Parliament

It was time to vote. Some stared up at the oily blue sky, distracted by passing shadows but only momentarily. Feet were shuffled and the noise of scattered earth ran across the ground like dancing insects.The accused stood still, alone in a small, open circle, his eyes locked to the floor as he tried to control his trembling heart.

New members came from the south and joined the ring quietly. They looked over the heads of the others to the accused. It seemed as though they were rising out of a warm, static sea since the rise and fall of the rutted field made the tops of the crowd's heads into a rippling wave, almost motionless, like an old video on pause.

There had been no evidence given, there were no facts to think over; it was just a matter of waiting. So they waited and a decision took hold. It seemed to come in on the air, packaged in dust and dandelion seeds, suddenly filling the collected heads. The open circle around the accused snapped closed as they rushed him and in seconds his blood crept down the cracks of the dry crust that covered the field and the occasional drop blew off light on the breeze.

The parliament dispersed and from the air, each looked back at the one they'd left for the ground.