Day 880: 5 Minute Freewrite: Wednesday - Prompt: incessant barking

The Great Ridgeline Memorial had its own public relations call center – media organizations were calling in from all over the country, amazed at the sudden unification of the Black and Latino communities of Lofton County, VA in order to get Lofton County to recognize all of their dead in the Ridgeline Fire and to have the city of Big Loft open up the site of the fire so the families of those dead could have a week-long memorial on site.

Public organizers of all sorts were also calling in to ask for information, because logistically, things had been done so orderly and well – with 100,000 people attending daily!

Average people got the number too, and were welcomed to call in with commentary as well. About half of it was supportive.

The half that wasn't found that they got as good as they gave – epic, jaw-dropping clapbacks from people who weren't supposed to talk back for 360 years of American history were on order every day.

But if you were a big-time somebody calling in with big-time attitude, threats, and such, you got your call forwarded to Rev. Obsidian Stone directly.

No less an official than Mayor D.L. Garner Jr., one fine day, had learned not to get disrespectful with the good reverend and funeral director with the hard, deep bass voice and words that cut like an obsidian blade.

Rev. Stone handed out another lesson to another county official who called absolutely furious about the revenue the county was losing and threatening to snatch the government job of everyone who had participated.

“You know, sir, you're late. The people of Lofton County have given up being afraid of the incessant barking of officials like you about two weeks ago when we shut your county seat down. You, sir, personally, couldn't even get to and from your office to so much as go home until we decided to let you. You've still got the loud bark, but I've got your teeth and I'm using them for nails to hold up the pictures on my wall of the people doing this great work.”

That silenced the bark. Rev. Stone wasn't finished.

“Now that you have threatened us on the record – I've got five people standing with me who heard all your barking and it will be in the Lofton County Free Voice tomorrow – you're the one who may be out of your government job before the end of the year, because if there is any kind of retaliation from your office, your office is going to pay us in lawsuits for the privilege of letting you resign before you are fired. Now go tuck your tail between your legs and get on somewhere before we really decide to start digging all around the bones you've got buried.”