Long Time Gone

Chapter 2

No. No. No....public whipping..? It can't be Bob! It just can't be him!

I fussed as I rushed into the village, pushing past the spectators until I reached the centre of the chaos. To my horror, a public whipping was indeed being carried out, as I watched Mr DeBrock pace around with a long whip in his clutch and an expression of murder etched on his face. The victim, as I dreaded, was Bob.

Bob's hands were tied together to his back as he was forced to kneel while his back received the blows from Mr DeBrock's whips. His flannel shirt, then skyblue, was now covered in dirt and glimpses of blood. It was torn from various places, displaying his tortured flesh that was surely burning up against the razor sharp winter air.

Breathless and horrified, I screamed at the sight, rushing past people to the spot where Bob and Mr DeBrock were stationed.

"Stop!! No!!" I cried, raising my hands in the defense and standing between Mr DeBrock and my poor friend. "Please don't do this! Why are you doing this!?"

"Get outta the way, princess." Mr DeBrock spat, murder on his mind. "Get out or I'll whip ya too!"

"Lizzie!" Bob called out, equally mad and determined. He reduced to whimpers though as he begged, "Get out, please! Or this bootlicker will hit ya!"

"No!" I exclaimed, shaking my head frantically, backing against Bob in order to protect him from the advancing of Mr DeBrock. "I won't leave you-", I said to Bob. "-And you won't make me leave!", I added to Mr DeBrock.

"I don't like barn girls getting in the way of the head warden." Mr DeBrock menacingly stated, winding and unwinding his whip. "NOW SCRAM!"

"ELIZA!! GO!" Bob screamed in agony.

"NO!" I shrieked in Mr DeBrock's face, my eyes set angrily at him. "WHAT DID HE DO!? SPARE HIM!"

"Your boy tried to hijack our peaceful village again!" Mr DeBrock yelled in a reply, unwinding his whip and circling around the both of us. "He had the very nerve of inviting hitchhikers into our village for medical support! And not only ordinary hitchhikers, but coloured people! Those rascals are bound to disrupt our peace! And when questioned, this boy right here used the word privileged for being born white! The very nerve of him!"

"So what, you rat!?" Bob now exclaimed angrily, grinding his teeth. "They're people! Just like us! They needed help! And I sure had every right in my privileged life to give them support! Now chew on that!"

At that, Mr DeBrock lashed his whip on both of our feet, making us yelp. "Get outta the way girl or you'll be sorry!"

"Bob's right!" I exclaimed in turn, heaving heavy breaths. "Why would you treat them, or him, so indifferently! You're a warden for peace, not for fucking extremism!"

Rage beyond anything else rose in the eyes of Mr DeBrock as he unwinded his whip and in a flash, struck a blow at Bob and my direction. But I was ready even beyond his imagination.

Stepping in front of Bob just in time, I let the whip curl around my own wrist, as it left behind a searing sensation of flesh cut against a blunt edge. As the whip unwinded from my wrist, a violent red streak was left behind, displaying my torn up flesh with glistening blood droplets.

Despite the aftermath pain being extremely harsh, I remained composed as if to show Mr DeBrock that I wasn't fazed, even though tears welled up quickly in my eyes. Bob yelled angrily behind me, cursing every bad omen on Mr DeBrock's life.

"I'll kill you! I'll fucking kill you for whipping her! Untie me, you coward! Untie me, you screw!"

Mr DeBrock glared at the empty threats of Bob as he advance again. "Step out of the way, Whitby! Or the next whip shall be more harsh!" He warned in a loud voice, and seeing how I wasn't moving an inch from my defensive stance, he struck again.