Bad Rules

Evil rules. They aren’t written in statutes or codes. They are alien to morality and ethics. They aren’t dictated by faith or ideology—but by them, millions of people have lived and are still living. These rules come from within—that dark, animal essence handed down to us by distant ancestors, hiding in humans since time immemorial. For some, it shows itself as the sudden instinct to kill; for others, it’s the ability to turn a blind eye to small-time meanness for immediate profit; and for someone else, it’s a willingness to risk their own life without thinking.

It happens every hour: during wars and local conflicts, in dark corners, on abandoned lots, in the homes of those who can’t escape the quagmire of lack of money, ignorance, or harmful addictions. Evil rules are immoral—under their power, decent citizens and hardened criminals can be hit equally. Because in certain circumstances, people instantly forget laws and norms of decency and follow only subconscious urges.

Someone thinks that bad rules will inevitably lead to certain death—but that’s far from always true. Where they act—in this gray zone—a ruthless executioner might, at the last minute, show mercy to the victim; a cunning plan of wrongdoers can collapse on its own; and an unavoidable catastrophe simply may not happen.

This nearby world is under your windows, in a gloomy alley, behind a door covered with old dermantin in your neighbor’s hallway. The thin screen of a social contract prevents this world from breaking out, but once the fabric tears even slightly, you won’t recognize the reality around you anymore. Often society doesn’t care about the small tragedies of the inhabitants of this reality. You can try for a long time not to notice anything. But if, by accident, you end up not at the right time and not in the right place, you risk finding yourself in the middle of an unfamiliar and cruel world where entirely different rules apply. Bad rules.