Banished Pt. 05

"It's upsetting; I know... she did something terrible, and there's no good reason for why she did it," I said, and Leanna studied me, as I continued. "But it's the truth. She committed murder... and now she has to face the consequences."

"Are you going to kill her?" Leanna asked, and I sighed, then gave a little nod, and she shook her head again.

"Can't we just banish her? Or- or tie her up?"

Molly moved in this time, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"She wanted to hurt us. She would have killed any one of us. If Candace wasn't there... maybe it might have been you, or me? This is probably for the best," Molly explained, and Leanna began to cry.

"Why? Why does it have to be like this?" she asked, and as I nodded at Molly, the girl put an arm around Leanna, and led her away, with Evie following closely behind.

"So... we're really doing this," Cameron said, taking a deep breath. "Who's gonna do it? And how?"

"I- I can," Francesca offered. "I mean, I killed like four people last night..."

"Yeah, and your hands haven't stopped shaking since," I answered, and she frowned.

"You're our leader," Nolan began, and Cameron glared at him.

"So what, he has to do everything?" she asked, and he sighed.

"No, I'm not being difficult... but, Nate is the best equipped to deal with this. You know what I mean," he added, and I nodded, as he shot me a surprisingly genuine look.

"He's right; I should. Given that I made the mistake that led to this happening, and also that I'm the one who started the push for an execution. It should be my burden to bear."

Everyone went quiet, except for Francesca.

"Uh, let me help you bring her down here, at least," she said, and I nodded.

Everyone offered me some words of encouragement, before heading off in different directions; with only Cameron staying behind, studying me worriedly.

"You don't need to look that worried; you know. Nolan was right. I'm best suited to this."

She shook her head.

"That's what's worrying me," she said.

She slipped the knife belt off of her hips, and handed it to me.

"How poetic," I said, as I accepted the weapon.

"Promise me you'll talk to me... if you need to?"

I smiled, and nodded, as she finally headed off, and Francesca shot me a quick look.

"Now I see what's eating at Nolan," she teased.

I gestured to her, and we made our way up to Jeannie's room, where we'd left Emily.

I nodded at the guard as we passed him, and entered the room to a fairly unbothered looking Emily.

"Oh. Well lookie who," she said. "What's the verdict? Banishment?" she asked.

I bit my lip, as I withdrew a bit of rope, and as she held her hands out, I took them, then secured them with the rope behind her back.

"I hope you at least cleaned up the blood, if you're putting me under the same tree," Emily continued, and without responding, I led her through the door, and down to the entry hall and out of the tree.

For a second, I thought about where to take her, and as I cast a glance at the tree where we'd tied Candace up, I nodded at Francesca, and we led her along.

Raul shot us a questioning look as we approached, and I signaled to Francesca to move him out of sight.

"Do you at least regret it?" I asked, as I moved her close to the spot where she probably did the deed.

"Can't regret what I didn't do," she shot back, and I sighed. "Doesn't matter... I'll be free sooner or later. Eventually the girls will come around."

"You're not being imprisoned," I replied.

"Oh? Banished then?" she asked, and as I shook my head, the smile from her lips faded. "Seriously? Over that girl?" she began.

"Do you regret it?" I asked again, and she spat at my foot.

"The only thing that I regret is that I didn't slit the brunette's throat instead," she said, nodding toward Francesca. "How are we doing this? Do I get a last meal? A last request? Oh, I know! How about we make this interesting! Strip me down, then slit my wrists, and fuck me good 'til I bleed out!"

I shook my head at her disapprovingly, and she shrugged.

"No? I mean, this is probably your last chance to fuck me," she said. "Eh, your loss."

"What is wrong with you?" Francesca finally asked, and Emily shrugged.

"Sorry hun, but believe it or not, not everyone is interested in playing sexy servant girl with a guy like him... if that's all we're gonna get to do in the end, then I'm much happier taking my exit here," she said.

I pushed her onto her knees, then grabbing her hair, I turned her head to the side, to look up at me.

"I'm begging you... give me any reason to not do this," I said, and she smirked.

"I know how to play this game; so, no. I'm not giving you shit. Fucking do it if you've got the balls," she said, with an unapologetic shrug, and I shot Francesca a final look as I drew the knife.

I sighed.

"Last words?" I asked.

"Do it if you can, you little fucking bitch."

I nodded.

"For the crime of murder, I commit you to death by the very method you used to take a life," I said, and as I pulled her head back, exposing her neck, I sliced deeply across her throat.

"F-fuck. Guess... I was... wrong," her words were garbled, as she gurgled and threw up blood, and as I released her, her body slumped over onto the floor, and I looked away as it twitched and jerked; her life flowing out of her.

"She was just like me..." I said, as Francesca studied me worriedly.

"How?"

"A psychopath," I answered, and Francesca frowned.

"Probably... but she was nothing like you," she said, and I sighed.

"You know. Deep down; humans are all the same... desiring power; desiring pleasure. The inability to feel guilt just makes it... easier, to lose yourself in the pursuit of those things."

I took one final look back at her body; still, unmoving, and lying in a patch of blood-stained earth.

"Such is the temptation of all sentient life, Auslander."

I turned, just as Eradne approached, a sympathetic look on her face.

"You will be tempted too; I hope you see the challenge with a better fate."

I nodded.

"Will you-?"

She nodded, resting a hand on my shoulder.

"We will see to her," she said, and I nodded again, tottering back to the grove tree and feeling slightly dazed.