Doing The Right Thing When No One Is Watching Novels & Stories

“I have people. I can make calls—” “That’s exactly what you’re not going to do,” I cut in, a little more firmly this time. She freezes for a second, clearly not expecting that. “Excuse me?” she says slowly. “If you start pulling in your contacts right now without knowing who’s behind this, you’re going to make noise,” I explain, stepping closer so she actually hears me instead of reacting. “And if the wrong person hears that noise, this turns into something bigger than it already is.” Her jaw tightens. “So I’m just supposed to sit here and do nothing?”

“Most people defend.” “Defense implies threat,” I said. “I don’t feel threatened.” He studied me. “You should.” I didn’t respond. “They’re asking the wrong question,” Hale continued. “Not whether you acted improperly but whether your presence changes outcomes.” “Presence always changes outcomes,” I said. “So does absence.” He nodded slowly. “And you chose presence.” “Yes.” “Why?” he asked again this time without pretense. I considered him carefully. “Because systems fail quietly when no one insists on record.”

Ivy took advantage of the end of her shift to meet acquaintances in the legal field before heading home. She was seeking their assistance in bringing the matter to legal proceedings. Ivy wasn't fond of empty threats or idle boasting. She preferred to deal with wrongdoers directly when they crossed the line, which was always her approach. Regardless of others' opinions of her, she lived without shame, guided by her conscience. Don't think Ivy's silence implies acquiescence or underestimates her ability to resist. It's wrong, entirely wrong.

Just a man in his parents' sitting room asking what came next because he genuinely did not know. Harold looked at me. "You start by being honest about what you have done," he said. "Not to me. Not to your mother. To yourself. Because until you do that everything else is just rearranging furniture in a burning building." A pause. "And then you find out what accountability looks like when there is no audience for it. When there is nothing to gain from it. When the only reason to do it is because it is right." My mother lifted her face from Harold's shoulder.

“Do nothing.” I closed my eyes briefly. “That’s not a plan.” “It is,” she said calmly. “It’s just not one you control.” I did not respond right away. Doing nothing felt like surrender. Or worse, exposure. Every instinct I had was built around intervention, influence and adjustment. I had been trained to move pieces, not watch the board set itself on fire. “This wasn’t part of the plan,” I said finally. “I know.” “And letting it run could damage more than it reveals.”

“That’s the problem, really. Firefighting, just like the police, only gets attention when it’s politically expedient. What we’re doing here, we know is right.” “Yeah,” I say. “People will be better off but they’ll never really know it’s because of what you’ve done.” “What we’ve done,” he says. “But that’s okay. We’re doing it because it’s the right thing to do, not for the credit.” “Yeah.” “And that’s what’s important, isn’t it? Doing something because it’s the right thing to do?” “Yeah.” “Because doing the right thing,” he says, “Is right even when you don’t get credit or when it feels bad, isn’t it?”

Hey-" before I could protest, he continued once again. "Not sure if this is going to help you make your decision easily but I'll say it anyways. No one is following the rules at the moment. No one is thinking about what is right and wrong. We need to survive too and for that, we don't need to think about the wrong or right. We just need to make things work for us and everyone. And for that, I'm willing to take the wrong way if it's helping many lives. And with that, I'll end my speech with a 9," Noah said and pointed at his watch.

I replied, staring over at her. Aryk slapped me on the back, “Well, here is my unsolicited advice. Don’t be afraid to go after what you want.” He looked at me meaningfully. “You have an opportunity here. Don’t let it slip away because you think you have to follow the orders of someone who isn’t even here. It is better to ask for forgiveness than permission in many cases.” He winked at me and walked away. I thought about Aryk’s words for a long time. That evening, I volunteered to take the first watch with Abby. She said nothing in response and instead wandered off to patrol the edge of the camp without me.

I sighed heavily and rubbed a hand over my face. “This is ridiculous, Raven. You’re talking to yourself. That’s exactly what he’d want, isn’t it? To make you jump at nothing, to make you unravel before the real strike comes.” I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes, whispering almost like a prayer, “Stay sharp. Don’t lose focus now. Not when you know he’s watching. He’s always watching.”

I think that everyone reaches a moment in their lives when they ask themselves 'is this right?' This moral question is reserved for those with a conscience. The majority of the people that walk the streets of this town don't have this faculty called a conscience. They either bend to higher power without question or they assume things never happened. They are never self driven to truly look at a situation independent from influence. I fear that at this moment, I am part of the majority that don't have a conscience or possibly I'm lacking in ability to step away from this situation and see it clearly.