Perfection
Stupid and Useless
"Are you so bold," Elizabeth started, her voice clear and loud, "to defy me? Have you no idea what power I have? You must remember, child, that this pain is nothing compared to what I could have done to you." She paused to smirk at the girl who still staggered forward towards her. "I am showing you mercy."
The crowd behind Tama was completely silent. By her side almost immediately, guards seized Tama's arms. The restrained girl showed no reaction. Elizabeth made a motion with her hand to someone behind her. Coming out of the shadows, a large man covered in black clothing and a black mask dragged behind him a whip with broken glass on the ends.
"This can all be over now, Tama." Elizabeth said in a cool, soothing voice. "You can walk away, your mother can walk away, so long as you admit your sins." The woman before Tama smiled softly the whole time with a gleam in her eye. It was like the woman was asking about the weather. "Go on, Tama. Tell everyone what you did. It would be so easy, would it not?" The smile was still there on that woman's face; a smile that only should be used when speaking of pleasant things.
With another motion of her finger, Elizabeth ordered the guards to face her to the crowd. "Go on, Tama!" she shouted so that the mass of people there could hear. "Tell everyone what you've done!" Some members of the people gained an expression of contempt once again, but everyone stood still. Half secretly wanted Tama to be the killer, assuring them of the competence of the Leaders. The other half secretly wanted Tama to be innocent, assuring them of their own suspicions of the Seven. "Well, go, already!" Elizabeth started to laugh. "Tell them what you’ve done!"
Tama responded with silence.
The crowd started to get anxious.
"Tama." Elizabeth addressed her. "Is it true that you have killed your father?"
The only response Tama gave with her shaky breathing.
"Do you understand that if you admit your sins then you will be put to death quickly but if you deny your sins then you will be Punished?"
Silence.
Tama only looked at the crowd. There was some movement in the back, but it was nothing more than what Tama had seen before. Her silence was making the crowd a little nervous. Little by little, her quiet demeanor nudged the people close to the edge. The mob of villagers was breaking up. Someone was trying to make their way forward.
"Then you are sentenced to be tortured-"
"This trial is false!" Someone shouted in the crowd.
The people started to murmur. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Someone outspoken against one of the Seven? Surely this person must be mad. Crazy.
Stupid. Tama thought to herself.
"And why, pray tell stranger, do you say that?" Elizabeth asked, searching the crowd for the speaker.
"She didn't kill her father." The crowd was continuing to become more and more silent, moving out of the way.
"Fool! What proof do you have? Show yourself!"
The man stepped out of the crowd and all were quiet.
"Because I am her father."
The crowd behind Tama was completely silent. By her side almost immediately, guards seized Tama's arms. The restrained girl showed no reaction. Elizabeth made a motion with her hand to someone behind her. Coming out of the shadows, a large man covered in black clothing and a black mask dragged behind him a whip with broken glass on the ends.
"This can all be over now, Tama." Elizabeth said in a cool, soothing voice. "You can walk away, your mother can walk away, so long as you admit your sins." The woman before Tama smiled softly the whole time with a gleam in her eye. It was like the woman was asking about the weather. "Go on, Tama. Tell everyone what you did. It would be so easy, would it not?" The smile was still there on that woman's face; a smile that only should be used when speaking of pleasant things.
With another motion of her finger, Elizabeth ordered the guards to face her to the crowd. "Go on, Tama!" she shouted so that the mass of people there could hear. "Tell everyone what you've done!" Some members of the people gained an expression of contempt once again, but everyone stood still. Half secretly wanted Tama to be the killer, assuring them of the competence of the Leaders. The other half secretly wanted Tama to be innocent, assuring them of their own suspicions of the Seven. "Well, go, already!" Elizabeth started to laugh. "Tell them what you’ve done!"
Tama responded with silence.
The crowd started to get anxious.
"Tama." Elizabeth addressed her. "Is it true that you have killed your father?"
The only response Tama gave with her shaky breathing.
"Do you understand that if you admit your sins then you will be put to death quickly but if you deny your sins then you will be Punished?"
Silence.
Tama only looked at the crowd. There was some movement in the back, but it was nothing more than what Tama had seen before. Her silence was making the crowd a little nervous. Little by little, her quiet demeanor nudged the people close to the edge. The mob of villagers was breaking up. Someone was trying to make their way forward.
"Then you are sentenced to be tortured-"
"This trial is false!" Someone shouted in the crowd.
The people started to murmur. They couldn't believe what they were hearing. Someone outspoken against one of the Seven? Surely this person must be mad. Crazy.
Stupid. Tama thought to herself.
"And why, pray tell stranger, do you say that?" Elizabeth asked, searching the crowd for the speaker.
"She didn't kill her father." The crowd was continuing to become more and more silent, moving out of the way.
"Fool! What proof do you have? Show yourself!"
The man stepped out of the crowd and all were quiet.
"Because I am her father."