The Hangman's Noose

I killed a man.
"You are hereby sentenced to death by hanging," were the judge's last words before he struck the gavel, a final blow to silence my soul. Handcuffs were slapped on my wrists and everything became a blur.

Here I stand, the hangman's noose few inches above my head.

"Any last words," the Hangman called out.
"What could I possibly say?"

20 seconds passed, my heart threatened to burst out of my chest. 59.9 seconds it became strangely calm. I guess I knew I was ready for death.

"I killed a man," I finally began, the murmuring in the crowd instantly was stopped, they looked at me like I was a god.
"I killed a man" I said again, "the intensity of my stare burned a hole through his heart, the warmth in the unspoken words thawed through his soul."

I paused for 7.98 seconds, don't ask me how I know, I'm a genius remember? I raised my head to look at the crowd. Some looked genuinely sad, maybe they even felt sorry for me.

"You have no right to feel sorry for me," I shouted. "I dared what none of you cowards could, I broke down all his wall of defenses till I reached the epicentre, the core of his very heart. I taught him how to live. Hell no! I taught him how to love. I made him human."

With a wild grin on my face, I said, "I'll do it again, even if it costs me my last drop of blood. My only crime was love"

3,2,1.... The Hangman called out...

I killed a man.