Open Your Eyes

This is a story based on the UK Riots in August. It is NOT a true story! Next time your thinking about rioting, think about the cosequences first. In the 2011 UK Riots 3 Innocnent young men were killed in Birmingham during the Riots. One of the fathers won the 'Pride of Britain' award not long after the Riots. Think. Open your eyes.

Katie slumped in her seat, watching the clock tick as a tear rolled down her cheek. Outside she could hear adults talking, talking about her. She closed her eyes and tried to block everything out. Then suddenly it happened again. The raging fire, the jeering rioters, the screaming baby. She could see her father run into the burning building.

“DADDY!” She had screamed as a fiery beam fell across the doorway, trapping him inside… Katie opened her eyes again, breathing heavily. He had saved the baby, but sacrificed himself for it. ‘Why?’ Katie thought ‘Why did he have to die?’ Outside she could see the parents of the child smiling, Katie smiled weakly back. As she did a TV came on outside showing footage of the Riots.  Katie wanted to smash the TV, to smash the rioters who had killed her father. She kicked the wall instead, making her foot sting. Carefully she pulled off her sock to see her toe was bleeding. She didn’t care. She sat back down at the table and tapped out the beat of her father’s favourite song, ‘Imagine’ by John Lennon. The door creaked open and her social worker walked in, followed by a reporter. The reporter sat opposite her and set up a tape recorder.

“So.” The reporter smiled as she began to phrase her first question. The hour passed by slowly as Katie told the reporter what had happened that night, what kind of man her father had been, how brave he had always been.

“Finally, if you could say anything to the rioters what would you say.”

“Why.” Katie whispered “Did you kill my father. Intentional or not, it is your fault that he is now dead. They nearly killed a baby! And yet no one seems to care.” Katie yelled through her tears “Open your eyes and look at the destruction, everybody. Because its everywhere and we need to stop it.” She banged her fist on the table, tears spilling from her eyes.

The next day she sat at home with her social worker.

“Look, you made front page!” her social worker announced. Katie shrugged flicking channel on the TV.

“And now 9 year old orphan Katie Hugh, spoke out about her fathers death in the riots yesterday.” Katie threw the remote at the floor and curled up in a ball. On the TV a picture of her as a baby, smiling with her parents came up. “Katie lost her mother to cancer when she was only four, and now the rioters have taken her father too.” Tears rolled down Katie’s face as the news reader showed footage of the rioters. “Many are saying just how brave this girl is to speak out so soon.” The footage cut to her at her Interview.

“He was a great Dad, he took me to the zoo and we ate picnics in the park.” Her voice sobbed on the TV

“And Katie's message to the Rioters.” The footage cut to the end of the Interview

“Open your eyes and look at the destruction, everybody. Because its everywhere and we need to stop it!” Katie sat up, listening to her own words. Grabbing her coat she ran to the door.

“Where are you going?” Her social worker asked

“To stop the destruction!” Katie replied, smiling for the first time in what felt like years!