When Love Runs Away

Execution

"Get in there! Right now!" The policemen shouted at the five prisoners who were being escorted to the jail cell.

Once they were in front of it, they threw the prisoners in and locked the cell. They then heartily laughed with each other before walking over to a beautiful young woman with auburn curly hair, which was partially covered by a wrinkled white bonnet, who was sewing clothes.

"Faustine!" One of the police officers shouted at her.

The young woman, whose name was Faustine, looked up and rolled her eyes.

"What again? I'm sewing. You know if I don't get this work done, I'm a dead person." She said.

"I know, but when you finish with this job, make sure you shave the heads of these prisoners."

Faustine stood up and looked over the man's shoulder to see the five prisoners in the jail cell.

"Another execution?" Faustine asked the police officer.

"Yep. Tried to blow up the government building."

"Oh my Lord!"

"Exactly. Get these heads shaved. They will be executed by tomorrow."

The police officer left Faustine and joined the other officers.

"Let's get out of here." He told them.

"Get us out of here! We have done no wrong! We were going to save you from the evil government!" One of the prisoners shouted.

They ignored the prisoner and left the building. Shakily, Faustine turned to the prisoners and was taken aback at how dishevelled they looked. They almost looked like rabid animals.

"Le-let me finish sewing and then I'll shave your heads."

She stumbled back to her chair and began to sew again but her eyes were fixated on the prisoners.

"How can you be so stupid?" Faustine asked them, "why would you try to blow up the government? Don't you value your own life?"

"You must be living under a rock! With all the revelations concerning the government that are arising! One must demolish them!" Another prisoner shouted.

"What revelations? What did the government do?"

"Haven't you read The Government's Greed? It opened our eyes to the atrocity of our government!"

Faustine shook her head, put the fabric that she was sewing on, on one side and then walked over to the prisoners.

"Did you all receive a trial?" She asked them.

"We did! Found guilty of attempted arson. Now we have to die!"

"If anyone, the author of the book should die. She put us in this predicament and now we have to pay for her doings." A fourth prisoner stated.

"I don't know what you are saying but I'm going to get the razor ready." Faustine replied and moved away from the prisoners.

What was this book that they were talking about? She surely had to read it someday and maybe, if God was willing, she could even visit the author face to face to discuss what came across her mind when writing the book that'd cost the lives of these five people.

When she came back, she took the keys from her pocket and opened the jail cell, releasing all the prisoners and commanding them to line up. One by one, they all watched their hair fall onto the dusty floor and once they were bald, they were sent back to prison.

"I'm going to get a chaplain to pray for you. May God be willing to take you into His arms." Faustine told the prisoners and walked away.

As usual, the marketplace was full of hungry civilians waiting to be served the finest delicacies on display. Anna and Harold were also part of the crowd, holding hands as they both helped each other to navigate through the bustling crowd.