Late Friday, September 18, 2076… Brenda Moore is visited by a shabbily dressed man. He carries a drink and smokes a Marlboro cigarette. Brenda figures he is ignoring all the signs that say ‘no smoking’ or he’s too dumb to read. In a chipper voice she says “I’m not buying anything. Some French ladies already got me a fine rope.”
![a1.jpg a1.jpg](https://www.cruxforums.com/xf/data/attachments/1510/1510455-aaa40dad128fb46c79c5d310d8fb4d3a.jpg)
“Just came by to see who’s getting hanged tomorrow” the man says.
“That would be me, Brenda Moore” she says almost proudly.
“You look just like your aunt they hanged fifty-some-odd years ago” the man says as he puffs out a cloud of smoke.
“You saw my great-aunt hanged?” Brenda asks wide-eyed.
“Yeah, I was just a boy back then. Funny I’m going to hang you just like my grandpa did your aunt back in Paris” the man says.
Her voice rises in surprise as Brenda squeaks “You are going to hang me?!?!?!”
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“That’s what they pay me to do” the man says as he takes another drag from his smoke.
“WHO ARE YOU” Brenda demands.
“Name’s Tree, T. H. Tree” the man says matter-of-factly.
“That’s who hanged my great-aunt” Brenda exclaims.
“That was my grandfather, The Hanging Tree” the man says proudly.
“Is that what the ‘T. H.’ stands for” Brenda asks.
“Nope, just stands for ‘T. H.’. My dad was The Hanging Tree, Junior. He didn’t want to make me ‘the third’ so I’m just T. H. Tree, but feel free to call me ‘Tree’. Most people do.”
Glaring though the bars, Brenda snarls “And you make a living hanging people?”
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“It’s steady work and pays well. Besides, there ain’t a lot of people that have the stomach for it” Tree says. “And what the hell did you do to piss the warden off so bad?”
“He’s mad? Probably because I wouldn’t suck the bastard’s cock” Brenda says. “Why what did he say to you?”
“Told me to do the shortest drop possible when I hang you” Tree explains. “He wants you twistin’ and thrashing as long as possible while you hang by your neck.”
![a2.jpg a2.jpg](https://www.cruxforums.com/xf/data/attachments/1510/1510456-5be2debe7428d46044974701764fed04.jpg)
Tree adds “Whose record does he want you to break, anyway?”
Brenda softly says “My Aunt Barbara Moore’s.”
Tree shakes his head and says “You are in for a fucked up day tomorrow”.
Tree drops the cigarette on the floor and finishes his drink as he walks towards the door…
![a1.jpg a1.jpg](https://www.cruxforums.com/xf/data/attachments/1510/1510455-aaa40dad128fb46c79c5d310d8fb4d3a.jpg)
“Just came by to see who’s getting hanged tomorrow” the man says.
“That would be me, Brenda Moore” she says almost proudly.
“You look just like your aunt they hanged fifty-some-odd years ago” the man says as he puffs out a cloud of smoke.
“You saw my great-aunt hanged?” Brenda asks wide-eyed.
“Yeah, I was just a boy back then. Funny I’m going to hang you just like my grandpa did your aunt back in Paris” the man says.
Her voice rises in surprise as Brenda squeaks “You are going to hang me?!?!?!”
![a3.jpg a3.jpg](https://www.cruxforums.com/xf/data/attachments/1510/1510457-68a8fed2a745e40564cb435505918c66.jpg)
“That’s what they pay me to do” the man says as he takes another drag from his smoke.
“WHO ARE YOU” Brenda demands.
“Name’s Tree, T. H. Tree” the man says matter-of-factly.
“That’s who hanged my great-aunt” Brenda exclaims.
“That was my grandfather, The Hanging Tree” the man says proudly.
“Is that what the ‘T. H.’ stands for” Brenda asks.
“Nope, just stands for ‘T. H.’. My dad was The Hanging Tree, Junior. He didn’t want to make me ‘the third’ so I’m just T. H. Tree, but feel free to call me ‘Tree’. Most people do.”
Glaring though the bars, Brenda snarls “And you make a living hanging people?”
![a4.jpg a4.jpg](https://www.cruxforums.com/xf/data/attachments/1510/1510458-3f62888145abf55565e04c2ec5e1972b.jpg)
“It’s steady work and pays well. Besides, there ain’t a lot of people that have the stomach for it” Tree says. “And what the hell did you do to piss the warden off so bad?”
“He’s mad? Probably because I wouldn’t suck the bastard’s cock” Brenda says. “Why what did he say to you?”
“Told me to do the shortest drop possible when I hang you” Tree explains. “He wants you twistin’ and thrashing as long as possible while you hang by your neck.”
![a2.jpg a2.jpg](https://www.cruxforums.com/xf/data/attachments/1510/1510456-5be2debe7428d46044974701764fed04.jpg)
Tree adds “Whose record does he want you to break, anyway?”
Brenda softly says “My Aunt Barbara Moore’s.”
Tree shakes his head and says “You are in for a fucked up day tomorrow”.
Tree drops the cigarette on the floor and finishes his drink as he walks towards the door…