Branded

First, there was only one mark. We thought little of it. Perhaps we did not want to believe it. Then there were more. We still didn't want to know. Disbelief stunned us into silence. 

There was horror growing all around us, but we dared not make a sound, lest it all became real. Some questioned, silently; others knew, but still made no sound. We didn't speak for ourselves. We dared not speak for others. We stood by, paralyzed by our fear.

First, there was only one mark. And then, before we knew it, there were almost none of us left.

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The above is a response to the 100 Word Challenge posted on Julia's Place.
Each week, there is a new "theme" and challenge to write a 100 word piece.
The photo is the inspiration for this post.