When Stars Intertwine

Chapter 49

A week later

Harry couldn't see where he was going, a dirty bag covered his head and his hands tied behind. Two men held him by his arms as they lead him to wherever it was they were taking him. He was sweating profusely, it was hot and dry. They suddenly stopped walking and pushed him down on his knees. After a moment, one of the men pulled the bag off his head and there was Anna tied to a tree. His eyes popped out of his head. She was tied facing the tree with the back of her dress ripped open. A man with a whip standing next to her.

"What are you doing?" He asked looking from one man to the other panic in his tone, he could see Anna's trembling fingers.

"Please don't do this...she's.... she's pregnant."

The man standing next to her swung the whip in the air and let it crack loudly on Anna's back. She squealed loudly. Harry growled and tried to get up, the two men pushed him down. Another crack on Ann's back followed loudly.

"Please stop!" Harry cried as the man whipped Anna continuously.

"Whip me instead," he said looking at the men's faces desperately, but none would listen. As the man whipped Anna, a carriage approached, Harry's father's carriage, he jumped out of the carriage hurriedly shouting, "Stop! Stop! Right this second!"

He stood in front of Harry blocking his view from Anna.

"Take my son away, stop torturing him by making him see this filth, his delicate and hates these kind of things!" Of course, he didn't care about Anna being whipped, he only cared about his son.

"Oh, that torture is the least you should worry about." Mr. Hawkins approached them with two sheriffs. That's when Harry realized that they were back at Hawkins plantation, far from the port, they were never going to make it on time.

"Your son and his nigger lover have been charged with first degree murders of ...."

"My nephew and his friend." Mr. Hawkins interrupted the sheriff.

"What?!" Mr. Walker exclaimed. "You know that's not true, my son had nothing to do with those murders, you know that."

"You haven't heard have you? Your son didn't only kill my nephew and his friend, he killed a sheriff too, and a dozen men, all for that whore."

Mr. Walker gaped and looked down at Harry clearly frightened about losing his son.

"They are going to hang side by side tomorrow at dawn, as an example for everyone," the sheriff added and continued, "put him in the wagon."

"Don't you dare touch my son!" Mr. Walker growled at the men picking Harry up. "You are not going to hang my son for crimes he did not commit. Harry wouldn't hurt a fly." He added turning his attention to Mr. Hawkins and started having a heated argument with him as the men matched Harry to a wagon.

Harry met eyes with Elizabeth as they walked him past the piazza. She looked at him remorsefully. The men pushed him into the wagon. He rolled over and saw another man walking toward them with Anna.

He felt a bit of relief that they were no longer whipping her. The man pushed Anna in the wagon, Harry immediately moved next to her on his knees as his hands wear tied behind.

"Anna, Annabel," he said desperately, she moved up slowly and painfully. He couldn't help her with his hands tied, he felt hopeless. When she sat up, he dragged his body even closer to her and put his chin on her shoulder.

"It will be okay," he whispered.

"I'm scared Harry," she cried on his shoulder.

He was too. He heard what Mr. Hawkins said and there seemed no hope of escape, they were surrounded and most wanted posters of them plastered everywhere. He nuzzled her neck softly.