yuggoth | ( EXECUTION - THE BEGINNING OF AN END )

At 8:00 AM, Heather, Girge and Andersen will be gently roused awake like all other Sunday mornings. Akane Kurashiki is nowhere to be found, but the faceless men will stop by to serve each of the survivors a grand breakfast to start their day. They will be allowed to do as they please until 9:00 AM, when Craftly's voice will be heard over the static filled P.A. system.

"Good morning, residents. I hope you were able to sleep, despite... the unfortunate circumstances surrounding this day. I will be waiting for you in the parking lot. Please do try to be hasty. My men will escort you if necessary."

And as promised, Craftly will be waiting for all three of them in the parking lot. A brightly lit torch will be held in one of his hands, and he motions for them to follow him with a tilt of his head. Without hesitation, he approaches the fog — and watches as it parts to create a narrow path. Any resident that's unwilling to follow him will find their body moving on their own, and within the next fifteen minutes, all four of them will be threading down unfamiliar paths. More specifically, the path that leads to Lake Crotin.

It doesn't take long for them to reach the clearing next to the lake. And once they do, the fog surrounds them once again, blocking off their only exit.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ she feels like an idiot for even asking. for extending akane's pain. it's like another knife in her gut. she wanted to give akane something honorable, something painless, but with fire? she knew that was impossible. it would be painful, and agonizing, and shameful — burning at the stake was not only done for witches, but as a way to display wrongdoing to the masses, to dissuade others from committing the same crimes. it was.. making an example out of someone.

she would say something to akane to reassure her, tell her she's so fucking good at dying and resurrecting that it'd be over in an instant, but it didn't matter. she was sure akane didn't want to hear it, and she wasn't sure she had the words or wherewithal to organize them into a coherent phrase. moments like this? they were without language.

without hesitation, she chucks the torch as far as she can throw it — she doesn't want to have to go get it, to prolong this horrible situation. she wanted this to end. she wanted it all to end. that was coming next, she reminded herself. this was just today's appetizer.

instead of running away, she finishes her cigarette. she's almost catatonic for a moment. what was the point of getting out of the way? of hurrying? even if she died, well.. she knew it wouldn't matter at this point. she'd throw caution to the wind for now. just.. exist, and be. the smell of her cigarette's filter burning intermingled with the wood's flame and the rapid decay of the giant stake. it was so hot. oppressively hot. but somehow, she felt cold right now. ]

[The flames consume the oil-drenched wood, eagerly climbing the stake higher and higher. Fast as they're coming, Akane is hung high enough that the heat and smoke reach her first. It's enough to break what composure she'd managed to hold onto, and she cries out in terror in the brief moment of anticipation before the fire catches her.

As the oil covering her immolates, her cries turn to agonised screams. She's no longer here - she's in the incinerator again, just a terrified child dying for the sake of a madman's curiosity. She screams until there are no screams left, but no one can come save her.

It feels like an eternity for her, but in reality it does not take long at all before there's nothing left of the pyre but ashes and charred remains. Akane Kurashiki is dead.]

( EXECUTION - THE BEGINNING OF AN END )

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