THE LINEUP
group execution-shooting

   Their crimes- unimportant. Their names- important only to families. Their sentence- death.  The trials had been largely secret. They were only allowed to attend once and then only to offer explanations for their actions. The verdicts were guilty so now the trucks carried them to a freshly built wall in the center of town. Several trucks loaded with nude women. Ages from girls to grandmas, all caught up in the sweep that followed the revolt and all somehow connected to the old government. 
    The wall was heavy planks spaced out over stone. Screw eyes covered its surface. A walkway was installed along it some five feet above the ground. It was about five feet wide and was built in pieces that were hinged to the wall and held up by poles that could be kicked out to allow the walkway to fall like a gallows trap. Although new he wall was already splintered and stained. It had seen heavy use and would no doubt see more of the same before the bloodbath was over. 
    Each truck backed up to the walkway and one at a time the unlucky cargo was unchained and unloaded. Taken to her own place on the wall. A loop of rope placed around her neck, her wrists, and her ankles and secured to the eyes on the wall. Then left to wait while her sisters were each unloaded and placed. Many bore the marks of mistreatment and rape. It was also unimportant, no one dared to voice the first complaint for fear of joining them on the wall. When the live cargo was all unloaded one man was left standing on the walk from each truck. He carried whatever weapons he choose. Another was standing on the ground  ready to kick the poles loose at the right time. All was ready.
   A speaker buzzed to life. Speaking to and of the poor wretches waiting to die. A list of crimes was read and the verdict was announced. Not for each one but for all. Even at the last none of the condemned were accorded the use of a name or an individual charge. Just a group condemnation and a group damnation to death. Then the word was given- carry out the sentence.   
   The actual form death took for each of the women was determined by the man killing her. One guy was just walking down his row of women and shooting each one in the face. Point the gun, let her look into the muzzle for a few seconds then pull the trigger. Then on to the next one, stopping only to reload as needed. Most of his women seemed to realize he was doing them a favor and stood quietly as he ended their lives. Only a couple screamed and fought in the bonds as he placed the bullets. Other groups were not as lucky. A knife jabbed into the guts just above the pubis and run upward to allow the intestines to fall out was one mans idea of carrying out the sentence. His were left screaming and begging for mercy. The one next to him favored a large heavy hammer. Blows to the knees and elbows  left his hanging from the loops around their necks and dying from the very slow hanging that resulted.  Over on one end a short spear was being stuck straight up through crotches and pushed deeply into the bodies of  the victims. Another was using a short sword or long knife and was stabbing with it. Striking around the navel and angling  upward he was killing the fortunate  few that were stabbed in the heart and the rest would soon succumb to the blood loss from the slashed lungs. Then there was the guy carrying the small pistol. He just shot each one in the lower belly and left them begging him to finish the job. 
   The screams, the smells of hot blood and torn guts, the sounds of shots and weapons thudding home, the sight of blood spattering and flowing, the awful masks of pain on those suffering, and the noises of the on looking crowd combined to create a scene from some impressionistic artist’s painting of the seven hells. And still it went on.
   Perhaps the worst one was the man that spent the time just walking by each one of his and pointing out what was happening to the others, enjoying himself by touching each one and promising that soon it would be her turn. His weapons were as bad as those that drew blood and shattered bones.  The last one was placing his hands around each throat in turn and slowly strangling to death each woman. 
    Then came the time for the men to jump down from the catwalk. When all were through the speaker ordered the props kicked out. With a series of crashes the walkway fell leaving the women hanging from their bonds. Most were too injured to support themselves for long and they soon were hanging from the neck loops. Only a few were left with the strength to stave off the end. Of course the end was still coming. All their battles did was to make a better show for the onlookers and to prolong the agony for themselves.  It was almost an hour before the last of them twitched her last and went limp on the wall. They were allowed to hang through the night and in the early morning sunlight the walkway was replaced. The bodies were removed and dumped into a long bulldozed trench and then buried along with the days supply of garbage and trash. No markers or flowers. No services or graveside mourners. Not even a list so the families might know and grieve. Nothing save the memories of those who watched.