Crime and Punishment

Crime and Punishment

Panya awoke with a start as she felt something brush against her legs, unable to see in the cold, darkness that surrounded her. She could feel the sand scratching at her body as she sat up. She could not move her hands apart, they were bound together by what felt like a strong rope made from reeds. She sat quietly in the still darkness listening to the sound of something gliding across the sand.
Her mind was racing trying to understand where she was and why she was there. What had she done to be bound so tightly?
Hours seemed to pass as she searched her mind for the answers to her questions. She could feel the sun beginning to warm her as light slowly entered what seemed to be a deep hole. How had she come to be down a hole?
Slowly she began to remember.
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Panya had been widowed several seasons earlier, her husbands passing had left her alone with 2 children to provide for. She begged for what food she could but most night they were left to go hungry. She couldn’t bear to see her children suffering and the lack of food was taking its toll, they were always sick. Panya’s own body was frail and weak but her mind, dedication, and soul were strong and she could not bear to see her children go hungry another night in a row, they needed food or they would surely perish.
The next morning she settled the children as she always did, before she left to find money or food. But today was different, today she would not come home empty handed, tonight her and her children would feast.
She made her way to the market place, the hot sand was burning her feet, how she longed for a pair of sandals to protect her sensitive skin from the scorching sand, but not today maybe in a few weeks she would be able to get herself some sandals. The noises of the marketplace filled her ears as she strolled as casually as she could toward the bustle. She mingled her way into the crowd and wandered among the stalls viewing their wears. Many stalls had fine cloth and jewels, others were selling animals. She made her past these stalls, she longed to partake in the wealth that they displayed but they were just trinkets that would not help her cause. She soon found herself in the middle of the market place and it was there that she had found what she had been looking for. The abundant array of foods that lay before her made her mouth water, she longed to sample the smallest taste of each and every item that surrounded her, but alas she could only afford a small amount of the riches that lay before her hungry eyes. She eyed each stall carefully to make sure she picked the best value item, she needed something that was easy to share and would last a reasonable amount of time. Then she saw what seemed to be the best choice, a large oval loaf of bread.
The stall with the bread was very busy many women were crowded around trying to get their loaves before the supply ran out for the day. Panya cautiously approached the stall and pushed her herself against the crowd of women. She sis not want to break through the crowd just stick her arm between them and grab a single loaf. She stretched her arm and just as her fingers had wrapped around the loaf of bread the crowd gave way and she tumbled against the dusty side of stall and landed on the coarse sand, the loaf of bread still in her hand. Realising what had happened she jumped to her feet and as she turned to merge back into the crowd the dreaded words filled her ears,”STOP THIEF!!”
The owner of the stall had seen her crime and now she had to run for her life! Her body was tired and weak from the lack of nutrition, she tried to run but tripped over the rags that she wore for clothes, the stall keeper was upon her and held her face to the ground, she could feel the scorching sand entering her mouth as she tried to call for help, it stung at her eyes, she could not breath with her head lodged into the sand. Still clutching the loaf of bread to her belly she could feel her body growing numb, the hustle and bustle of the crowd that would not aid a desperate woman was sounding farther away, then everything turned black.
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Suddenly out of the shadows Panya saw what had brushed against her legs, she saw what had been making the sound on the sand. There was not one or two, but at least fifty! She realised where she was, she had been thrown into the asp pit, her crime was trying to survive, trying to feed her family.
One of the asps slithered toward her, it’s long forked tongue tasting the air. Panya backed away from the approaching asps, but she knew it was in vain there would be no escaping her punishment, she felt the coolness of the shadows envelope her as her back hit the wall of the pit. The asps had surrounded her and were poised, hoods expanded, ready to strike, One of the asps opened it’s mouth wide and hissed loudly, it’s long sharp fangs glinting silver in the shaft of light the poured in form the mouth of the pit, it seemed to be taunting her, mocking her, it’s green eyes piercing into her soul.
She thought of her children. Had they survived the night? How will they continue on without her? They were only small children. Tears began to roll down Panya’s face, moistening the sand before her.