Protest at Tall Boulder - I

"We will fight for people's rights!" chanted the protesters.

People from across Nation-X had gathered at Tall Boulder. They waved signs that read, PEOPLE BEFORE PROFITS, and TIMBER WOLF LAND, NOW & FOREVER.

Tim Foxe snapped picture after picture, trying to capture the protest's energy. It was difficult not to get swept up in the optimism. He'd spent the last few weeks following the protest, writing articles for the Central Newspaper. In that time, he'd become close friends with many of the timber wolf pack.

I must have covered this protest from every possible angle, Tim thought as he laid his camera down.

"Have you finally taken enough pictures?" a large gray wolf asked from behind him.

The wolf had the decorative markings of his pack painted in bright colors on his fur. Tim stepped back to admire the patterns.

"You're looking good, Ashraf," Tim said, raising his camera and snapping one last close-up of the wolf.

"Am I going to be on the front page?" Ashraf asked.

"Unfortunately, I don't make those decisions," Tim replied as he looked out over the sea of protesters. "It's good to see so many people here, though. It looks like the number of protesters has doubled overnight."

Ashraf nodded. "Two more packs joined us yesterday from Northland, plus dozens of people from Midland. It's amazing to see how many people have come to help protect our land and way of life."

"People are starting to understand how dangerous coal mines are," Tim added. "If the corporation can take timber wolf land, then that level of corruption is a threat to all of us! How much longer do you think the protests will last?"

"It shouldn't last much longer," Ashraf replied. "Construction is delayed, costing the corporation millions of dollars. They won't be able to outlast us.

We live here!"

"Can I quote you on that?" Tim asked, pulling a notebook and pen from his bag.

Ashraf smiled and began walking back to the line of chanting protesters, followed closely by Tim.

Squeezing his way through a huddle of penguins and a herd of buffalo, Tim found himself in a clearing, face to face with a confused-looking sheep.

The sheep was dressed in a tie-dye t-shirt and holding a flag in each hand.

One flag was the flag of Nation-X, the other was the symbol of peace.

"It's not right," said the sheep. "Destroying someone's territory like this!

Tall Boulder is a part of the timber wolf community, and I'm here to make sure it stays that way. Stand together!"

"STAND TOGETHER!" chorused the surrounding protesters.

Tim was impressed. Almost every species was here fighting for the wolves' cause. He flipped over a new page in his notebook and held his pen to the paper, ready to ask some questions.

"We shouldn't use coal at all," the sheep shouted. "We can find a safer resource. Our dependency on coal and fossil fuels will eventually lead to social collapse, won't it?"

Waving his notebook like a white flag of surrender, Tim walked toward the officers standing between the protesters and the construction equipment. He approached a muscular gorilla with Wilson Golden embossed on his name badge.

"How do you think the protests have been going?" Tim asked, licking the nib of his pen.

"This is a great example of how a protest should be done," replied the gorilla. "These people have something to say about this land, and they're saying it. There has been no violence. It's been a peaceful protest so far."

"Do you think the corporation has the right to mine here?" Tim probed.

"That's not for me to say," Wilson replied. "I just want to make sure no one gets hurt."

Tim was in the process of writing down Wilson's answer when a hot streak of pain ran through his head and stomach. A thunderous BANG echoed around him.

Wilson pushed Tim to the ground with a grunt, pinning him down with one hand as another loud bang rang in Tim's ears. Pressed into the dirt, Tim could barely see what was happening. The sound of rhythmic chanting had been replaced with screams of terror. He lifted his head and witnessed several police officers lying on the ground, wailing in pain.

A stampeding herd of protesters began to charge the police line. The officers raised their shields, shouting for the protesters to stop, but the mob continued to advance.

More bangs and explosions rang out. Tim could feel the noise pounding the inside of his skull.

"They're shooting at us!" shouted one of the officers.

Hearing the officer's cries, the remaining police opened fire on the protesters, spraying the panicked crowd with rubber bullets. Tim winced as he watched a giraffe fall to the ground, landing inches away from him.

The chaos continued for several minutes as more and more bodies fell. By the time it ended, dozens of protesters and police were laid stricken across the ground.

A medical aid team arrived twenty minutes later. One of the medics wrapped Tim in a blanket and told him not to move. Feeling like he was about to throw up, Tim did as he was told.

The medical team ran around, bandaging wounds and handing out blankets and cups of tea. A troop of fresh police officers stood guard over the protesters, making sure no one left the scene without being interrogated.

A news reporter talking into a TV camera caught Tim's ear.

"In a surprising turn of events, the protest at Tall Boulder turned bloody when protesters opened fire on the police," said the reporter. "The protest was led by an aggressive pack of wolves who claimed to be protecting their territory. According to witnesses, the wolves became violent when things didn't go their way."

That's nonsense! Tim thought.

Realizing that there was no one else to tell the truth, Tim dusted himself off and pulled out his camera. Hiding the camera under his blanket, he began documenting everything around him.

Stumbling around the battlefield, he came across a young doe wrapped in a blanket and sat down beside her.

"Are you okay?" Tim asked.

The doe stared into the distance for a moment, then blinked and focused on Tim.

"Oh, yeah," she replied. "I'm fine, just a little sick."

"Me too," Tim responded, rubbing his head. "May I ask you a few questions? Can you tell me what happened?"

The doe nodded. "I was at the back, away from the police. There was a flash of light in front of me, then another one just behind me. I couldn't hear anything after that. I thought I'd gone deaf. That's when they started shooting at us."

"Who started shooting at you?" Tim inquired. "The cops?"

"No, the people behind us were shooting," the doe replied. "I could feel bullets shooting past me like the air was vibrating. Everyone ran. That's when the cops started shooting. My legs stopped working, and I fell. I was so scared, I stayed on the ground, right here."

Following her gaze, Tim scanned the ground around them. Close to the doe's legs was a small metal object that caught Tim's eye. With a subtle movement, he picked up the object and tucked it into his pocket. He thanked the deer and squeezed her shoulder sympathetically.

A female rabbit wearing a medic's uniform ran past. Tim jumped up and began to follow.

"Can you help me out with a few questions?" Tim asked, trying to keep up with the rabbit's pace.

"It's okay with me," the rabbit replied, moving between the blanketed people, "but only if you can talk and walk at the same time."

"What are the injury rates?" Tim asked.

"Can't you figure that out for yourself?" responded the rabbit. "Are you blind? Look around you!" She gestured in exasperation at the people lying on the ground.

Tim fumbled through his bag, trying to find his notebook and pen.