Melissa's neck is now held in place by the tourniquet. She is ready, she only waits for her executioner to tighten the metal around her neck until she dies.

She feels his hands gripping her wrists, pulling her arms back and around the post and chaining them tightly together. He takes his time. She anticipates her end and doesn't want to wait for her final release.

She thinks of her mother, her father, Sor Ana...

Her pink lips parted, Melissa silently prays as her torturer pulls her arms tight, pressing her back against the hard wooden post.

Once he is done chaining her, he goes to look for another thick chain hanging by the rack.

This is not what Melissa expected. She can hardly move now, the way she is chained to the wood. Why the need for more chains? She has accepted her death, she willnot try to run away.

The torturer walks to her dragging the chain, swinging one end as he walks. Melissa feels threatened, is he going to hit her with it?

He takes the chain and grabs her by her waist. She feels his proximity, his body almost leaning on hers, he is hot, perspiring, stinking. A foul smell wafts from his armpits. She feels the chain through the slit in her shift, touching the back of her waist, as he pulls it around her.

She wonders how all this is part of her execution, she tries to looks down to see, but the metal bites into her neck and she says another prayer, her curiosity does not become one soon to be in heaven.

He joins two ends of the chain around her waist like a belt. It reminds her of the penance she often went through, sleeping with a belt made out of thorns. The chain doesn't prick like the thorns, it only feel heavy on her hips.

He then places the chain between her legs, she feels the cold metal touching her legs and then up against her labia. This is unexpected as well. She jerks her head in response, but the tourniquet stops her motion.

She has not seen that done to the prisoners who were put to death in the square. She is going to be humiliated, after all.

The torturer flips up Melissa's chemise, exposing her leg, to make it easier for the chain to grab her skin. He then pushes her feet to the sides, opening her legs, before he fastens the chain to the post.

As he opens her legs, Melissa closes her eyes tight. She feels the chain twisting against her pubic hairs, pinching her skin, hurting her. She feels the gaze of her companion, the other woman who awaits her fate inside her cage.