We were sitting in a car together when we found out the revolution was over. The Popular Forces had been routed. The regime still controlled the capital. All of our friends were dead. All of our heroes were captured.
We told the driver to let us out at the airport while it was still operational. From there, we would take separate planes into exile. On the tarmac, you touched my cheek and told me not to cry.
“It isn’t over,” you said. “We’ll keep fighting. The people will not suffer long under the bonds of tyranny.”
It was. We didn’t. They have.
Love this, especially the ending which employs a simple poetic denouement
Oooof. That’ll stick with me, this is lovely.
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Such a chilling ending. If this parallels our current world, please be wrong!!
This is the story of my nightmares., the last line a warning.
Oof. Dark. Hopefully not prescient!
Good story.
You know, it’s interesting. I wrote the first version of this story while I was in college in 2016. At the time, I felt hopeless, like I was sliding into an authoritarian world that was inevitable.
In many ways, the world is worse off now than it was 10 years ago. Aggressive wars are being waged all over the world and many countries have undergone further authoritization.
But not all of them. South Korea and Brazil have both beaten back coups in recent years. Poland’s democratic institutions have begun recovering after a period of decline from roughly 2015-2020. Even in the United States, which has experienced a startling authoritarian breakthrough in the last year, I see reason for hope in steadfast community resistance that has met the moment.
I don’t know that I could write this story today. Because the truth is that it really isn’t over. And yes, we really will keep fighting. As for how long people will suffer under the bonds of tyranny, I guess we’ll have to see.