Rebellious

Music

Jack S

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Running Through Flyers, Soldiers, and Tyranny

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Sprinting through cold and foggy San Francisco, Cedric passed the empty pedestrian streets on a regular December Saturday morning. Flyers spread everywhere for what looked like a hundred miles, flowing in the wind with the tyrant ruler Yelena’s terrifying face stretching across them. Turning around quickly, Cedric saw who he expected. Several yards away stood several soldiers walking towards Cedric, but surprisingly with no weapons. Cedric swiftly got to his feet and continued sprinting. Not looking back, Cedric turned onto a new street.

Meanwhile, in her office inside the most impressive building in San Francisco stood Yelena. While the ruler strikes fear into each citizen’s heart, Yelena simply stares at the various drawings of her dress ideas with her family photo smacked directly in the center. Yelena stares mainly at the family photo, particularly her father, rather than the dresses before her phone buzzes. Yelena grabbed her device and left the office in a hurry, hearing of a lone man placing protest signs on several blocks.

While Yelena communicated to her commanding officers, Cedric continued to dash down the street blocks. Eventually, Cedric turned down an alley, losing his chasers. Slowly, Cedric pulled out his final poster. The sign read that one-day things will change. Taking the first step towards his plan for peace in the city overwhelmed Cedric with a combination of confidence, but also nerves.

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Have Mercy On Us All

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Cedric slept soundly that night, for the first time in several days, in his colorfully lighted room after listening to several songs. His brother Derek slept in the other bedroom with their cat, also soundly. The following morning, Cedric awoke at 8:00 sharp and woke Derek immediately. Soon, the two brothers left the house with a speaker in Cedric’s hands. Hopping on each of their electric scooters, Cedric and Derek dashed over to the other side of San Francisco to attend a mandatory rally. They Passed by the destroyed silver bridge and the blown-up harbors that had alienated the people of San Francisco from the world. One day, Yelena arrived from her motherland Russia with her forces and never left, holding onto the city like a clutched fist holding a stress toy. Due to the oppressive rule in San Francisco, Cedric and Derek’s parents disappeared in the early days of Yelena’s reign, and they wanted closure. Finally, Cedric and Derek arrived at the rally and kept their scooters on in case they needed to leave abruptly. 

Yelena wore a newly crafted dress for the event while ten soldiers guarded the stage. In her right pocket, Yelena kept a small knife. Yelena knows how many people in this city want her dead, but she can’t let herself be intimidated. Yelena uses fear to her advantage, not the other way around. Speaking with her Russian accent, the tyrant mentioned the unknown boy who put up posters across several streets. Yelena threatened to commit unspeakable violence if this person continued these acts.

Every person trembled, having their lives squeezed tightly into her hand as we grasped for air, but as the tyrant continued, Cedric set the turned-on speaker directly in the middle of the crowd. As Yelena ended one part of her speech, Cedric pressed play on Marvin Gaye’s song, Mercy Mercy. The music echoed throughout the area with a heavy sound. Soldiers quickly headed into the crowd to destroy the speaker as the song continued to recite the delicate lines of Marvin Gaye as defiance. A lone soldier reached the speaker and turned the music off. Yelena immediately searched the crowd for any sign of movement. Suddenly, Yelena spotted Cedric fleeing the scene with Derek. Cedric turned and faced Yelena. The two locked eyes for five whole seconds. Each stared with a loathing gaze. “You! Stop right there, or I will shoot you where you stand!” Yelena shouted in frustration, grabbing a handgun from a nearby soldier.

Instead of grabbing his weapon, which he didn’t have, Cedric pulled out the poster from before and dropped the peace gesture to the ground. Then, Cedric turned and sprinted away on his electric scooter with Derek. Yelena could only watch in shock, unable to pull the trigger.

Risky Tech Business

A contagious smile spread across Cedric’s face, but no one stood by what he had done. Working in his room on his work, Derek walked in. “What are you working on?” 

“Nothing, just that song I’ve been working on forever, but that doesn’t matter. No one listened at the rally. How do I help free the city if the people won’t listen? I don’t want anyone to lose someone they love ever again because of her.” Cedric declares, referring to his parents.

“You always get everything done. I know people will start to stand up soon,” Derek states.

“I hope so, but that reminds me. I still have one more thing I’ve gotta do.”

Cedric closes out his other browsers and connects to an unknown browser with chains surrounding the logo. Typing as fast as Michael Phelps swims 100-meter races, Cedric arrived at an internet browser page with access to the entire city’s speaker. “Okay, you’ve gotta be careful when you do this. We don’t wanna get tracked here,” Derek says worriedly. 

Cedric nods and drags the Marvin Gaye song Mercy Mercy again into the speakers. Soon, Cedric presses play to initiate the song. Elsewhere, Yelena lay on a couch near her office, staring at another dress. Instead of thinking about her creative interests, Yelena thought about the city and that citizen. Pictures taken at the scene revealed the civilian as a guy named Cedric. Yelena knows if he commits any more protests, the city will tip towards his beliefs. Yelena arrived in San Francisco to find something to fill her family’s shoes. Yelena needed something she could control and hold onto dearly. Yelena’s kind siblings, sweet mother, caring father, and adorable dog tragically died because of Yelena’s actions against Russia. Yelena won’t let anyone take the one thing that still matters to her. 

Out of nowhere, the powerful music of Marvin Gaye reached Yelena’s office. Yelena immediately jumped up and got on her walkie-talkie. While the music played, Cedric’s voice played over the speakers. “Stand up!” Cedric yells as Yelena demands the speakers shut off. Almost like magic, the noise from the speakers ceased.

“You always get everything done. I know people will start to stand up soon,” Derek states.

“I hope so, but that reminds me. I still have one more thing I’ve gotta do.”

Cedric closes out his other browsers and connects to an unknown browser with chains surrounding the logo. Typing as fast as Michael Phelps swims 100-meter races, Cedric arrived at an internet browser page with access to the entire city’s speaker. “Okay, you’ve gotta be careful when you do this. We don’t wanna get tracked here,” Derek says worriedly. 

Cedric nods and drags the Marvin Gaye song Mercy Mercy again into the speakers. Soon, Cedric presses play to initiate the song. Elsewhere, Yelena lay on a couch near her office, staring at another dress. Instead of thinking about her creative interests, Yelena thought about the city and that citizen. Pictures taken at the scene revealed the civilian as a guy named Cedric. Yelena knows if he commits any more protests, the city will tip towards his beliefs. Yelena arrived in San Francisco to find something to fill her family’s shoes. Yelena needed something she could control and hold onto dearly. Yelena’s kind siblings, sweet mother, caring father, and adorable dog tragically died because of Yelena’s actions against Russia. Yelena won’t let anyone take the one thing that still matters to her. 

Out of nowhere, the powerful music of Marvin Gaye reached Yelena’s office. Yelena immediately jumped up and got on her walkie-talkie. While the music played, Cedric’s voice played over the speakers. “Stand up!” Cedric yells as Yelena demands the speakers shut off. Almost like magic, the noise from the speakers ceased.

Yelena dashed for the elevator and went to the fourth floor. Exiting the elevator, Yelena stomped into the tech level of her building, punching the head of the technology floor in a blind fury. “I want whoever did that found now!”

One Final Idea

Cedric and Derek returned to their rooms following the speaker stunt. The boy's cat, Mews, slept in Cedric’s room. While Cedirc softly petted Mews’s head, the front door suddenly burst open. Mews jumped down to the floor as several soldiers flooded the area. Cedric backed up onto the wall while the soldiers grabbed Derek. Yelena then appeared. Tall and formidable, Yelena stared directly into the soul of Cedric. “This will be your only warning. Do not defy me again. If you pull a stunt like the speakers again, I will hurt you and your brother gravely,” Yelena warned. 

Suddenly, the soldiers released Derek. They exited the house and left almost as fast as they showed up. Cedric stared at Derek, and the two locked eyes before realizing the inevitable. Suddenly, the two embraced in a loving hug. Cedric grabbed his laptop and sped away toward the Oakland Bay Bridge while Derek fled the house in the opposite direction with Mews. Cedric’s actions nearly cost Derek’s life so he won’t put him near danger. Cedric developed one final idea, and this involved only him. Arriving at the closest destroyed bay near Oakland, surrounded by rusty warehouses and displaced boat debris, Cedric opened the same browser as before, connecting to the noise speakers of San Francisco and Oakland. Cedric dragged a file titled Passion Project into the slot. He took a deep, chilling breath letting go of his fears, and pressed play. 

Cedric’s ideas and passion poured into the lyrics of his original song, echoing Cedric’s beliefs on freedom as he stared across the bay. Cedric hoped for anyone to take notice, but distant sounds of incoming cars crowded Cedric’s ears. The engine noises got closer and closer as the song finished. Stopping ten feet in front of Cedric, Yelena and her soldiers stepped out of their cars. Yelena pulled out a knife, surrounded by soldiers with loaded guns while Cedric stared, intimidated, but he refused to move. Walking with distraught emotions, Yelena raised her knife at Cedric, but voices echoed throughout the area. Yelena froze and stared straight ahead. Cedric wasn’t screaming from pain. Slowly, Yelena and her soldiers turned around.

One Final Idea

Cedric’s ideas and passion poured into the lyrics of his original song, echoing Cedric’s beliefs on freedom as he stared across the bay. Cedric hoped for anyone to take notice, but distant sounds of incoming cars crowded Cedric’s ears. The engine noises got closer and closer as the song finished. Stopping ten feet in front of Cedric, Yelena and her soldiers stepped out of their cars. Yelena pulled out a knife, surrounded by soldiers with loaded guns while Cedric stared, intimidated, but he refused to move. Walking with distraught emotions, Yelena raised her knife at Cedric, but voices echoed throughout the area. Yelena froze and stared straight ahead. Cedric wasn’t screaming from pain. Slowly, Yelena and her soldiers turned around.

One Day Things Will Change

People around San Francisco walked toward the small group, chanting ferociously, “One-day things will change!” Yelena took a couple of steps back until Cedric stole the knife from her in a swift move. What felt like the whole world surrounded Yelena on the docs, who simply dropped in defeat. Helicopters and boats appeared over the horizon, sporting the American flag and numerous soldiers. Cheering frantically, people rushed towards Cedric to congratulate him. Cedric thanked every single person until he saw his brother making his way toward him. The two brothers embraced with their cat squeezed in between the two of them.

City-Wide Peace

Docks soon started to be rebuilt. All sick and injured civilians were treated with care as the world worked to help rebuild the city by the bay. The city of San Francisco finally achieved freedom, and Cedric protested through his most passionate project.