For the Good of the People

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The young man stands on the platform, his slender body convulsing in the icy rain. Bitter wind rips at his thin clothing. His eyes dart helplessly around the crowd. The frosty ghost of his rapid breathing glides over his blue lips. The tears haven't started yet, but they will. They always do at these events.

"Crime is intolerable in the Community!" shouts the Executioner, his haunting black mask gleaming in the moonlight. The crowd responds with a cacophony of cheering and clapping. Fists beat the air in anticipation. The man starts to sweat, burning and freezing simultaneously.

A rope soon circles his neck, scratchy and suffocating. The tears flow freely now. No point in hiding his feelings. No one cares about him anymore.

He sees the Executioner walk to him with the cloth sack meant to cover his head and takes his last look at the world. His eyes rest upon the only green tree left, at the edge of a small field directly in front of him. He thinks about how ironic it is that he noticed the last bit of life as he nears the end of his.

The sack lowers over his eyes, leaving him alone in a dark void, both physically and mentally. He wondered if he was crazy. He wondered if he was dreaming. He wondered-

The lever was pulled, the trap door opened, and the body above it fell through, snapping the life from the man who stole the apple for his starving daughter. The Community rejoices as the lifeless body sways in the brutal winds.

"For the good of the people!" cries the Executioner.

The phrase echoes through the frigid autumn night. "For the good of the people, for the good of the people!"

And the little girl who watched the murder whispers, "Daddy?"

The river is my favorite place. For one thing, it's beautiful. The small waterfall cascading over the jagged gray rocks, the collection of trees that could be in a painting, the little finches high in the branches singing about how gorgeous the day is. And sometimes, if I stay long enough, I watch the sunset, the day's end shooting a million shades of gold across the sky. The stars are pretty too, gleaming like the best gems you would ever find. It's all at the river, my happy place.

The whisper of a breeze stirs the skirt of my teal sundress. I giggle as the gentle wind runs its fingers through my long auburn curls. The crystal water of the stream scurries over my bare feet, splashing everywhere as I dance through it. I twirl around, my dress fanning out, and smile up at they pale sky. It's a good day.

"Someone's cheerful today."

I spin back around, still smiling, and poke Broderick in the chest. "There's nothing wrong with being cheerful. I quite enjoy it."

A lopsided grin creeps over his face, and soon he's thrown his own shoes off and hopped into the river with me. He grabs my hands and spins me around some more, soaking the bottoms of his trousers. Broderick's green eyes gleam with joy and youthfulness, his dirt-brown mess of shaggy hair falling to cover his face as he whirls around. Our laughter echoes through the trees, startling a few birds who take flight at the noise.

We frolic through the river for an eternity. Too soon Broderick says we should probably be getting back before dark so his mother doesn't start to worry. We collect our shoes and walk down the worn dirt path leading from our little spot back to the Community.

The Community is my second favorite place. It's a generally happy place too. That's the whole point. Everyone shares what they have, everyone helps each other, everything works in perfect harmony. Everyone is supportive, for the good of the people. Everyone is happy, for the good of the people. We talk, sing, breathe, and live for the good of the people. And we are happy.

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