The air was so thick you could've cut it with a knife. Everyone stood stock still, shocked at the events they had just witnessed. Previously a trembling man had been led up the stone steps to the dreaded table of consequence. Before it stared, a hooded figure announced that this woman was a criminal and she had to pay. I'll never forget her terrified scream or the wet sticky sound of her body being hacked to pieces, her blood spurting in a crimson fountain, splattering the floor with deep red droplets. Then there was silence. No one moved and no one spoke. Silent tears streamed down pale, expressionless faces. Somewhere to my left there was a panicked scream followed by a long silence. A couple of people tried to run but no one else dared to move, afraid of being seen. The man next to me threw up and I gagged, struggling to stay still as the pungent stench flooded my brain and the bitter taste of bile rose in my throat. I ignored him as he clawed at the robes swishing around my ankles. I wanted to help but everything told me not to. He was dragges through the crowd by two heavily armed gaurds up to the table, leaving a trail of puke and tears. Two gunshots filled the air. I stood there knowing I could've stopped his fate.

I always loved the sound of rushing water, it can disguise even the loudest of noises. Once they had dismissed us, my feet took me straight here, through the tall ominous buildings, right to the edge. Tall cliffs, long falls and a thankful death awaited me. If I could've stopped crying I would've jumped but scream after scream and tear after tear exploded from my weary body. I was sick of being watched. Here there is no one, nothing except a ton of water to wash away all the bad memories.

That man died because of me. Jet black clouds rumbled over head as if they felt my sorrow. After five minutes I wasn't sure if it wad tears or rain on my face. My arms were bare and showed the deep slashes that bled for days. My back ached as I remembered the belt biting into my flesh, making the skin red raw and bleed. Leather hurts more than metal. A belt hurts more than a blade. I had gashes that constantly split open for a week when I stretched. Remembering everything bad, my body convulsed as a shuddering cry tore from my body. I crawled over to the edge, took a deep breath and waited. Before I could jump, the earth moved and shook and I ran.

I stopped running. I had run straight into the middle of a war. A war between the earth and the people. Children were crying and children were dying. More of the earth started moving and I found myself face down on the floor. Curling into a ball I tried to avoid the large blocks of building crashing down.

A large bit of rubble had landed on my leg and I screamed im agony. A passerby heard and ran to help, they managed to free me. I turned to thank them but concrete and glass had fallen. All I could see was their foot. There was something poetic about the way glass and wall cascaded down from mighty stone structures that used to stand so tall and proud. Through dust and ash, many black soldiers were marching, pointing guns at anyone that dared help the wounded. For the second time that day I ignored the stench of blood and the deceased. I blocked out the pleas for help and ran.

Eventually I reached a place I've never seen. Dank and desolate I was alone. Steam and clouds rose above abandoned buildings, migrating birds flew in a V formation. Cracked, stone ground encouraged me towards it, embracing me in a motherly hug, letting me collapse into a puddle of human emotion and blood. A thick consistancy ran warm and dark down my leg and through the seeping liquid something bright and white winked at me through the torn damaged flesh.

Warm light shone a heavenly glow on my fragile weak body. Instead of shying away I embraced the light and let it take me away. I was tired and in pain but the light promised me a world without fear, a world when you can be yourself without worry of being watched. It called to me. I listened.