Hi. My name is Faris E. I'm 18. I'm dying. A bullet hole lies on the skin where my heart beats behind. My vision fades, blacks and whites fill my eyes. Harbingers of my doom. I smile and blink.

I'm six, running down a playground. Around me were other kids, they were smiling. I am smiling too. I looked around, we were all playing, running, we all looked similar, our skins were brown, our hairs were black, our eyes were almonds. We played ball, I kicked it over the fence. I chased for it. Over the fence I went, chasing a receding shape in the distance.

I stop. In front of me stands a child. I am confused. I am scared. I am curious. I know that people have brown skin, black hair and almond eyes. This child had white skin, hair so dark it shines blue and beautiful eyes, like cats. I froze. The child smiled. I opened my mouth to speak. I was surprised by a shock. My cute little bracelet, with a bunny on top crackled in blues. I had did something wrong, I ran.

That night I told my mum what I saw, she beat me, the only time she ever did. She forbade me from crossing the fence at school ever again. I cried.

I opened my eyes, I'm 18 again, a blue bracelet hangs on my wrist, crackling in blues. I looked up, cat eyes stare, beautiful dark blue hair fell around my face. Tears fell on my face, outrage screams from full lips. I say its okay, I blink.

I'm nine, I quietly climb the fence. There are flowers in my hands, the school garden had bloomed. I see her in the distance, her cat eyes lift in a smile that gave me a weird feeling in my tummy. I had never listened to mum, I had come out and seen her since the day I met her. Her name is Abigail H. She is one year older than me. I like her. She is nice, and she teaches me many games. She hugs me. My bracelet crackles, she is thrown off me, I fall to the ground, the pain, I blacked out.

I looked around, people were shouting. People were crying. In their hands they held signboards, in their eyes they held courage, in their hearts they held hope. Abby hugged me to her body, the bracelet crackles. We braced through the pain. She kissed me lightly, her beautiful eyes windows to her broken heart. I closed my eyes and kissed back.

I'm twelve, I rise up from my feet. I had finished my prayers. The bracelet shines, time for Gather. I go to the hall, around me were brown skins, black hair and almond eyes. All I see is cat eyes and raven blue hair. I clenched my teeth and listened. A man stands on the pedestal. Age lines his face, hatred shone from his eyes, ignorance filled his heart. The elder speaks of white skins and black skins. They are monsters, they are fiends, they pray to demons and false gods. They are heathens, infidels and they don't wash their asses. I closed my eyes, cat eyes looked back at me, she is the most beautiful person on this earth. Why? Why are they lying to me? Abby is none of things but so much more.

My eyes opened, tears lining them. Abby stared back, she says she loves me, I said I love her too. The life was leaving me, but I had to do this. People in front of me raised fists, sticks and rocks. I stood up and held their hands, brown hands, black hands, white hands. In surrender they cried, they hugged me, they screamed in anguish. Gunshots rippled the air. I looked at a figure in front. He had a gun in hand, he was the one who shot me. Shoulder to shoulder around him, a wall of similar people trained death on the people around me. I looked into his eyes. His gun was raised to the sky, his eyes reflected remorse, his heart filled with revolution. The gun fell, to my side he ran, arms in the air. I blinked. I smiled.

I'm fifteen. I sat side by side with Abby, our hands were together. Our bracelets crackled. Mine blue, hers red. Pain shot through our spines. Constant, jarring, throbbing. We didn't care. We shared our first kiss. I turned back, hoots filled the air. My friends sat by the trees, brown skin, white skin, black skin. Lights blared suddenly, sirens filled the air. Black figures arrested them, gunshots filled the air. I ran with Abby, two followed behind. We were lucky, four escaped, six died, two arrested. I looked at my bracelet and screamed. Eyes closed, I roared in frustration.

I opened them to almond eyes. The soldier cradled me on the right, Abby on the left. He screamed sorry, his eyes orbs of deep regret. I whispered its okay, my voice faltered. I looked at the black figures, many had lowered their arms, they had finally asked the question, Why? I smiled, I closed my eyes for the last time.

I'm seventeen, tomorrow is my birthday. I am not happy. I was watching TV. Brown skins were clad in black, shooting white skins and black skins. No one defended them from this. Governing steel shone from uniforms. I stood up, I took a signboard and wrote something. I walked into the streets, my parents screamed in the background. I met Abby, her face was set, her eyes flamed with pride, her heart beating with love. We walked down the road. Others joined us. Dozens came, hundreds came, thousands came. I raised my signboard.

I asked the question Why? so many years ago. Abby gave me the answer. On the board is my conclusion. Brown, white and black. They are no different, they are one colour. The colour of humanity.

On December 12th 2070, Faris E was shot, it was his 18th birthday. He was protesting against race separation, against hate. In his final moments he stood up and held back hands of violence. In death he smiled his love for humanity. His bracelet broke off. Where he fell, others rose. Finally, they asked the question.

Why?