Tanis had ropes on his arms again, though they were tied much looser than before because of his multiple wounds. The four officers, including Kent, pulled him past shops until they were out of the market area. There were no people in the market area that night, as usual. After a few minutes of walking they reached a stone bridge and on the other side was the hill and the river. Tanis watched as the hill and the bridge got closer. Kent pulled him the hardest and the fastest towards the hilltop.

“Listen boy,” Kent whispered in Tanis’ ear so that the officers could not hear, “Once you get to the top of the hill, we’ll leave you alone for a few minutes and then call you back down. If you don’t come back, we’ll come for you. But you have a choice, boy.” Tanis looked at him quizzically. He knew he was to be hanged. He knew that this would be the last night he spent in this world and the last time he’d sit on this hill. What was Kent giving him a choice of?

Kent ordered the officers to guard around the hillside. Once the officers were gone, Kent untied the ropes around his arms and spoke quietly.

“Death by the gallows is unfavorable. They are rigged to not break the neck, so every time the man that goes to the gallows will strangle painfully all throughout the night. When I call you back, you can choose: I can knock you senseless and you will die in your unconscious or you can strangle painfully. Now, go.” Tanis thought about it and shook his head. He could choose painful or painless but either way he would die by the gallows. Those damn gallows, Tanis thought. How could people create things to kill each other? It didn’t make sense to him. He walked up the hill and sat down. He could see the river and the bridge in the moon’s light. Tanis closed his eyes and sighed. Tears fell from his eyes as he recalled the past few days:

Tanis handed Theodora a sandwich. She smiled and the moon lit up her eyes and her long wavy red hair. She laughed when he called her by the nickname he gave her.

“Theo, I like it.” She had said. He watched as she lay back on the emerald grass. Happiness shining in her eyes and hope in her heart. He told her everything about his past and she listened intently.

He shut his eyes tight and when he opened them, tears poured out. Theodora was gone. She was dead because of what this cruel world had done to her. It put her through hell and she was determined to get through it. She held on for so long and in the end the love in her heart for Tanis was what killed her. He thought again and recalled another memory with Theodora:

He lifted her up out of the river under the bridge. The light cast beautiful dancing shadows across her laughing face.

“You lost my bonnet,” Theodora reprimanded him lightly. They chuckled and looked into each other’s eyes. A moment in which they smiled and he saw sparkles in her brown eyes. Her bubbly laugh as she had complimented him.

“You are so clever!” Was he as clever as she had told him he was, he wondered? If he was clever he could of stopped her from killing Labaster and herself. If he was clever, he could have told Theodora everything that he felt for her. Tanis wasn’t clever; he was selfish. Breaking his concentration was Kent’s voice.

“Come on back, boy!”

Tanis opened his eyes, looked to the bottom of the hill, and saw the officers waving their arms at him. They beckoned him to return to them. Tanis stood up and continued watching the officers, absentmindedly. Tanis was looking at the officers but his mind was still on Theodora. He shut his eyes and saw her, graceful and beautiful.

“I’m coming Theo. We’ll be together soon.” He said to the wind. When he opened his eyes, Tanis gasped. There she was. Theodora was leaning on the bridge, her bare feet in the river. He watched her, surprised at her appearance. She wore the tight wisteria gown with one sleeve. It was trimmed with silver beads and the sleeve went down to her waist. She stretched her hand out to him. She gestured at him with her hand and smiled sweetly.

“Come, Tanis.” She said. She beckoned to him as she leant on the bridge. The river splashed her dress and Tanis blinked fast. Theodora was gone.

“Theo,” He whispered reaching out to where she had stood.

“Hey, you! Let’s go, it’s time!” Kent screamed up to him. Tanis looked at him but didn’t move towards him. Tanis remained standing on the top of the hill.

“Come, Tanis! Let us leave. Leave with me,” Theodora’s voice crooned. Tanis glanced back to the bridge and she was standing there again. Tanis gazed at her, intrigued.

“Come on, boy!” Kent hollered. Tanis ignored him.

“I can’t lose her again, I won’t!” He screamed back to the officers. Theodora waited and smiled at him. He refused to look away from her. If he did, she may disappear again, and he wouldn’t risk that. Tanis began to walk down the hill to her. She started to turn from him and walk into the river.

“Wait, Theo, wait! I love you, I’m coming!” Tanis screamed. The officers saw what he was doing and raced after him.

“Don’t! Stop! Come here, come calmly!” The officers yelled chasing him. Tanis was faster than they were though.

Tanis saw Theodora walk into the river until her head went under. He reached the riverbank under the bridge and plunged into the water after her. The officers stood at the riverbank’s edge. They saw large waves and ripples. Kent looked closely into the river and when the waves ended, he saw bubbles. Tiny bubbles; Kent watched them until they had stopped rising to the surface.

Tanis saw the surface of the water fading, but kept swimming downward. He caught up to Theodora and held her in his arms. She smiled at him and mouthed, ‘together forever’.

He opened his mouth and said into the water, “Always Theo, always.” When he finished speaking, Theodora faded into a dark shadow. And so did Tanis.

The officers shook their heads and sighed. Kent led them away from the hill and the bald officer looked back for a moment.

“He didn’t kill the girl, did he?” He whispered.

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Ainrana sat on the riverbank with a heavy heart. When the officers had told her what had happened the next morning, she walked to the hill. Twirling a lily flower in her fingers, she pondered it all. Tanis screamed out, ‘Theo’ and then leapt into the river. Was it possible that he actually saw her? Ainrana looked sorrowfully at the river.

“You were a good friend. You’re in a better place,” She said morosely. “Rest in peace, Tanis.” Ainrana tossed the lily flower into the river. The sunlight lighting up the flower and casting a tiny shadow onto the rippling water lit up Ainrana’s mood. She gazed up at the clouds and the sun, listened to the doves’ song from the forest and the chatter of the townspeople from the market.

“Love always perseveres, even after death,” Ainrana told herself as she walked slowly away from the riverbank. She walked away from the hill and breathed in relief. She would miss Tanis and Theodora, who had given her so much hope and had introduced her to the community with love. They were together, though and out of this cruel place. Ainrana smiled and mouthed the words Theodora had once said to her.

“Love always conquers hate.”

The End