Author's Note

This chapter is inspired by this song

The Mercy Seat

For my whole life I had said: "I am not afraid to die", of course I had never suspected anything like this to happen. Blamed for the deaths of those I had never met, for trespassing off of the trail set for man by the lord, they said. It had taken them days, to list that of which I was accused. I told no lies, there was no proof or motive. Yet I am to die, like the Lord from the past, death comes to the innocent man. Maybe god will accept me, I think I can hear his voice now, it speaks from all forms, to me and me alone.

They lead me down the tiled hall, three of them, batons in hand, faces attempting to hide grief. They lead me to the final room, the end of the hall, fitting really. No memories flash before me, no final wave of pain before death. They lead me to the seat of wood and metal, a single tear rolls down my face, unnoticed by me, but only exacerbating their torment. I rise to the chair and sit and the masked man straps me in, his hands are shaking and I can see just from his eyes he believed my story, but what is a mere man against justice? I looked to the stranger from my place, and nodded, his arm shook before he stepped down from the platform.

There were five in the room, two guards, the executioner, and the priest and myself in the chair. The priest blesses my final passage, I simply nod, God has not forsaken me, but man has, and who am I to fight man's will. Another enters, the warden, I can see from his face he is enjoying seeing me like this, shackled to the seat of death.

"Any last words?" His words drip poison, a wicked grin begins to spread on his face, delighting in the suffering he believes I feel.

"There was no proof, I would never tell a lie." One could assume it was a last ditch attempt to absolve myself, but I just wanted them to hurry up, to free me of the torment of life. The warden smiles again, and waves his hand nonchalantly before stepping back, gesturing to the executioner to begin.

The masked man reaches for the lever on the far wall, he closes his eyes, the priest mutters a prayer, the guards all look down and the warden smiles more broadly. I know I have nothing else to lose, so this is more a final push along the road, soon I shall be at the gates to heaven, free from man's judicious killing. He pulls the lever, my head sparks and glows, fire sprouts from my shaved head and my uniform smokes. Everyone appears shocked for a second, before my vision goes black and my body goes limp. I sit there for a microsecond, before my world becomes nothing...

I would never tell a lie.

I was not afraid to die.