A Carnage

A pungent rusty smell filled my nose as I stared out on the horrendous scene, which was continuing to unfold in front of me. Bright red clouded my vision as I tried to disconnect myself from the shrieking that filled my head and would forever remind me of this moment. I thought I had anticipated the terror of this monstrosity but nothing could have prepared me for witnessing it first hand.

My past two years of devotion to this project did nothing to ease the harshness of its reality. The expected was displayed before me and I could do nothing but stare as the cloud of red expanded to what seemed impossible lengths in the murky ocean water. The memory of the seven dolphins suffering in captivity two years earlier remained with me. It was upon seeing those dolphins I vowed to do something to put a stop to the confinement and slaughter of the beautiful mammals. Two years I had waited for this exposure, I had prepared for it. After countless protests and campaigns against the slaughter and capture of dolphins I had wanted to advance my battle into action. The action to stop this tragedy was supposed to be occurring now. The action was supposed to aid in the rescue of at least some of the large amount of dolphins and porpoises that are being slaughtered every year in Japan.

After being herded into a hidden cove the multitude of dolphins were falling victim one by one to the knives and spears being thrown over the side of numerous small fishing boats. It was to this that I was a spectator. Some thrashing against the nets the mammals became ensnared and were easily killed while others swam close to the shoreline crying out as the members of their pod were eradicated. All the while the cloud of red continued to grow. The awareness of the slaughter was excruciatingly obvious to the mammals. It was beyond my power to keep the tears from streaming down my face as the lives of so many beautiful creatures became expendable to the hands of the village men.

The hands of the villagers were stained red with the accountability of the bloodbath. To this they felt no regret. Nor did they feel grief. Instead were mocking cheers of glee and rejoicing. It was my realization of the pure bliss this slaughter bestowed them that rage began brewing within me. I seethed as the villagers guiltlessly plunged their weapons deep into the blowholes of the dolphins. Becoming nauseated with disgust I vomited into the brush beside me. For this moment I had strategized for two years to put an end to. Yet I remained crouched cowardly in hiding silently and motionless. Shamefully, I discerned how the gruesome reality of it all had carried on for so long.