I howled in pain and fury, though I knew better than to expect kindness. There were grey clouds gathering in the sky above, and I had a terrible premonition that I’d never see blue sky again.
The rest of the soldiers caught up and congratulated one another for my arrest. They forced me to walk back into town where I spent the next two days in an oven of a cell, utterly helpless and low on water. A doctor did what he could for me, but he avoided my eyes. He didn’t expect me to live long.
My fame was my greatest enemy. The trial was a sham, and I was rapidly sentenced to death. I spent my last night standing at the high window of my cell, my eyes lifted to a clear and shimmering sky. When the stars faded with the coming dawn I turned away, unable to bear the sight of my last sunrise.
With
