Morality

by AMG

Published April 25, 2016

12+

In Short stories

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Morality, something many people claim to have yet lack to demonstrate. We all claim to be virtuous and know the difference between right and wrong, however when it comes down to it, many people turn out to be more talk than show. If at least one person decided to do the right thing and demonstrate their morality, then I’dbe free and wouldn’t have to be here in the first place. Tick. Tock.Tick.Tock. Time keeps passing me while I sit here awaiting trial. All I wanted was to have an easy workday so I could’ve gone home to my family earlier.

Day in and day out, I spend my time working at the dispensary helping others by giving them much needed medication. I didn’t have much to offer, but I was willing to share what I had left in mystock. I’d pride myself for all the good I was doing for humanity.After the economic fallout, many things became scarce. There weren’t enough resources to go around; likewise there weren’t many solutions to help with the necessity. There were too many people and not enough affordable water, food or medicine for everyone. People became malnourished and got sick. Withered children whose bodies resembled mummified remains would blankly stare at me as I walked on the street during my commute to work. The government did nothing to help those who were hit the hardest by the economic fallout. People were left to their own devices. The government left them like dying cattle. It irked me to see all those people in thatcondition. My spouse and I took it upon ourselves to be part of the solution instead of the problem. I opened up my dispensary to anyone and everyone who needed my services. Nothing put a smile on my face more than knowing that I was doing the right thing and helping out my fellow people.

It was supposed to be an early day for me as I intended to close the dispensary sooner than usual for my little girl’s birthday. My hubby and I were extremely happy as we were able to afford her a cake this year. Vanilla flavored bread with butter cream frosting, her favorite. I couldn’t wait to see the smile on my baby girl’s face once we showed her the surprise we had. Unfortunately, I never got to see her smile or enjoy her birthday for that matter. Just as I was about to close the shop, I was attacked. Five men all dressed in dark blue busted through the doors and knocked me down. My face was shoved against the cold tiled floor. My vision quickly became a blur asimages of my family echoed in my mind. They detained me and took me away as more men arrived and took my entire inventory. They shoved me into a small six by eight foot room and didn’t allow me any contact with my family. I was not even allowed a single phone call to let them know that I was alright. I was brutally mistreated and verbally abused. I was treated like a monster. As I sat in solitary, I was forever grateful that my spouse no longer worked with me at the dispensary. My intelligent partner, who is a biochemist, worked from home as we could no longer afford the luxury of a babysitter. Without my other half, I would not have been able to provide a bit of relief to the current national downfall. The memory of them was the only thing that kept me sane throughout my lengthy internment.

Finally after a very long time of being confined in that small room, I was allowed out for trial. I was ecstatic that I was finally let out of that dungeon and allowed to breathe fresh air. To my dismay however, i was escorted into yet another small room while the jury deliberated. At the very least, this room was brightly painted and had an array of windows. I did not feel as confined as I had previously been. I was sat onto a rigid chair near a window and left alone with my thoughts. As I stared out the window I played back the events that had just transpired. Once I was in the courtroom, I was confronted face to face with my attackers. I couldn’t help but scowl at theirvery sight. I told the judge and the jury of how I was wrongfully attacked and detained. I told them of how I did nothing wrong; I was positively contributing to the community. I assertively pleaded my case and hoped that they saw the virtue in what I was doing.After a long wait, the jury had finally reached a verdict.

As the bailiff escorted me into the court room, I clearly saw revulsion and hatred on the juries’ faces. I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed with disbelief. They clearly have no ethics of their own and see all the good that I was doing. It was apparent to me that they had not voted in my favor. How can I be tried for doing the moral thing and helping out humanity? How can I be seen as a monster for stepping up when others wouldn’t and for creating a solution to the overpopulation and lack of affordable resources? As I stood, the juror handed over the small nondescript envelope that determined the outcome of my fate. “In the case of the state of California vs. Miller, I find the defendant guilty of mass murder under the guise of supplying medicinal help.” The judge’s words resonated in my ears. I could not comprehend that they didn’t see the value in my charitable work. Unlike many, I took matters into my own hands and did something to control the population. There were too many people and not enough resources. They were better off dead than to be suffering. I was helping alleviate the strain that the economy was currently in. Population control was the only solution and I was the only one man enough to do something about it.

Just as I was to be escorted out of the courtroom, my husband approached me. Iwas briefly allowed to speak with him. Although I was entwined withresentment, dread and sorrow, I was able to assure him that everything will be okay. He and our daughter had nothing to worry about. I was merely the face of our crusade to help humanity. My husband, my other half, was the true mastermind of our charity work to help our struggling nation. I was at least at ease knowing that my partner in crime has the modesty to continue our work in order to give our baby girl a virtuous future in which there is no overpopulation to cause another economic downfall. Although I may have been detained, my morality had already made a difference.

Comments & reviews · 2
User avatar
Jyva
Review
Jyva wrote a review Review · Apr 27, 2016

general comment: fix your spacebar

>Just as I was about to close the shop, I was attacked. Five men all dressed in dark blue busted through the doors and knocked me down. My face was shoved against the cold tiled floor. My vision quickly became a blur as images of my family echoed in my mind. They detained me and took me away as more men arrived and took my entire inventory. They shoved me into a small six by eight foot room and didn’t allow me any contact with my family. I was not even allowed a single phone call to let them know that I was alright. I was brutally mistreated and verbally abused. I was treated like a monster.

you were doing pretty well up until here. it's not absolutely terrible, but it most definitely can be improved. what you've done with this section of writing is use flat/cliche description for what is meant to be a very emotional memory. additionally, the reader is nowhere near invested enough in the story for something like this to have some sort of impact on them. the reader's reaction is most likely to be "meh". if you want to try to have emotional impact, then flesh out the story before this and then describe this memory in more detail. maybe even send the perspective of the story back in time, third person, so you're not limited by the constraints of your character's memory.


>Finally after a very long time of being confined in that small room, I was allowed out for trial. I was ecstatic that I was finally let out of that dungeon and allowed to breathe fresh air. To my dismay however, i was escorted into yet another small room while the jury deliberated. At the very least, this room was brightly painted and had an array of windows. I did not feel as confined as I had previously been. I was sat onto a rigid chair near a window and left alone with my thoughts. As I stared out the window I played back the events that had just transpired. Once I was in the courtroom, I was confronted face to face with my attackers. I couldn’t help but scowl at theirvery sight. I told the judge and the jury of how I was wrongfully attacked and detained. I told them of how I did nothing wrong; I was positively contributing to the community. I assertively pleaded my case and hoped that they saw the virtue in what I was doing.After a long wait, the jury had finally reached a verdict.

you're using "I" way too much. there are ways to avoid it - this link might help. https://www.reddit.com/r/writing/commen ... arch_posts

AMG replied · Apr 27, 2016

Hello Jyva, thank you for your review. I well definitely go through my stories much closer next time to fix simple errors like spacing. I also apperciate your constructive criticism on the emotional aspect, as I plan on expanding on this story.

User avatar
Elijah
Review
Elijah wrote a review Review · Apr 27, 2016

King here

Hello there, I may not be able to make such a long review, but I will try to help.
I like the idea, because I think you are the only person who had thought of this subject and write about it. It is a very interesting subject, showing every person has their own opinion, and we can not think the right way. I will go through this work, and see if something needs correction.



Morality, something many people claim to have yet lack to demonstrate.


I think you need comma before 'yet'. At least, I stop there as I read.

We all claim to be virtuous and know the difference between right and wrong, however when it comes down to it, many people turn out to be more talk than show.


After however you need a comma, even if it is still understandable. This is the start of the talk, and I got curious about the subject here.

If at least one person decided to do the right thing and demonstrate their morality, then I’dbe free and wouldn’t have to be here in the first place.



I think you had forgotten to hit the space button, after 'I'd' so it is right. Everything else is totally okay.



Tick. Tock.Tick.Tock. Time keeps passing me while I sit here awaiting trial. All I wanted was to have an easy workday so I could’ve gone home to my family earlier.


For this part, I would say that you need to separate the sentences with space after each fullstop at the end of the sentence.


Day in and day out, I spend my time working at the dispensary helping others by giving them much needed medication. I didn’t have much to offer, but I was willing to share what I had left in mystock. I’d pride myself for all the good I was doing for humanity.


Comma before 'helping' in the first sentence. I like the way you show that you help others. 'mystock' is not together.

There weren’t enough resources to go around; likewise there weren’t many solutions to help with the necessity.

I think that you need to seperate these two parts of one sentence by comma not a ' ; ' but it's optional.





Withered children whose bodies resembled mummified remains would blankly stare at me as I walked on the street during my commute to work.


Optional commas:
1. Before 'whose'.
2. Before 'as'.

The government did nothing to help those who were hit the hardest by the economic fallout. People were left to their own devices. The government left them like dying cattle. It irked me to see all those people in thatcondition.


Thatcondition is not together, maybe this is everything here.
Optional commas:
1.before 'who'


My spouse and I took it upon ourselves to be part of the solution instead of the problem. I opened up my dispensary to anyone and everyone who needed my services. Nothing put a smile on my face more than knowing that I was doing the right thing and helping out my fellow people.


Comma before 'instead'.
I think 'anyone and everyone' is not needed. Only 'everyone'. Optional comma after 'everyone' in the second sentence.

[quotr] It was supposed to be an early day for me as I intended to close the dispensary sooner than usual for my little girl’s birthday. My hubby and I were extremely happy as we were able to afford her a cake this year. [/quote]

Optional commas:
1. Comma before 'sooner'.
2. Comma before 'as'.







Five men all dressed in dark blue busted through the doors and knocked me down. My face was shoved against the cold tiled floor. My vision quickly became a blur asimages of my family echoed in my mind.


You can put commas around 'all dressed in dark blue'.
'A blur asimages' is wrong, because 'a' can not be used for plurals.






They detained me and took me away as more men arrived and took my entire inventory. They shoved me into a small six by eight foot room and didn’t allow me any contact with my family. I was not even allowed a single phone call to let them know that I was alright. I was brutally mistreated and verbally abused. I was treated like a monster. As I sat in solitary, I was forever grateful that my spouse no longer worked with me at the dispensary.


Optional comma before 'as'. For the second sentence, It needs to be 'make any contact' so it is more connected. By my opinion. This part really made me sad, it is really heart breaking.


To my dismay however, i was escorted into yet another small room while the ...


The 'i' needs to be 'I'. I think this is the climax sentence for me.


As I stared out the window I played back the events that had just transpired. Once I was in the courtroom, I was confronted face to face with my attackers. I couldn’t help but scowl at theirvery sight. I told the judge and the jury of how I was wrongfully attacked and detained.


Optional comma before 'I played'. Oh, the fun is starting!



I told them of how I did nothing wrong; I was positively contributing to the community.


'of how I did nothing wrong'
This is basically wrong, though. What an irony.
You cannot say 'told them of how'.
You can say 'I told them that I did nithing wrong.'



They clearly have no ethics of their own and see all the good that I was doing. It was apparent to me that they had not voted in my favor.


Optional comma before 'that' and a serius mistake on 'no ethics of their own'. It needs to be 'no ethics on their own'.

How can I be tried for doing the moral thing and helping out humanity? How can I be seen as a monster for stepping up when others wouldn’t and for creating a solution to the overpopulation and lack of affordable resources?.....Unlike many, I took matters into my own hands and did something to control the population.


The first sentence makes no sense, even If I can understand what you mean. You use the word 'how' wrong. For the second question, use 'when'. We need to talk about the first one. Use other verb, not 'tried'.




Iwas briefly allowed to speak with him. Although I was entwined withresentment, dread and sorrow, I was able to assure him that everything will be okay. He and our daughter had nothing to worry about.


'Iwas' needs to be 'I was'. And 'withresentment' also needs to be two words. Comma after 'assure him'.




I was at least at ease knowing that my partner in crime has the modesty to continue our work in order to give our baby girl a virtuous future in which there is no overpopulation to cause another economic downfall. Although I may have been detained, my morality had already made a difference.


'I was at least at ease,knowing that my partner in crime has the modesty to continue our work, in order to give our baby girl a virtuous future, in which there is no overpopulation, that may cause another economic downfall. Although I may have been detained, my morality had already made a difference.'

I edited it as whole, because it had too many mistakes.

Overall, your work is really beautiful and strong. With very good details and thoughts put in it. It just needs some work on it. Good job.

AMG replied · Apr 27, 2016

Hello Greatking, thank you for your review. I will definitely go over my work more carefully to check for grammatical errors. I also thank you for your constructive criticism as it will help me in my future work. I like your edit on the ending, it definitely sounds better.

Elijah replied · Apr 27, 2016

I am glad that I had helped. Keep on writing.



Who, being loved, is poor?
— Oscar Wilde