Executioner’s Song

A job to do

Photo by Danny Lines on Unsplash

The water drizzled down the tent as the rain let up.

I stepped out into the cold morning. The energy stove was still giving off some heat, but my small tent was nowhere close to the center of the camp and I pulled my collar tighter around my neck.

I tied my boots and took down my small shelter as the rest of the people stirred.

Finally, the Captain called us up to hand out assignments. We reached into the small bag to grab our tiles.

I held the small black device in my hand. I could see others either getting excited or dreading whatever assignment popped up.

I waited and waited.

Finally a ghostly image started to appear.

It got stronger and stronger until finally the icon revealed what job I would be doing that day.

I felt my stomach drop when I saw it.

The hangman’s noose.

Today I would be our executioner. With resources so scarce, any sort of infraction meant swift punishment.

Outside the Wall it was even more important, discipline was what kept us alive in the woods. To skirt the ways meant to put us all at risk, and it had to be dealt with harshly.

I was fortunate enough to avoid that duty this entire recon but my luck had run out.

I’d rather the tile said latrine duty than this.

I put the tile in my pocket, the patch on my shoulder read it and changed accordingly.

I expected it to be a quiet day, people tended to give the executioner a wide berth, for obvious reasons.

The one good thing about the duty was that I didn’t really have anything else to do, so I explored the small glen we camped in. The forest that surrounded the wall was super dense and even though I’d been coming out here for years, I had no idea what was really out there.

I found a small brook that led down to a river. I had no idea the river even came this far over.

I was sitting on a rock watching the small stream when my pocket vibrated and the patch on my jacket turned red.

Oh god, that was quick I thought.

I made it back to camp to find the captain calling for me.

“You today?” he asked.

“Yep.”

“Sentries caught someone trying to escape last night. They’re bringing him in now.”

“I see.”

I started setting up. There was a downed log I could use for the deed.

“He’s here.”

I walked over as the sentries dragged a man to the center of the camp.

I wanted to cry.

I was looking at my best friend.

“Oh god Dale what were you thinking-”

“You’re not supposed to speak to him,” the sentry said.

“Fine.”

I took Dale over to the log and put the collar on him. Once I hit the button it would decapitate him. Only heads were allowed to be buried inside the Wall, space was getting precious.

“What did you do?” I whispered.

“I couldn’t do it anymore.”

“So you ran? There’s nothing out here.”

“You don’t know that. No one knows what’s out here. I couldn’t go back inside the wall.”

I stopped talking when the captain started looking over.

Just as he looked away, I whispered “Run.”

Dale didn’t hesitate.

We took off. I showed him the brook that led to the river. We ran and ran.

The forest got thicker as we got away from camp.

It didn’t take long though.

They caught us.

They always catch you.

They took my executioner’s tile and next thing I knew Dale and I were both looking at each other with collars on.

It felt better this way.

I heard the beep and felt the pressure from the collar.

At least that’s what I thought about while I buried Dale’s body. I picked up the canister holding his head as we made our way back to the Wall.

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