Gallows Flowers

There were ten girls sentenced to hang that day.
Nooses draped loosely around their necks, their faces tense and nervous. They fidgeted anxiously as they waited to die.
Rich walked down the platform, checking each one off on the list.

Angie, 13 years old. Petty robbery.
Marina, 11 years old. Prostitution.
Lin, 16 years old. Assaulted a police officer.
Mari, 14 years old. Blasphemy against the Church.
Michelle, 12 years old. Public indecency.
Samantha, 13 years old. Public intoxication.
Olivia, 15 years old. Assault with a deadly weapon.
Amanda, 17 years old. Prostitution.
Beatrix, 17 years old. Armed robbery.
Rachel, 12 years old. Prostitution.

Each girl was dressed in stained tank tops and shorts. All of them had their hair cut short in order for the noose to catch their necks properly. They had been blindfolded, as was customary for young prisoners. Rich had to give it to them, not one girl begged for her life. Their trembling and heavy breathing gave away their terror, but they still had enough backbone to not waste oxygen pleading with him.

Rich finished the checklist and signaled to the hangman. The hangman nodded, and yanked the lever back. All ten girls screamed for an instant as the platform opened up, dropping them about six feet. Ten ropes yanked tight, and ten young necks were broken instantly. A sense of satisfaction came over Rich as he surveyed those ten dangling bodies. It was a point of pride to him that he killed prisoners in the quickest, most painless way possible.