Noughts And Crosses

Sephy’s mother commands her to get dressed in her most expensive dress, which also happens to be the dress she wore to Lynette’s funeral, but her mother refuses to tell her why. Her mother has returned to her old bitter self. Her father picks up the family in his official government vehicle and remains cold and distant despite being gone for over a week. Her father’s lack of warmth hurts and confuses Sephy. When they arrive at the prison, Sephy is still confused as to what is going on. They take their seats in the courtyard of the prison, and Sephy notices that “at the far end of the courtyard was a scaffold” (316). She and Callum lock eyes across the courtyard. Sephy soon realizes that they are about to witness the execution of Callum’s father, who has been found guilty of all seven murder charges and denied an appeal, and she attempts to leave. Her mother slaps her and forces her to stay. Sephy refuses to look at the scaffold and locks eyes again with Callum, who glares at her. The crowd watches as the executioners prepare the hanging, and they wait as the clock to ticks down to six o’clock.