Bloody Waters

Chapter 2 : Little Fighter

Will and Elizabeth wandered through the town. They passed small shops, locals, children running, and animals, including horses, goats and chickens. It was a fine place until they reached the center of the town. It was there that stood the looming form of the gallows. I was there people were about to be hanged.

   "C'mon Ms. Swann, there's nothing to see here." Will said, as he saw what lay in front of them. But she had already walked into the crowd at the base of the looming, wooden stage, so he followed. Flocks of people had crowded around to see, but the two managed to get near the front.

There were about a dozen people standing on the stage, three feet apart from each other, nooses tied around their necks. Some pirates, some criminals, some pickpockets. There were mostly men, a few women, and but one child. A young girl, who happened to be right in front of Elizabeth. The girl's tearfilled, terrified eyes frantically darted across the jeering crowd of people, and was noticably leaning leaning forward on her noose, for support. At once, her eyes met Elizabeth's and they stared at each other for a few seconds, before the child broke the connection and focused her attention toward a round, smart looking man dressed neatly in a suit and tie, and the popular white wig, who walked onto the stage.

   "Lads and Lasses," the puffy man said loudly, so the audience quieted down. Once they did, he continued. "We have gathered here today to watch the excecution of scum. Who, all have which, commited some type of piracy or crime," he continued, walking back and forth on the stage in front of the people about to be hanged. "these creatures have dampered our community and disobeyed the law. So this day forward, we will have less horrible beasts in our world." The man stopped in front of the girl and glared as she cowered from him. " And they will get," he yelled, still facing the girl, but loud enough for the crowd to hear. "what they rightfully deserve." he finished, spat at the girl's feet and walked off the stage, smiling as the audience cheered and clapped.

   "She can't be older than fifteen-just a child yet." Elizabeth murmered to Will, not taking her eyes off the girl. "She's just a child, Will, we have to do something. Maybe if we talked to the executioner, or maybe we could-" she started, but Will cut her off.

   "Maybe we should leave, you don't need to see this.." he said, and started to reach for her hand to lead her away.

   "NO." she said. And she meant it. It was clear no force on earth would move her, and Will knew that, so he didn't ask again and looked up at the stage. "And don't treat me like a child.. I'm not one." she said firmly.

A man was going down the row of people, putting black sacks over their heads and making sure their nooses were tied correctly. As the man got closer to where the girl was, Elizabeth met her eyes once again. Her pleading eyes.

The girl was now crying. The tears ran down her youthful face. She sobbed harder and harder, as the man got closer and closer. She looked at Elizabeth as she cried, her eyes asking one simple question.

Why?

But now the man was at her, and as he went to put the bag over her head, she struggled, although she couldn't do much with her hands tied behind her back, and the rope kept taut, and kept her in place.

The man attempted a second time, but this time she lunged towards him, and he stumbled backwards.

 But that had just made him angry.

He signaled the rope attached to her noose to be slackened, so she could fall to the floor as he whipped her repeatedly. Dozens of times he whipped her, leaving long, deep gashes in her back.

Finally, when he decided she was punished well and good, he put his whip aside. When the rope attached to her noose was  tightened again, the girl was raised to her feet and stood there, allowing the man to shove the sack over her head.

But as the man moved on to the next person, he had forgotten one fatal thing:

To check the girl's noose.