Justice

The grass is wet with dew but light begins to fill the eastern sky  and soon enough it will be burnt off by the sun's heat.  Nancy makes her way with the growing crowd to the parking lot between the large stately courthouse and the church.  Pushing through those gathered she looks at the guilty criminal.
Justice will be served today.  Anticipation makes the air thick.  She'd been part of this ancient ritual before and knows the tension will rise quickly and only fall when the deed is done.  Then there would be relief.  Now there is only anger.
The accused sits in the middle of the group, head hung low, eyes vacant, silent.  What could she possibly say to this mob to dissuade their intents?  Aware of her atrocities-even her own heart condemns her.  She wills herself to think of nothing now.  Not the years wasted or of the lives she's ruined, including her own.  She does not think about her children, the ones she left behind or the ways she harmed them.  She certainly does not let her mind stop on the baby.  She knows the crowd is right, that she has no worth and deserves death.  She welcomes it.
Some jeer and taunt her.  "Murderer!" "How could you?" "You disgust me!" "Bet you want your drugs now!" "Animal!" Nancy joins in the feverish ridicule.
The time comes.  Each person in the crowd walks over and picks up a large, hard-bound book from a nearby pile.  They wait. 
A hushed silence spreads over the crowd.  Finally, an Authority speaks.  Strangely, it is not to the accused and it is not to the crowd.  It is to a man standing among them.  Nancy recognizes him as "The Teacher".  He is well respected by many because he speaks with supremacy and backs up his words with his actions.  But some would love to defame him.  The Authority is one of these.
"You know the law says we are to punish her in this way.  Penal Code 12 Article 20 Section 10 clearly gives us our mandate.  What do you say?" He knows The Teacher promotes love.  Would he undermine the law?  If he does, the people will turn on him.  If he doesn't, he will discredit himself.
The Teacher bends down and plays absently with a few pebbles on the concrete-collecting his thoughts.  When he stands up he says, "If any of you have never lied, stolen, hurt someone, wanted to sleep with someone you weren't married to,  or numbed yourself against your own pain, you should be the first to throw the book at her."
The book in Nancy's hands suddenly feels heavier.  Acknowledging that she has done all these things and more, guiltily she hands it to The Teacher and turns to go home.   The crowd drops their books and leaves.
Only two remain.
The only one worthy to throw  the book at her approaches her and helps her to her feet.  The Teacher speaks life into her empty face with one command.  "Here, throw it at me, instead".
And he hands her the book.