Honored

Chapter 7: A City to Die For

The clanking of metal woke me up to the redolent odor of excretion. The smell made me want to vomit. I coughed and kept whatever was in my stomach.

A hand was shaking me. I looked up to a guard standing over me.

"It's time." The guard said. Was the guard Bryan? It sounded like him.

"Time? Isn't it early morning?" My brain couldn't handle this abrupt transition.

"It's the middle of the day Liv. You are just out of sync." He reached down and unlocked my cuffs from the chains.

"Oh." I thought I had more time.

He reached toward Dan, who looked like he was also just woke up, and unlocked his cuffs.

"I've been told to tell you that if either of you try to run I am to shoot you." His voice is flat and gruff. Top notch guard voice.

"Why are you unlocking Dan? Aren't I the one who's done something wrong?" I ask. I want Dan with me, but I don't want him to be accused with me.

Dan grabbed my arm. "Wherever she goes I go. I will face whatever she faces."

His face looked set. There was no room for argument. It will all work out. If it works out like it should, then we will be together and alive. It's better to not be separated. But I don't want him to be on the execution platform.

"You are her co-conspirator in the eyes of the law. Do not worry, they won't separate you." Bryan said as he grabbed my hands and cuffed them together.

Dan held out his hands, and Bryan snapped the cuffs on.

"Alright you two, stand up now. And remember, don't try to run or we will shoot you."

"We?" I only saw Bryan in front of me as I forced my aching joints to unbend into a standing position. Everything looked fuzzy, and even Bryan faded from view as I grabbed the wall for support. In little tiny black and gray squares the world came back. Next to me, Dan dragged himself up using clawing at the wall with his cuffed hands.

"There is another guard at the door." Bryan was glaring at me, probably warning me to uphold a pretense of distaste.

The world stopped feeling like it was rocking and I let go of the wall, my cuffed hands falling back to in front of me.

Bryan pointed at the door. "Walk in front of me. The guard at the door will lead you to the square where your sentence will be read and carried out."

A soft feeling brushed against my hand, and I looked down to see Dan reaching out with his cuffed hands to touch the top of my hand. I looked at him, and saw a tense forced smile. "We'll get through this."

I nod, but I can't bring myself to say anything. What do I say when I know I could die soon, and even if I don't I'll be causing many people to die? I pull my hand away and step forward. Did my father feel this dread when walking to his sentencing? Did he realize he was about to die? Did he have to willingly walk to his own death? Did he get dragged screaming and crying? I can't remember him right now. I can remember my own cage, but I can't remember him. I can't even recall his face in my memories.

I could hear Dan's footsteps following behind me. Every step I took made my stomach churn. Am I afraid? Maybe. Who wouldn't be afraid walking to their death? Everything told me to turn and run, to refuse to move, but I couldn't. I had to keep going. I had to walk to this nightmare.

Walking through the door I see a face with a distinctive scar running from the left temple to the lower right side of his jaw. Scar-Face. His hair had grown a little; tight black curls that reminded me of a sheep's wool lined his head, but the hair on his face was still just a curly stubble.