OBITUARIES: Remembering the Lives Lost in the North Acheron High School Riot

Jaron Dworley, 17

Senior, NAHS

Jaron Dworley died Tuesday night from injuries suffered during the riot at NAHS. Dworley was president of the NAHS Drama Club, a member of the NAHS Orchestra and was a 3 time National Student of Merit. Dworley received early acceptance into the Cadet College of Music Performance and hoped to someday play with the national Orchestra.

Dworley is survived by his mother, Myriam Dworley, and brother, Joel Dworley (19). The family asks for their privacy at this time. Funeral arrangements have not been announced.

Louisa Coleman, 14

Freshman, NAHS

Louisa "LouLou" Coleman died Tuesday from gunshot wounds sustained during the riot at her school. Coleman was active in cheer-leading and lacrosse, and intended to enter early enlistment when she turned 16. Coleman is survived by her father, Lawrence Coleman, and mother, Marietta Coleman.

A memorial facebook page ahs been set up in LouLou's honor. A pinned post reads: "RIP LouLou and fly with the angels. You will be greatly missed, and we will always love you and celebrate your beautiful life." The family encourages anyoen who knew and loved LouLou to share their memories of her on this page. Funeral services will be private.

Terry Butler, 34

Domestic Security Officer

Terry Eugene Butler was killed in the line of duty on Tuesday when his team entered NAHS in order to subdue an active shooter. Butler served 6 years with the Langlin Police Department before retraining to join D.S.F. He has served in the Acheron division of D.S.F. for 4 years and was promoted to the Tactical Response Team just 3 weeks ago.

Butler is survived by his wife, Clara Butler, daughter, Milly Butler (7), and son Timothy Butler (10). Butler will receive full D.S.F. honors for his sacrifice. a formal procession will be followed by a short, public service. Details for the public service are expected to be announced soon.

James O'keefe, 47

Principal, NAHS

James O'keefe was shot and killed by a student during the riot that occurred at NAHS on Tuesday. O'keefe was in his second hear as principal at NAHS, prior to which he worked out of district. Faculty and staff say he will be remembered for his effective discipline and the sense of honor and duty he brought to the chool each day.

Funeral services have not been announced at this time.

North American Resettlement Zones

*Once a part of Canada, Acheron is now located in Zone 4 of the United States.

The Great Resettlement happened just 2 years into President Allen's first term. Allen was elected with a mandate to bring peace and unity to a country that had been devastated by terror attacks from both abroad and within. Allen's shocking move to abandon existing alliances* and rebuild US foreign policy based on the modern, global marketplace was surprisingly well accepted. Other countries quickly followed suit. The formal creation of the Confederation of National Democracies (C.O.N.D.) cemented the US as the world's foremost economic super-power. Foreign attacks on US soil quickly ceased, but Allen still had a domestic problem.

A summer of nationwide protests against police violence and the 2020 Department of Homeland Security declaration naming white supremacist groups the number 1 terror threat* brought

the nation's ever-present racial unrest to a new boiling point. A negligently handled pandemic and an attempted presidential coup** only added to these tensions. The world watched as the US tore itself apart.

Allen used the failed "Return to Normalcy" doctrine to justify his drastic solution: The Great Resettlement. Working with C.O.N.D. nations Canada and Mexico, Allen dissolved state and federal borders and created a "new" US comprised of 6 cultural zones with near total sovereignty. With dominant political factions now in control of each zone, citizens were offered a stimulus package plus 2 years to relocate to the zone of their choosing.

US citizens had lived under martial law for years before Resettlement, but Canada had remained peaceful during their transition into C.O.N.D. Outside of Toronto and Vancouver, there was never any need for peace-keeping troops in the North.

Resettlement moved the US / Canada border north in exchange for Alaska, Vermont and New Hampshire. As a new US city, Acheron's local police force was dissolved and replaced with Domestic Security Force (D.S.F.) troops. Soldiers patrolled the streets for the first time despite no need for added security. Residents of the city, 46% of whom claim refugee status, considered the troops hostile and propagandistic.

When D.S.F. announced their intention to take over use of Acheron's City Hall, the mayor resisted. Victoria Square and all of its surrounding buildings (including City Hall) were registered as historical landmarks, restricting their use to their originally designated purposes. D.S.F. recognized the slight and built a new administration building on an open corner that had once held a green space and picnic area. Their modern mass of glass and concrete sits directly across the street from City Hall...and looms 2 stories taller.

Sources:

1. https://apnews.com/article/united-nations-trump-international-organizations-withdrawal-d704fb9b444dc9cf569865d391b544a6

2. https://www.hsgac.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/imo/media/doc/221116_ExecutiveSummary_HSGACMajorityReport_DomesticTerrorism%26SocialMedia.pdf

3. https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/jan-6-panel-releases-final-report-alleges-trump-engaged-in-conspiracy-to-overturn-election

Victoria Square

The city of Acheron is just of 375 years old. That doesn't mean much by global standards, but in North America it's practically ancient. The British crown realized the value of this location early on and devoted significant resources into developing the city in order to secure access to North American goods. Victoria Square was built as part of these efforts.

Originally envisioned as an open marketplace, the square is located just 2 blocks west of Olde Porte, which still functions today despite the larger and more modern port that now exissts on the other side of the isalnd. many of the original merchant buildings still line the square. They have all the elegance and dignity you would expect to find in Gerogian architecture, but also a solidity that speaks to the fronter in which they were constructed. British soldiers could keep the outpost safe from the Haudenosaunee attempts to relcaim native lands, but it was brick and mortar that protect royal subjects from the tundra-like winters of the far North.

At the east end of the square, separating it from the working class streets of Olde Porte, sits City Hall. This giant, brick monstrosity is beautiful in its own way, I suppose, although to me it feels more like a strange hybrid of military fortress and country estate than a municipal building. But perhaps that was the intention. City Hall looms over Victoria Square the way a king presides over his court. Everything and everyone entering or leaving Acheron would have passed through this square under the watchful eye of city leaders. Despite this, Victoria Square remains festive and inviting, and it is easy to see how it became the center of life in Acheron.

It's the life that is missing today.

I felt it as soon as I arrived. Travel brochures display picturesque scenes of smiling tourists and al fresco diners laughing in the sun while locals pass by on crowded sidewalks, but today the square is empty. Patio tables are stacked tightly against buildings. Souvenire stands revered for braving the coldest winter days are notably absent, and the narrow streets are entirely devoid of traffic.

It feels like that old Twilight Zone episode where the man wakes up and everyone is missing, except I know how I got here and why I came. Hours ago this area had been filled to capacity with families demanding their children be released from D.S.F. custody. Today's stillnes sonly emphaisezes the emotion that oozed from my tv screen last night. The righteous anger of those families could have torn this square apart if things had continued. Gun fire may have cleared the square for the night, but those kids are still in jail. It's only a matter of time before people are back in these streets. I plan to be here when it happens.