Name: Judd Martinez
Location: Pingle, Black Hills
Time: 0850

“Mr.Colbax-” Judd jumped at the sudden ferocity in his homeroom teacher’s voice, instinctively looking towards the woman, then the boy she was addressing. Mason flinched under the teacher’s gaze, but didn’t look away from her. “-why are you not reciting with the rest of the class?”

“Because I don’t believe what is being said, ma’am.” Mason swallowed hard.

“Come up here!” The teacher pointed to the tiled floor beside her. The boy obeyed, nearly tripping on a desk in his nervous haste. “Class, can anyone tell me what Mason’s problem is?”

The students glanced at each other, finally someone raised their hand. “He clings to fairytales over real facts.”

“Excellent!” She praised. “Our job is to teach Mason the truth, that those fairytales are old stories and nothing else. He needs to learn that education brings power, obedience brings unity and equality, and any rebellion brings suffering.” She grabbed Mason by the back of his shirt and shoved him forwards, like an object she was showing the class.

“This boy, will learn these things. You will teach him. His primitive beliefs are what caused the wars and crimes of the past. We must not allow him and those who believe the same as him, to bring death and destruction back again.” She turned to Mason, who was pale. “You will do well to follow our rules.” She growled, finally releasing him. “Now take your seat.”

Judd watched as his classmate shakily made his way back to his desk. The teacher moved on, beginning her lecture, but his mind couldn’t follow. Something didn’t feel right, but he couldn’t put his finger on the problem.

The scene played over and over in his mind as he went through his day, feeling like a zombie. At long last, the final bell rang and he grabbed his stuff from the locker, hurrying out the doors. What was wrong about that? He agreed with her logic, so that wasn’t the issue. Then what was?

Sounds suddenly erupted behind him, pausing his thoughts. He turned around and saw a group of kids about fifty feet behind him. They had stopped walking and were standing in a circle.

Judd frowned. From here he could recognize Mason’s pale face. Suddenly one of the boys lashed out, hitting him in the stomach.

Judd felt his own gut tighten as the boy doubled over in pain. He couldn’t watch. He started to turn away- “They are demanding that we let go of our beliefs and follow their global religion… I will probably be killed for this, and when you read my obituary, I hope that all who refused to do anything will feel ashamed…” The words of the street preacher flooded back to his mind, making him hesitate.

I can’t walk away again. What if they seriously hurt him? Judd turned back to the scene. Mason was on the ground, being kicked repeatedly by the small mob. He hurried towards them.

“Hey!” He shouted, a bit louder than he’d meant to. The kids froze, turning to see him approaching. Mason clutched his stomach, face screwed up tightly as he gasped for air, eyes landing on Judd.

“What’re you guys doing?” Judd asked, with more confidence than he felt. The boys glanced at each other, a little taken aback by their fellow student’s objection.

“Teaching someone a much needed lession, not that it’s any of your business.” One of the boys finally replied, taking the lead.

Judd pointed to their victim. “It is my business when you’re breaking laws. This is called assault, and that’s pretty serious.” This caught their attention, and some of the boys shuffled uncomfortably.

“Yeah? Well if you don’t get out of our business, we just might commit another crime.” The boy recountered. Judd stared at him a moment. Suddenly an idea popped into his head.

“This is about that whole ‘teach him a lesson’ speech, isn’t it?”

“Duh.” The kid rolled his eyes.

“So, because his beliefs might cause him to break the law, you are breaking the law to teach him a lesson so he won’t break the law later?” Score! Maybe I should become a lawyer one day...

The kids glanced at each other. Some started to walk away, looking a little guilty. Their leader, whatever his name was, obviously got all his confidence from having followers, because he just rolled his eyes.

“That law doesn’t apply to people like Mason. They forfeit that right through their superstition.” He, and those who were left, stalked off, having won the verbal debate.

Mason groaned, slowly getting up while holding his stomach. “Why?” He asked.

Judd shrugged. “I don’t know. Just didn’t seem right.” He turned to leave, but Mason grabbed his arm, stopping him.

“Thanks.”

He stared at the boy a moment, then just nodded. Mason released his arm, and he turned, walking away. As he walked, the questions all came back.

Why was the teacher’s speech wrong? He glanced back over his shoulder, seeing Mason picking up his bag and trying to brush the grit off himself. Because she was encouraging this kind of violence, the very thing that she claimed Mason’s beliefs caused.

He pulled his phone from his pocket, going to his notes about homework and staring at the assignment his teacher had given. Her speech had felt wrong because it was wrong. He needed to point that out, before Mason came to the same fate as the street preacher, but how?

An idea started to form in his mind, and he glanced over his shoulder again. Mason had disappeared.

Okay, he would just do it alone, maybe people would listen more if they didn’t know beforehand what he was referring to.