The Hanging Tree

t w o

SO WHAT YOU'RE TRYING TO SAY is, we picked up the wrong child?" The man's scratchy voice came again, startling Nancy.

"Yes...?" Nancy was unsure how to answer the question.

"Shit!" He exclaimed and honked the horn in frustration. Someone needs to go to anger management classes. Nancy thought with a small smile.

Suddenly, she heard stifled laughter filling the silence and awkwardness of the situation. "That is so true though." Jess choked out.

"D-did I say that out loud?" Nancy's eyes widened to the point where they looked like they were about to explode and her face reddened in embarrassment.

"Yes, now shut up before they kill us all." The boy named Damian stated calmly and glared at everyone else.

And with that blunt statement, the harsh reality of the situation seemed to sink in.

"Oh my god," Jess spoke Nancy's thoughts. "We're going to die."

Gunnar's expression, which was once full of mirth, was now one of utmost seriousness and fearfulness.

"Like I said earlier, there's always a punishment. Just some more deadly than others." The deeper voice rumbled like the thunder on a stormy day.

"But why are we being punished?" Gunnar asked curiously.

"You, specifically, shoplifted over sixty items from the grocery store over the course of two weeks." The lady answered.

"You don't know the whole story." Gunnar muttered under his breath, and Nancy was almost positive that no one else was supposed to hear it.

"Drew Benedict, do you know why you're here?"

"Yes." Drew answered shortly.

"Feel free to share."

"I-uh... I trespassed on property and broke into a house in order to look through classified files." Drew mumbled, head hung. Nancy wondered what that was about. Was Drew an aspiring detective or something?

"Damian... let's not even bother going through your long list of petty crimes. Jess, you have started several fights at school. And sent a girl to the hospital for an entire week. Got anything to say about that?"

Jess shook her head softly, almost abashedly.

The woman then turned to Nancy, who always seemed to be last in group exchanges. "Now, do you know why you're here?"

Feeling bold, Nancy spoke up. "Because you made a mistake."

"What did you just say?" She snapped.

"I said that the reason I, Nancy Swan, am in this car is because you fucked up. Big time." Nancy saw Gunnar's jaw drop slightly out of the corner of her eye while she wondered where that outburst came from.

The woman reared back, fist clenched. And before Nancy could even process what was going on, the blackness overcame her like a fog across a night sky.

-

Nancy awoke to a rough shaking, her head lolling around on her bony shoulders. "I'm not carrying you," A gruff voice announced. "So either you wake up now or your face gets dragged across the roots and rocks."

Nancy's eyes fluttered open in an instant. The second option sounded pretty painful; it was not something she wanted to endure. Unbuckling her seat belt, she hopped out of the car - only to fall to the ground, her legs asleep from the long ride.

She took in her surroundings with a slight shiver. It was considerably chillier here than back at her home. They seemed to be at the base of a forest. Nancy glanced up and realized that no, they were actually at the foot of a mountain.

"For those of you who are wondering, yes, we are at a mountain. As to why we are at this particular mountain, I cannot disclose. But I will say this: it is a three day trek."

Nancy pulled herself to her feet, contemplating whether or not she should run. She decided against it, seeing as they were armed and wouldn't hesitate to shoot her down.

"So, in layman's terms, you have three days left to live."

A/N: OoOoOoOoOhHhHhHhH sNaP