Dancing
Boq couldn't help but frown as he watched Nessa's feet dangle above the platform. The switch not pulled, and yet she was already dying. The staccato beat of her fingers against the rope binding her wrists reached his ears, and he glanced up at eyes as she searched the crowd for his face. Nessarose caught his eyes with her own, and Boq smiled at her. The rough rope wrapped around her neck tore at the flesh of her throat, Nessa tried to cough and breathe. Boq watched the blood pool atop the rope from the corner of his eye as he glanced at the public executioner gripping the trapdoor switch. Turning his eyes back to Nessa, Boq mouthed 'you're going to dance again.' Nessa smiled slightly as she twisted her head in an effort to shift the rope, and then she was gone.
Her body swung through the air with her feet gliding above the ground in a smooth figure eight, and her neck snapped. A strand of hair fell in front of her eyes, her fingers stopped tapping, and she danced three feet above the ground. The crowd cheered twice and ran off into the night in anticipation of drinking and singing. Boq felt the hands of several dozen Munchkins slap his back in thanks for the free night of drinking without fear of curfew, but as the crowds dispersed, Boq walked towards the still slightly swinging body of Nessarose.
Kissing his fingertips, Boq pressed his fingers to her forehead and smiled. "You went out dancing, Rose."
-TBC-
This was inspired by an Oz quote by Kathryn Erbe's character about her execution style. "I want to go out dancing."