The Bone Cutter

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Walking on the stage wasn't the hard part, neither was standing in front of the audience as Inanis and I were arm-in-arm, bowing and greeting the country as though we weren't about to partake in a gruesome activity.  

The hard part was watching Caroline Lennings slowly stalk onto the stage, her body hunched over as though she were in a complete state of defeat.

"The world has many awful people in it. Man or woman, they're all the same." Inanis sighed, as he pulled out his cleaver, removing his arm from mine I suddenly felt ten times more vulnerable, and I caught myself wishing he hadn't let go.

The crowd cheered, agreeing with his words, as he turned to them, giving the cameras a devilish smile that would make any woman swoon.

"And of course," He takes a step back, "This killing is a special one, a first time, a new beginning as some would say." He beckoned to me to come closer, and I hesitantly did so. "This would be the first killing The Harvester shall be joining me."

I received an enormous amount of applause as I stared out at the crowd. I wasn't sure what to say, or if I should say anything, so I said nothing at all.

Finally, Inanis wrapped his arm around my shoulders and guided me to stand behind Caroline, just as every harvester was to do until the killing was done.

Inanis leaned down and quickly whispered into my ear, "At least pretend to look as though you are proud to be what you are." His voice came out like a hiss as he spun on his heel back to the crowd where he smiled and acknowledged the cameras once more.

I had nearly a million insults I would have spat at him if I were not on stage. Instead, I forced myself to smile, albeit a small smile, but it was all they were going to get.

I never did like Inanis telling me what to do.

"Caroline Lennings." Inanis turned to the woman, as the stage lights grew darker, "What an awful woman you are."

She was crying, shaking her head, but we all knew there was nothing she could say that would get her out of this. There was no hope for her.

Why I felt like the one who has done wrong, I don't know.

Inanis walked around her, as though he was sizing up his prey, and I wanted to tell him to stop and just get it over with, but instead I was as silent as the crowd. The only thing that could be heard was Caroline's faint whimpering, and each decisive step Inanis took with his heavy boots.

"It's such a shame." He says running a gloved finger down the tip of his cleaver, "You're so young." He cocked his head to the side, a light in his eyes that wasn't there before, "But then again, the young ones are always more vibrant."

"You don't have to do this." She cried the usual words anyone about to die says, and I felt my body crinkle in disgust either because of Inanis, or myself.

"You're wrong." He said as though he were speaking to a child, "This is what I was meant to do." And without warning, he plunged the blade of the cleaver into her neck in one smooth swing.

There was an abundance of gasps in crowd, and even I felt the air get caught in my throat as we all watched her tumble to the floor, blood spilling out of the wound in her neck like a fountain.

It was over as quickly as it was done.

Inanis got down on his knees beside her lifeless body, and once again forced the cleaver into her, this time in her torso, as he deliberately cut and dug out a single rib.

I nearly vomited as he stood up and handed me the bone. Our eyes met, and I knew it was time for me to do my part. He nodded once, almost as if to reassure me, before stepping aside, giving the cameras a perfect view of me.