The Time Has Come | 5 Minute Freewrite: (Day 1919) | Prompt: you are a leader

Greely Hunt rises from his slumped position to a stately six foot, two inch stance. Still looking intently at the papers scattered in the grass, he continues to ignore the commands. "Greely!" the hoarse, authoritative voice behind him screams. "Tell us what you know!" Greely remains silent as if unaware of the circumstances that brought him to this plight. But he does know what comes next.

The whip's loop lingers in the air as if flirting with its knowledge of free reign while searching for a target. After minutes of toying with the idea, it gains speed until the tip finally lands an explosive blow, ripping open a trail of flesh and leaving behind a stream of blood trickling downward within inches of Greely's rib cage.

Greely's relieved the tip of the whip isn't meant for him. He's angry its target is his brother, Reuben.

The echo rifles through the hanging moss and breaks the thick, humid summer air waffling through the old oak trees situated on the sprawling plantation.

Greely clenches his fist. His body grows taut at the thought the sound's mission today is to intimidate. However, its true intent and ultimate goal is to evoke fear into not only his, but also the hearts of those forced to witness this brutality. The same fear that will prevent them from rising up.

"You are a leader. Silencing you will send a message to us all," Greely shouts to Reuben, then searches the familiar, brown-tanned faces gathered near the huge oak tree behind the mansion.

His gaze quickly settles on the men he grew up to despise. His eyes fires daggers at those hired to keep order and compliance within those brown-tanned faced individuals who are viewed as "property".

Memories flash across his face of those same men restraining his mother while his father suffered the same cruelty as Reuben.

Those memories are replaced with his brother. Tears trickle down his face as he remembers the night he begged him not to leave and the night he returned with papers documenting words spoken by Frederick Douglass.

Greely looks down at the words he can't read printed on the papers.

Those in charge suspect he can. The unknown infuriates them. The knowledge emboldens Greely as his heart races with the thought he too can learn to evoke the same sense of pride in each of his countrymen as he felt the night Reuben spoke the words to him in the dark with a hushed, but confident voice.

The time had come to lay bare the inner strength of his brother and others before him that can come from the true, written words revealed denied that has been denied for too long.

Greely looks down at Reuben grimacing each time the whip connects again with his brother's flesh.

On the last snap of the whip, Reuben turns his head toward Greely and nods, then falls to the ground, lifeless.

Although trembling inside after receiving confirmation, in a loud and steady voice, Greely answers those in charge, "I can't read. I can't write. I know nothing."

The day has ended. Greely and others watch as the overseer cuts the ropes from the tree binding Reuben and drags him off into the distance.

Reuben ran. His punishment was death.

Unconvinced and now afraid Greely has been exposed, his punishment is thirty days' confinement in the small, square underground prison. It contains a tiny hole that squeezes through a ray of light and interrupts his thoughts.

I WILL run;
I WILL learn to read;
I WILL return; and
I WILL TRY to be the leader Reuben believed I can be.

That I will suffer the same fate as my brother, I give it no thought.

^Source