Finally the last….
she came down on him hard
brought her full weight onto his chest
grabbed by the hair his gasping face pulled toward her own
she spit
hauled him to his feet
where he had sense enough to notice my weapon.
she’d shifted around
held him from behind
knife to his throat
making certain he got to see his comrades.
dragged him to the tree
rope she called for
he tried to struggle
she knocked the legs out from him.
we secured him with rope and to that tree.
sitting there in the dirt gagged by a rag from one of the dead men.
I jammed his face with the butt of my weapon before we left.
~
Leave him.
Let him be a sign for the rest.
~
we didn’t go far
only into the woods to where we’d stashed our gear.
Shirley slept
immediately
soundly
while I,
exhausted from bearing witness
unable to escape the running tension of my dreams
dozed in and out
unsure.
