hazel meets green

Hazel Meets Green Part 5

I opened my eyes, god knows how many hours later, to see thousands of people staring around where I stood, a rope hugging my neck. Not too tight.
Cold hands gripped mine from behind to keep me in place. I blinked, my vision still blurry from being unconscious for so long. Confused and disoriented, I looked around at the sea of faces staring at me.

"calm down.”
A familiar voice spoke softly but firmly in my ear from behind. It was the leader of the bandits.
I glared at him, with a pounding heart. I suddenly looked out into the crowd to see Hazel eyes. my breathe caught in my chest.
"Hazel." I breathed out, my voice mixed with surprise and anxiety.

I watched as hazel just stood there, holding onto a mans arm.
I couldn't take my eyes off her, noticing the way she clung onto the man beside her. A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed hard, desperately trying to hold back the tears that threatened to fall.

The main bandit called out to the audience as he held one of my hands up in the air.

"Miss Cassie Ranger shall be hung, in consequence of hitting on another woman. Not only is it against the law for two women to be affiliated with one another, it is also illegal to kiss and hound another woman who didn't want it." he glared at Cassie who stood, staring at Hazel. The words seemed to be a blur. She didn't want it? I thought we were in love. I listened to the main bandit's words, my heart sinking further with every syllable. Hung? Against the law? Hound? The weight of the situation crashed down on me, and I felt her legs growing weak. But my eyes never left Hazel's figure in the crowd, my mind racing with a mix of emotions.

did she do this? Did Hazel tell someone? Hazel didn't want her attention? So many questions crossed her mind as the man beside her exposed her to everybody

There hazel stood in the crowd, holding onto a mans arm. She looked at me, silent and stoic, yet I could see something else behind her eyes.

Tears streamed down my face, a visible show of my emotional turmoil. I couldn't help but gaze at her, my heart thumping loudly in my chest with each word the bandit spoke. My expression, a mix of heartbreak and confusion.
"I..."
I tried to find the right words, my voice barely audible through the lump in my throat. I glanced across at the bandit, then back at Hazel in the crowd, my heart aching with unspoken feelings.

I now became unsure, whether it was the lump in my throat or the rope tightening but I felt my chest tighten. I breathed heavily, fighting back tears.
Our gazes met, hazel locking with green. Amidst the chaos and chatter of the bustling crowd, a brief moment of connection. Then, in an instant, darkness consumed my vision, swallowing me whole.

Hazel's perspective -

I kept staring before hiding under my fiancé's arm, I simply couldn't bare to watch any longer. Why did i do this? Why did I tell my fiance what I did? I felt awful. I winced slightly as my fiance gripped my face, forcing me to watch the scene unfolding before me. I didn't want to witness this, guilt gnawing at my conscience.

I fought back a scream and tears. I couldn't show any bit of hurt to seeing cassie being hung infront of me. I just stared. It took all of my strength to suppress the instinctive urge to scream. Every fiber of my being wanted to react, to express the pain and despair I felt at the sight before me. But i held back, forcing myself to remain stoic and aloof. I just stared, her expression stoic and unemotional, betraying none of the turmoil within.

My fiance gently took hold of my arm, pulling me away from the unsettling spectacle before us. His grip was firm, guiding me away from the lingering atmosphere of sorrow and despair.

"I'd never let anyone who gave you unwanted attention walk around the town, you know that, right?" he whispered as he wrapped an arm around me as we walked, "she's dead now, you're free from her."

Those words were a knife to the hurt.

I listened to his words, the sentiment behind them meant to comfort me. I forced myself to maintain a composed façade, despite the turmoil raging inside me. "I know, baby. Thank you." i responded softly, leaning slightly into his embrace.

We continued walking together, his presence a familiar comfort. I couldn't help but steal a glance at the barn as we passed by. It held a flood of memories, both recent and distant. A bittersweet mix of emotions welled up within me, but I fought to keep them hidden, maintaining a facade of tranquility.

He led me back home, his movements gentle and methodical. Once we were inside, he closed the door softly behind us, creating a sense of security and privacy. The world outside seemed to fade away, enveloped by the tranquility of our own space.

"You've been pretty quiet since we left town. Is everything alright?" There was a hint of concern in his voice, as he tried to gauge my mood. Yet I couldn't find the words to respond.

"right, we'll I'm going to bed. no sneaking out, or whatever" he looked at me once more before going to bed. no kiss. nothing.

I nodded in response to his words. "I won't." I gave him a small, reassuring smile, hoping to quell any lingering worry. "Goodnight" I bid him goodnight as he headed off to bed.

Once he had settled into bed and drifted off to sleep, the house grew quieter. I stood there for a moment, lost in my thoughts. The weight of the day's events and my own conflicted emotions lingered heavily. Despite the late hour and the stillness of the night, I found myself plagued by a persistent impulse. It seemed to beckon to me, an invisible pull drawing me back to the very place where I had last been with cassie.

As soon as i entered the barn, memories flooded back, overwhelming my emotional defenses. I made my way further inside, only to find myself sinking to the floor, the weight of my emotions finally breaking me. There, in the privacy of the barn, I released the tears that had been building up.
I looked up at the barn doorway, I could picture her now. Blonde hair falling down with a grin on her face.
"I thought you wouldn't come, ma'am."

"course I did." I found myself laughing as I got up quickly, running into her warm embrace.