An Unfairy Tale

Once upon a time there was a girl of 15 years old. She had good reason to be excited; she would soon turn 16! What better way to share this excitement than with a nice birthday party. Because she lived in the age of technology, it was no longer a prerequisite to go to the shop and buy herself some birthday invitations to send out. Now, she only needed to log onto Facebook® and invite her friends by sending out a digital invitation. Probably because she was so excited, she forgot to click on the “private” button and soon the invitation run rampant in her motherland. Suddenly people from all over appeared to have an interest in her birthday party. It reminded everyone a bit of that film – what was it called again? Oh, yes, Project X!

The news of this party spread like wildfire and within days it was all over the digital universe. The rulers of the girl’s country were adamant: “It was just a mistake; foolishness on the girl’s part. There would be no free-for-all party. Do not go there only to be disappointed!”

Unfortunately, this message fell on deaf ears; the words “free” and “party” equalling “gold” and “eternal youth”. Tribes of young citizens mobilised and went on a pilgrimage to the north of the country, where the 15-year old girl resided. They brought with them beer and bad dispositions. Law enforcers were dispatched, but to no avail.

When the darkness took over the day, the dark moods took over the lightened spirits. Boulders and branches were thrown, vehicles were set ablaze, and markets were plundered. The tribes left behind a trail of decay and destruction. The villagers were left to pick up the pieces of their broken hometown.

In the aftermath, fingers were pointed. To the girl who made a mistake, to Facebook®, to the law enforcers, and to the mayor. Who was to blame for this abhorrent showcase of barbaric behaviour? Surely, the tribes of youngsters couldn’t be held accountable for their despicable behavior – it was only natural for them to jump at the chance of a demolition party once the opportunity had arisen. It would be wrong to just put all the blame on them; they were simply unable to ignore the urge.

I don’t care if it is wrong. I’ll do it right here. You people were wrong, you’re sad human beings (if human beings at all). You put yourself to shame. If something like this happens a second time, I hope you won’t get away with it unscathed.