93, the radio had confirmed that over thirty-five unarmed people lay dead from the violence. The way the news was reported made it seem like people of my blood had gone looking for trouble and found it. The full-bloods were celebrating the day, they'd called it a victory and they were already talking of more ways to sanction us. To remind us of how merciful they already were on us.

"I saw a woman fleeing from the crowd. They shot her in the back anyway." Zandile croaked and continued in a very low whisper that wouldn't have been heard hadn't there been silence surrounding us. "They shot her three more times even though she was dead from the first bullet. I knew her, she was raped in front of her husband's parents by three Burri men last year. That's one of the reasons why she was out there today."

"I will kill them all someday." Crocodile said, his voice hard and dark as hot tar. He was the result of a rape case on his mother by a free full-blooded man. A man who'd neither apologized nor shown any regret. From the stories we heard, the man had been celebrated for not claiming Crocodile as his son.

Tiger's girlfriend had since gotten on the phone with allies from the North and East. She was arguing with the International Election Observers to denounce the government for excessive force, and more. As soon as she angrily put the phone down I asked "Did anyone see my brother?"

I was met with silence.

I asked again.

His fiancée replied softly but emotionless, "It's time for you to understand that Tiger isn't just Tiger anymore Zhavia," she paused. "He's a leader. A face for a cause to liberate mixed bloods. He can't just up and leave because his precious little brother wants him to."

"People are dying out there!" I screamed the obvious, mind-boggled how they were all okay with leaving him out there in that teargas chaos. Thirty-five people had been killed, what if he was one of them? What if he'd killed one of them? "Let me go back!" I was beyond hysterical at this point.

Crocodile scooted closer to me and clasped his hand with mine but didn't say anything.

Zandile scooted closer and tried to steady me in a side hug. "Its gonna be ok," she said, tone softer than usual.

"He'll die. Dead! Do you all want him to die!" I ignored the free fall of tears streaming down my face along with snot and short gasps. "What if he killed someone? Doesn't anyone care about that?"

No one answered.

I couldn't believe how they would allow him to stay behind. The entire way home, the silence in the car was deafening. Even worse than that had been the energy in my house. All of it had been an ill omen only I hadn't realized it in time.

Mom hadn't brewed her signature lunch soup, Tiger wasn't home despite the hour being after 10 pm. Dad wasn't home either and I had been chased to study hard in my room. Which did not make any sense, for I suspected the government would expel Keffas out of school and back into the concentration camps.

For good this time.

Close to midnight, I watched from my window as people swarmed like bees into our living room. Rowdy and riled up on the Pure Blood's forging of the Presidential results at the ballot.

Paranoia bloomed in me.

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