A Miss at Bliss

I sat on the cobblestone steps of the grand fountain, with my back arched and my weight resting mostly on my hands for balance.  I tilted my head back and closed my eyes, basking in the bright midday sun. The wind rustled the leaves, sending a whisper of calm to my very soul. I felt I could live in this moment forever.

The feeling didn’t last long.  A lingering shadow blocked the soothing rays of sun that were beating down my demons through closed eyelids.  I swallowed hard, the clenching in my heart telling me that the fear which had been chasing me through the countryside had finally caught up to me in this quaint little town.

I shifted my weight to one side and used my other hand to form a shade above my eyes.  I squinted at my enemy as the clock tower behind me began to chime.

“So you’ve found me.” I said, straightening up and brushing my hands together to rid them of debris.

“It was bound to occur.” He said without emotion. “You surely know, your kind leaves a stench”.

With a sigh of resignation, I stood up and displayed my wrists for him to bind.  I tried not to cringe as he dug his hand into the shoulder of my bright yellow dress, a little harder than necessary, and steered me towards the town hall.  The long travel by horse had left his clothes dusty and pungent. His height and broadness beside my tiny frame may have fooled passersby to think he was a father leading his child.

“Will it be the gallows then?” I inquired stoically.

“It will be fire for you.” The large ornate cross around his neck swayed back and forth.  “It draws more of a crowd.”