"And they cast lots, ward against ward..."
(Written).
(Edited).
***
‘May the gods be with you...’
The saying made its move into her mind like a gentle breeze, enrapturing her blank slated dream as though rembering a long distant mory or thinking of your favorite tune.
The female, who was huddled close to the walls of her cell with her hands wrapped around herself, was awoken by the indistinct chatter that made its way through the silent cage. Her brows twitched downwards in confusion at what the ruckus was all about as snippets of the conversation outside flew into her ear; ‘... King... Tried... Audience... tribes...’ She had tried hard to understand their words, but due to her sleep-induced, hazed mind, she couldn't grasp any of it.
She heaved a loneso breath as she began to ponder on the statent that made its way into her mind.
‘Maybe I am beginning to go crazy!’ She laughed out loud as if it was her last. What was she laughing at? Neither she nor the guards outside knew the reason why. After her little episode, silence reigned over the atmosphere. Now, it usually was normal, but this silence was eerily still. It was as though a looming cloud of tension covered the Kingdom, and if anyone dared do sothing out of line, it would burst — leading to an inevitable disaster. That was what the tension felt like at that mont.
~|~
The people marched along with the King's guards to the female's cell. The beating of drums, along with the rhythmic motion of the people's movent, brought a sense of dread to those who were watching. They carried pitchforks; others carried stones, while so, who had been lent fruit and vegetables from stall owners, followed alongside them. When they got to her confinent, the people stood waiting patiently for the guards centered at the cell to open it.
The cell guards moved hastily while the King's guards explained what was going on to one of them. They looked at the female, who was dirty and tattered, dragging her out not minding her state of well-being. The female was dragged along and the people made way for the guards to move before them. Those who had carried stones, pitchforks, and vegetables were all stunned at the gut-wrenching sight of the female.
SPLASH!
A rotten tomato flew across the air and everyone watched as it slid down the face of the female. This broke their trance-like state when they roared at what had happened, throwing all they had with them on her. They all made sure to be careful to not target the King's guards, as they didn't know what would beco of their fate if they did.
The female, still being dragged by the n on both hands, was faced with the assault of spoilt tomatoes and stones while so pierced her sides with the forks they were holding. The ravaged crowd got out of control when they pushed through the males who drew the girl to the King and pushed her down. Confused, the girl looked around for help, but only saw faces — angry faces — of those who wanted to see her doom.
The sound of the drum was so loud from afar that it was ringing in her head. The mob gathered around her, and she hopefully looked around for the guards who were dragging her away, but alas she didn't find them. Her head moved down as she tried to hold back her tears, clenching her hands in frustration at her pitiful state. A hand gripped her chin and moved her head upwards. She gazed at the woman with teary eyes which were pleading for help.
The woman helped her stand up to her feet, wanting to thank the lady, but she stopped short.
“Bahahahahahahahahh!”
A harsh, shrill laugh rang out, and it was too late for the female when she realized that it was the woman who was laughing. The female looked at the elderly woman, confused as to what she was laughing at.
“Hahhaahah!!!!” The laughter continued but paused when the lady opened her mouth to speak.
“Take a look at her everyone!” She said, and the people confusingly gazed — more like glared — at the girl. The woman forced her eyes upwards as she gripped her chin tightly enough to leave a bruise; “Take a look at her closely what do you see?” At this point, everybody was getting agitated at her words.
“Move it out of the way woman!” A voice was lauded from the back, and others raised their voices to agree with the unknown speaker.
“Yeah, move away!” ;
“Get out of here old lady!” ;
The voices said. Confusion and commotion blood like a flower, engulfing its pollen on everyone present there.
“You don't see it, do you? She crying!!” She screeched out, embarrassed, “The stupid girl has the nerve to cry, in front of us!!”
The woman pointed out, still gripping tightly on the female's chin. “I even heard that she isn't any longer a virgin. Oh yes! Who knows if she had given her dignity to that male...” The voice of the woman was drowned out due to her muddled state of mind. All eyes were on the female after the woman said that statent and then a peal of laughter rang out again, followed by another and another, until everybody was laughing at her.
The female's eyes brimd with tears once more and her lips wobbled when the grip on her face tightened the more.
“We don't need your pity party girl! Why are you crying huh?” The woman asked, slapping her cheeks lightly, but all these made the female want to cry more. The woman loosened her grip on her face and smirked as she moved backward, with the crowd swallowing her up. But still, the waves of laughter continued. Her head spun, as the headache she was feeling before ca back with full force.
Soone in the crowd shoved her down, and she fell with her face landing on the sand. Red colored her vision, and she shakily brought her fingers to the spot. It was blood... Her blood.
The female was bleeding, and although they all saw that, they still laughed and laughed and laughed at her. She grieved in her heart, praying to whatever god out there to have rcy on her, to free her from this suffering.
After the catalyst had done its action, the results of the reaction followed suit.
They stepped on her, spat at her face, spewed and rained down curses on her, and made her bleed but it wasn't enough for them. Luckily for her, the guards who were supposed to hand her over to the King ca and took her out of the encirclent when they saw that she was looking pale like she was going to faint.
Black spots blotched the corner of her eyes and she felt that she was about to lose consciousness if their assault kept up. She felt herself being dragged away from them, and water was sprinkled over her face. No, she wasn't given the water to drink. She knew that when she tried reaching up to it, but it was snatched out of her grasp. The water was to, at least, make her stay conscious for a while.
The drum was still beating from soplace far from here, and the female could hear it as it rhyd with the beating of her heart.
While all these were happening, the cloud continued to get darker...
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