July 7, 1939.
The execution chamber was grey and grim under any circumstances, but never had it seemed more daunting and more terrible than this day. The day had come, as he had known it would. It was time.
Very nearly choking on his words, Brutal ground out "Angela Davis, you have been condemned to die by a jury of your peers, sentence imposed by a judge in good standing in this state. Do you have anything to say before the sentence is carried out?"
Angela smiled slightly and shook her head.
"There's nothing left to say" she whispered, just loud enough for him to hear.
Brutal nodded slightly though he knew she couldn't see him. He desperately looked at Edgecomb, silently asking if the last minute call had come, and closed his eyes when Edgecomb sadly shook his head.
"Roll on one" Brutal said, as steadily as he could muster.
Terwilliger rolled on one, and waited shakily.
"Roll on two" Brutal said, almost as a whisper.
Brutal clenched his eyes shut as Terwilliger rolled on two and screamed as the electricity slammed through Angela's body. He kept screaming as he watched her die when suddenly he sat up and panted loudly. He looked around him and closed his eyes. He was at home, in bed. He glanced at the alarm-clock, 3.29 am, and laid himself back down again. It was the 7th of July, 1939. The execution hadn't happened…yet.
Brutal closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath as he opened the door that lead to the Green Mile. Today was the day Angela Davis would be executed, executed for a crime she did not commit. He stepped through the door and closed it behind him. He deposited his cap on his desk and made his way directly to the Mile.
He had wondered alot about the injustice of the world over the past two weeks but never had he wondered as much as he did when he saw the small girl laid out on her bunk, fast asleep, in fetal position. Her hair had fallen across her face, minus the part Percy had pulled out, and her right arm was tucked underneath her head.
To Brutal she looked like the most angelic creature alive, and he almost choked as he realized she wasn't going to be there much longer.
Angela closed her eyes as they shaved her head. Her hair, her pride since she was little, was being removed from her head for her execution. Execution. For the past two weeks the word had had no meaning to her but now, now that it was imminent, it was a torturous word. A word she couldn't say out loud.
She looked around her as they continued to shave her head, blinking every time some of her hair fell into her eyes. Paul Edgecomb, Harry Terwilliger and Dean Stanton looked very sad and very gloomy, but Brutal, her Brutal…there were no words to describe the look on his face. He looked like Angela felt, like he was on the verge of insanity.
Angela smiled slightly when she realized that she had never thought of him as her Brutal before. Not that it really mattered anymore. The shaving-apparatus was turned off, indicating that she was now well and truly bald and ready to be executed. Angela tried hard not to wince as she felt the top of her head but her dismay was evident on her face as she was guided back to her cell. She knew the loss of her hair was of no consequence, not compared to what was going to happen but it hurt, everything hurt.
Angela sat on her bunk and looked around, it was silent around her, which was strange because it had been very noisy, almost all the time, for the past two weeks. Now, Delacroix was gone, improperly executed thanks to Percy Whetmore. Wild Bill had been shot to death by a crazed Whetmore, who had been carted off to a psychiatric ward. And John Coffey was dead, executed for a crime he didn't commit, just like Angela was going to be. Angela laid back on her bunk and sighed. Just like I am going to be.
Brutal threw his cap down on the desk and sat down, placing his head in his hands.
"Brutal" Edgecomb said, softly.
Brutal slowly looked up at his friend and locked eyes with him.
"I know this is very hard for you. Why don't you let me lead her…?" Edgecomb said trailing off, not wanting to say the word, execution.
"NO" Brutal said, louder than he had meant to. He continued in a whisper "No, I need to do this. I can't explain it, I just…"
Edgecomb nodded and briefly patted Brutal's shoulder. Brutal watched Edgecomb walk away and shook his head. How was he going to deal with this?. If it was anything like in his dream, how was he going to keep his sanity?. He sighed as he realized he didn't know, he had a thousand questions, but no answers.