Chapter 7

Kala and I kept quiet the rest of our time, our unspoken words lost in the endless hope that someone might come and spare us. Looking out the barred window, I could see it was getting late. 'Not much longer,' I thought, letting go of the hope I had clung to before.

"Momma," I turned my head to look at Kala. "I'm sorry for what I did. Isn't there any way for them to let you go?" Her eyes were wide with expectancy, but I shook my head.

"As long as they decide to punish you, I am to be punished in the same way, because you are not an adult." I replied, and saw her eyes fill with painful sorrow and regret.
The officer who had brought us here came back into the room now.

"It's an hour till. Do you have any last requests?" He asked.

"Yes, I do!" Kala said. "Let Momma go! She didn't do anything, so why does she have to be punished?"

"We cannot let your mother go. Do you have any other requests?" He said, slight pity entering his face. I thought for a moment. I just stared down at the ground, and the man asked once more, "Do you have any or not?" I shook my head. Kala again requested I be freed, but the officer only repeated his previous answer. He left, and the mood in the room suddenly was so heavy with fear, the vibe was almost enough to kill us itself.

As the hour drew to a close, three officers came in, and began preparing the room for the execution. They brought out a large wooden block with an ax stuck in it. By the looks of it, it's seen much use. Then they laid a folded sheet of white cloth at the end of the block, probably to catch our heads in. Then they set out some extra sheets nearby, probably for our bodies. They looked out the window then came over to where Kala and I were. My heart raced as they took my only child away, with nothing I could do to stop them. I could feel the sobs forming in my throat, and I closed my eyes tight. I heard the door being shut, and my heart nearly jumped up into my throat. I tried to hold back the sobbing and crying, but I couldn't help letting my painful sorrow out as I heard the sound of the ax hitting the wooden block. Eyes still tightly shut; I allowed them to lead me out of the cage. They walked me a few steps forward, then put me down onto my knees. I swallowed hard, my heart beating faster then ever. I felt something cold on my hands then realized they were cutting off the ties. It must be a comfort thing,' I thought. Then, I felt a hand gently comb the hair out of my face. Surprised, I opened my eyes. I gasped, looking up, to see Brendan looking fondly into my eyes.

"As soon as I heard who I was supposed to be executing today, I asked if I could do anything to free you and Kala." He said. My eyes darted around the room. "Its okay, Kala's fine." Brendan said then Kala came running up to hug me.

"I'm sorry, Momma, I'm so, so sorry!" She cried. I held her tightly in my arms, grateful to still have her.

"Brendan, thank you." I said with a grateful sigh.

"It's no problem. You two should go now. It's time for me to put up my end of the bargain." He said, helping me to my feet. He gently kissed us both on the cheek then the officer escorted us out of the room. I couldn't help wondering what he did to free us, but then I realized, with a sinking heart, as I heard the ax make contact with the wooden block once more, this time followed by the thunk of a head hitting the ground. I dropped to my knees in shock.

"Momma, that man, who freed us, was that my real Papa?" Kala asked innocently.

"Yes, Kala," I muttered. "That man was your father." I pulled my daughter back into my arms, as if it would wake me from this living nightmare.

"Liliana," A voice sounded from behind. I whipped around.

"Brendan!" I cried, standing up again. He smirked.

"Who were you expecting, the Grim Reaper?" He retorted. Then he saw the look in my eyes, and realized what I'd been thinking. "Oh, wait. You thought that that was me getting my head cut off, didn't you? I'm sorry; I should've told you before. I had some tip-offs on an officer who was-" He glanced at Kala. "Over-using his right to search women for weapons," I wrapped my arms around his neck, resting my head on his shoulder. I once again felt the warmth of his body pressed against mine, and the tingling sensation as he put his arms around me, kissing my lips with a gentle passion.

"This time," I whispered to him, "I really won't let you go."