Henry had taken Angela's one dress out of his backpack the day before. It was hopelessly wrinkled. Henry took a rock from the fire and putting the dress on a large flat topped boulder he put an old mitten on and used the hot rock to press out the worst of the wrinkles in the dress.
Growling at Angela, Henry said, "Put this on, and then sit still. If you get this dress dirty, or wrinkle it again...well you aren't hungry are you?"
Angela carefully, oh so carefully put the dress on. She turned to Henry for him to fasten the dress in the back. When he laced up the dress it was quickly apparent that it was straining at the seams to cover Angela.
Henry made an impatient sound. "You had best stop yer growin' girlie. If you get any bigger ya won't be any help ta me! We both know what I do with people who have served their purpose to me, and don't any more, right?"
Angela nodded silently. She was afraid that any words she used would be the wrong words. She knew all too well that Henry had no patience, none at all.
Next Henry pulled out her Sunday shoes. They were scuffed and dusty. Henry pulled out some fat that he had saved from a seagull they had eaten the day before. He rubbed the fat in the shoes. Next he pulled out an old shirt of his. Using the shirt he polished the shoes.
Finished with the ablutions he handed the shoes to Angela. She sat down on a log to put them on. She had to squeeze really hard. The shoes were quite obviously too small. She did not utter a complaint. Growth had become a fearful thing to her. Nightmares were filled with Henry's murderous wrath as she grew to be too large for usefulness.
Now Angela and Henry sat in the Cafe. Angela had noticed that there was a crowd gathering outside. It seemed as though they were all dressed in their Sunday best. Angela spoke solemnly, "Henry, why are we here in town today?"
Henry finished his mouth full of food slowly before responding, "It's a town event. Everybody who is anybody will be there. That means that you and I will make lots of money picking pockets."
Angela sighed within her own mind. She knew better than to make the smallest sign of defiance to Henry. He had never struck her, or shown any sign of physical violence. That was not his way. Instead he preyed upon Angela's young, sensitive mind. For punishment, Henry also stopped any and all food. The longest he had gone without feeding her was five days so far.
After that five days Henry cussed and grumbled because it took Angela a week of eating and drinking to regain her strength. He didn't really care about her illness, other than how it affected him, and his growing bank account.
The crowd began to push forward eagerly. Henry dropped a penny at his plate, and said, "Come on Ang, the action will begin shortly."
Angela needed no prompting. She knew exactly what was expected of her in a large crowd of people. Energy of a nervous, excited, type seemed to pump from all the people. The crowd was densely packed looking north.
When Angela saw the gallows her heart felt as though it had dropped from her chest. She tried to push her way backwards. She had no desire to witness someone's death.
Grabbed by Henry he whispered in her ear gruffly, "What's a matter? Too chicken to see a criminal die? This man deserves to die. He killed another man."
Angela felt it best not to comment on Henry's hypocrisy in the situation.
"Git to work you! I think you WOULD like to eat. There is going to be a really big picnic tonight. The whole town will be there. I hear that they will have fried chicken, and your favorite chocolate cake."
Henry pushed her roughly forwards, "Git to work!"
Angela slowly, unobtrusively, began to work the crowd. Her dress had deep, large pockets. She targeted first the men. It always seemed silly to her that men would carry their wallets in their back pockets. That made them easy prey.
Women were not much better. They had frilly, foolish, fragments of frippery, hanging from a cord off their wrists. Angela had a small pair of scissors that allowed her to cut the cords easily. The women did not even notice that their pocketbook was gone until much later.
It was easy pickings today. Everyone was preoccupied as a young boy was pushed forward to the stairs, and then onward to the noose. Angela tried to pay attention to her work, and not what was happening in the front of the crowd. For once Angela was grateful that she was too short to see over people.
She didn't hear the last words of the minister, or the young man. There was such noise in the crowd that it covered what was happening on the gallows stand. Unfortunately, when the hangman pulled the long handle that dropped the floor out from under the boy's feet, the crowd became completely silent.
Angela heard the sound of the drop, and then she heard the young boy. In building the gallows they had not prepared for a skinny, teenage, boy. It took a very long time for him to die. Angela heard him crying, and choking.
Then she heard a woman's scream, and hysterical crying. The woman screamed, "God in Heaven, why have you forsaken us?"
Henry grabbed her arm. He whispered harshly in her ear, "Why have ya stopped? Get busy. This is prime time for workin'! Remember there will be delicious food at the picnic this evening!"
Angela couldn't say a word. Leaning over, the only thing that came from her heaving stomach was a bitter bile. All of it fell directly on Henry's brand new, shiny boots. Then blessedly, Angela fainted, and knew no more.
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