US: The HOARSE Technique

Marriage/Women’s Rights /Rights/ Family/ Injustice/ Punishment
Happening	Taliban came	Judge gave verdict	Dragged to mountain and sliced off nose and ears	Left to die
Opinion/thinking	In trouble!  Deadmeat! Run away
Action	Finding a back door
Reaction	Husband pulled her in
Senses	Eye: mountain Hear: scream, evil laughter, silence Smell: bloody smell Touch: body odour Taste: blood
Emotions (Show NOT tell)	Panicked Fear

The Punishment

The Taliban pounded on the wooden door, demanding to enter.  Aishah’s face blanched as she squatted at a corner of a dingy kitchen, her hands bound by thick ropes.  “Quickly! Quickly!” she mumbled to herself as she struggled to break free.  She knew she was deadmeat if she fell into the hands of the Taliban. 

Finally, she broke loose. Untying the cloth that coiled around her skinny legs, she stood up.  Her feet felt terribly numb but she knew she had to fight. Fight for your  life!  Her mind screamed.  She ran towards the back door.  She knew if she could run out, and return to her parents, she could be safe!  Alas!  The door was latched with a huge padlock.  She was trapped.  Then, a large shadow loomed behind her.  She spun around.  It was her husband, Ganesh!

A smirk crept across his face.  Aishah knelt down instinctively, begging, “Please let me off.  I promise I will be obedient.  I promise to listen to Mother. I promise…” Ganesh did not wait for her to finish.  Pulling her by her hair, he dragged her to the living room, amidst her screams and the crowd’s cheers. 

A middle-aged man stood by her, surrounded by other militants with machine guns in their hands.

“Where are you going?” he asked. 

“I…I…” Aishah was at a loss of words.

“So, I heard you had tried to escape, didn’t you?” he continued.  A smack flew across her face.

“My in-laws treat me like a slave.  They beat me everyday!” Aishah answered, almost feebly with blood dripping from the corner of her lips.

A punch hit her like a sack of potatoes.  It was Ganesh!  “How dare you blame my parents?” he hissed.

The judge looked at her again.  He was obviously unmoved.  The punishment?  “Cut off her nose and ears!  Let this be a warning to the rest!” he declared triumphantly.  The crowd cheered loudly.

Write about the PUNISHMENT as the CLIMAX and the ENDING.