Dreadful

by Caitlin Rozakis

“No one cares what do, just what look like,” Orla explained. “Heroes good because wear white and people like. Villains bad because wear black and ugly. Heroes kill goblin children, everybody cheer. Villains give home to goblins, everybody hiss. Goblins can serve evil master and sometimes safe in castle walls, or can live in stinky swamp and still get killed by baby heroes. So goblins evil?” He swallowed. “I don’t think goblins evil.” “Orla not think goblins evil.” She shrugged. “Some people disagree.” “But why even bother trying to be good, if people will always think you’re bad anyway? What does it matter? You said it yourself—if you’re going to be thought of as bad, the ones who everyone decided are heroes are just going to ride right over you anyway. At least if you lean into the evil, you get to have a little power.”