the next short story for your Book...
View attachment 194351 The hot sand burns the soles of my feet as my two raven-haired sisters and I are led naked into the arena. The crowd roars in excited anticipation as we step out into the open, and are led in a circuit of the arena floor, wrists bound tightly behind our backs. Taunts and insults are hurled down on us, the daughters of our father ... the vanquished rebel chieftain. I look down, my long brown hair hanging to half cover my face and the terror I feel. Completing the circuit of the arena we are brought up short in front of Caesars' box, and lined up to face him and his imperial entourage. A man stands and proclaims our identity to all who can hear, along with the fact that we stand before Caesar to learn our fate. The Emperor stands, waves his arm to a quieting crowd, and then signals us and our charges the "thumbs down" sign. The crowd erupts in a tumultuous roar as we stand nakedly exposed, wondering what will happen next. Our arms are pulled back, our wrists released. I look in fear and trepidation as three gladiators approach, long pointed spikes in hand. I try to run ... to where I don't know ... but my legs won't respond. Strong hands clamp down on my arms, and I am lifted, along with my sisters, off the ground. There is a brief moment, only a short one, when our eyes meet. Then in quick succession we are run through. Screaming and gasping, our skewered bodies are put on display ... I and one of my sisters face up, my third sister face down ... to writhe and twist, bleed and suffer the agony of a long slow death, impaled on the arena floor for the entertainment and edification of the crowd.