HugoLuman

The noose felt warm on his neck, one of the few warmths that day. Elmen also remembered that it felt loose, not what he had expected. He supposed that in a moment it would feel far too tight, but then he wouldn't have to feel anything after that. It was breezy that day, the kind of chilly day where you had to hold your clothes against you for a while before they were warm. The crowd all stared up at him. They waited for what they had all come for, to see a man die so that they could feel safe for another day, feel that the law kept them safe. You could never trust in your expectations. That was the one thing that had held true throughout his

Kay withdrew a black box from her bag and set it on the table. It was small and velvety, with little hinges, like the case for a piece of jewelry or a pair of glasses, though whatever splendor it might once have had was gone now. It was well-worn and old looking, the black surface battered and lined with white creases. The bartender's face changed from cautious curiosity to completely expressionless and cold. The other players looked apprehensive, holding their cards slightly closer, and the blond man turned pale. Kay flipped the box open to reveal a large coin of some kind sitting in the strangely impeccable velvet within. It was about the