On Ancient Ground

Burn her!

Livia screamed as she was pulled up to the alter. There were logs placed and she knew what her fate would be. She knew she was going to die. And now she knew exactly how.

"Fire?! That is all you got?! Cowards!" She yelled out at the crowd that was now in the hundreds.

The general came out from between his men and looked at her. "You realize why you have come to this fate, Livia?"

Livia laughed. "Because I didn't trust my gut and kill you all before you killed me." She spat at him and it stuck to his face.

The General wiped it away looked at her, motioning the men to tie her tightly to the wood. "You hurt too many. You were selfish and you became weak."

Livia smiled. "My weakness wasn't in killing those people. It was in trusting anyone but myself."

The crowd cheered as one of the soldiers slapped her in the face. Blood went down her chin.

"Last words?" Another asked her.

Livia nodded and the crowd grew silent.

"I am not sorry for the way things have turned out. But I am going to HAUNT YOU ALL!" She screamed and laughed as they lit up the hay below her feet.

As the fire burned and the screams began to die down, part of the pain, part of hate... Her hand fell limp and grasped at a chain. It had been left to hold the alter up. This would be the last thing she touched alive.

Livia was dead. The people were free. Or so they thought. Another would take power and be just as cruel as she was. But with time, change, they would finally move to a new way of life hundreds of years later.