"Push him off! Push him off!" The small crowd chanted, getting increasingly louder and more violent with every repetition of the words.

"Take note. This is what happens to people who become astray from the rules." The high chief called out. Then he swiftly turned, roughly shoving the boy who stood there off the edge of the cliff. He fell for a few moments before he splashed headfirst into the waters.

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  There was this little island in the middle of the ocean. It wasn't a very big island, only spanning around 50 miles across and 50 miles wide. A village was planted on the west side of the island, a few fields beside it, but the rest of the island was luscious greenery, tall trees, and dense forests. On the far west side of the island, past the village, it curved down to a beach where a small dock was made, but they only had small canoes and sailboats docked there, since they never went far from the island. Except for the beach, the rest of the perimeter of the island was a sheer ledge, and the farther you went east, the more the island sloped upwards, and at the far edge was a dangerous cliff. The waters below were very rocky, and the ocean waves slammed against it, creating a mist shrouding that side.

  The village consisted of around 100 people. They had been living there for a long time, farming their own food, making their own huts, and creating their own clothes from animal hides and wool. They had a variety of animals. The village was very strict, and had many tight rules, and if you didn't follow them, you'd suffer the consequence, which would ensure you would never, ever, consider doing it again. Some rules were common ones, like don't steal, don't vandalize. Some were more strict, like every family is ensured the same amount of everything. Every family had a duty to help farm and manage the animals, but everyone would take an equal amount of everything gathered. So a socialism community basically. They didn't tolerate any bad behavior, any outspoken words, and no uprisings. Just to try and keep the peace and maintain the small, secluded community.

  Rowan sprinted quickly down the well packed dirt street. It was worn from it being the busiest street in the town, but this early in the morning, no one was on it yet.

  Rowan had a mischievous smile on his face, having just stolen half a dozen eggs from the community chicken coop that was located next to the main building of the town. And to top it off, he opened the door, gave the chickens a scare, and took off. The chickens were all frenzied, and began running all through the town. His thoughts were confirmed when he heard panicked shouts from behind him, then more panicked voices calling for help to catch the chickens. Rowan was pleased with himself. He had gotten eggs, released the chickens, all without being caught or seen.

  Rowan was very mischievous. He had stolen milk from the cows before, cut imprints of smiley faces into the sheeps wool, colored the goats horns purple, made large fake pawprints leading through the town, and no one ever did figure out how the chief's shoes got onto the roof of the main building. Rowan never got caught on these either, being careful to not be seen, and to dispose of any of the evidence and items he had used. Now, running with the eggs tucked in the front of his shirt, he planned to go into the woods, make a fire and eat them.

  Rowan glanced behind him, still hearing the shouting, when he slammed into something. It felt like hitting a brick wall, and he bounced back. He stumbled until he righted himself, turning his head around, then slowly looked up into the face of a large, towering man looking sternly back down at him. Rowan then felt panic as he realized most of the eggs that were in his shirt had cracked, and were now dripping down the front of him.

"Where are you going so quickly, young man?" The large man demanded, crossing his arms, looking down at Rowan darkly.

"Just... to my house," Rowan stuttered, knowing he couldn't hide the obvious evidence of the eggs now oozing down the front of his pants.

"You wouldn't happen to be incorporated with that uproar about the chickens?"

"I..." Rowan muttered, feeling his ears burning.

"Come with me." The large man swiftly seized Rowan by the arm. Rowan knew he wouldn't be able to break the man's grasp, so he sullenly walked along, his face turned towards the ground, that had a look of fear and worry on it. He knew that this event wouldn't go unnoticed.

  The large man dragged him right back into town, through the crowd of people scrambling to grab chickens, and right up the steps onto the main building. He opened the door, shoving Rowan inside, closing the door behind them. Rowan had never actually been in the main building, the one thing he never dared try and do. The chief was....temperamental, and it definitely would not end well if he were caught doing something inside here.

The man led Rowan down a short hallway, then turned left into a large room. The walls were high, a design in white rock bordering the ceiling. A few windows in the center of the walls shone light in. Several pieces of furniture were against the walls, and at the front of the room, the chief was sitting on a large carved wooden chair, drinking out of a tall wooden mug, and reading something written on a wooden slab. He looked up, annoyed by them walking in and disturbing him.

"What is it?" He snapped.

"You probably heard the ruckus outside," the large man said. The chief nodded impatiently.

"Well I caught this young man, running away from the scene, with stolen eggs from the coop." He looked at Rowan, who was looking at his shoes, knowing he couldn't hide the fact that dried egg was all over him.

  The chief expression changed, and he slowly leaned forward and set down his drink. "Did you now?" He turned and looked at Rowan, who slowly looked up to meet his gaze.

"And do you think then, would this young man also be responsible for all those other disturbances?" The chief slowly ran a finger around the rim of his mug, gazing at the liquid inside with a sly look on his face.

"I wouldn't doubt it." The large man said.

"Fetch his parents," the chief demanded, snapping his gaze back up to look at Rowan.

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A few minutes later, the large man arrived with his parents. Rowan looked at them, and they scowled at him, knowing that if he got in trouble, they would be in danger as well. That was another rule. Anyone associated with a troublemaker would also be held responsible.

"You've probably been told, but your son is responsible for the theft of eggs." The chief said. "We also have reason to believe that he is also responsible for other such disturbances in the past. Rather, the only disturbances in the past. Such as, when milk disappeared, or the goats horns were turned purple, when the sheeps had smiley faces in their wool, when..." he faltered on this one, glancing at his feet quickly, "when my shoes made their way up on the roof." Rowan thought he was done, for this was all the things he had done, but the chief cleared his throat to speak again. "And also for the burning of the two wheat fields last summer."

  Rowan looked at him in shock. Now that was something he had certainly not done. He had heard about it, everyone had heard about that. Last summer, around the time of when the town would vote for chief, two fields of wheat had burned down. The other man who had been running for chief was responsible for the care of these fields, so he was blamed, and banished from the island. Therefore, the current chief now, had been the only other one running, so he automatically won. But why was Rowan being blamed for it?

"I didn't do that!" Rowan angrily yelled, taking a step forward, but was stopped when his father's hand landed firmly on his shoulder. He shrugged it off in defiance, but stayed where he was.

"Further investigation on the matter, shows that that farmer hadn't done it," the chief said. "From his other disturbances, it only makes logical sense that Rowan was the one who committed the deed." He looked at Rowan, and Rowan glared back.

"If you choose to defend him, then of course you can, but you know the severity of the consequences for those actions." The chief said to his parents, a hint of warning in his voice. "Or you can make him have the punishment, which you know very well what that is."

  Rowan glanced at his parents, who were looking at each other with hard expressions on their face. His mother turned to the chief, giving Rowan a cold look before she did.

"Give him the punishment."

  The chief nodded, a little to enthusiastically Rowan thought. "Good. We have no need for a troublemaker in our village. We will go through with it now, to not waste any time on this."

  Rowan opened his mouth to speak, but instead yelled as the large man came up behind him, grabbed him, then forced his hands behind his back. He had a rope, which he very tightly tied Rowan's wrists with. Then he put a firm hand on his shoulder and began leading him out. The chief and his parents followed behind.

  Rowan didn't struggle. He figured they would take him to a field and whip him, or force him to run the mill the donkeys ran, or at worst, lock him in a room with no food for days.

  The large man marched Rowan through the town. They seemed to be heading east. As they walked through the town, people stopped to look up, then dropped what they were doing and trailed behind. Rowan thought it was odd, but I guess it wasn't every day someone was punished, but to watch it, that seemed wrong.

  They had walked clear out of the village and into the forest, yet they didn't see to be stopping anytime soon. They walked for a good while, when the air began to get misty. The air was misty. Rowan knew the only place the air was misty, was that ledge on the far side of the island, and he only knew that, since the village was forbidden to go there.

"Why are we here?!" Rowan demanded, a feeling of dread suddenly arising in his chest. He tried to turn around, but was shoved forward by the large man.

"You'll see soon enough." The chief said sharply.

  They reached it now, the looming cliff, and the large man pushed Rowan until he was near the edge. Rowan looked at the water below. It crashed furiously against the large, sharp, rocks in the water, and hit with such a force it sent up a large amount of spray. Rowan kept blinking the water out of his eyes, and he shook his head, sending droplets flying that had soaked into his hair. He looked back around, and the people that had followed had formed into a crowd, watching him. His parents stood closer, a look of shame, disappointment, and coldness etched on their faces. Suddenly, the crowd began chanting.

"PUSH HIM OFF! PUSH HIM OFF!"

  Rowan's heart gave a jolt of sudden realization. They were going to push him off. Why else would he be here? Instant panic surged through him, and he struggled with the binds on his wrists, but they were to tight. He thought about running, but the large man stood on his right, the chief was in front of him, and the crowd spammed everywhere else. Fear wracked his body as the chief walked closer, then turned to address the crowd.

"Take note! This is what happens to the people who astray from the rules!" He called over the crowd.

"Push him off!" People begin screaming, the words turning into a loud jumble of inaudible shouts and screams, fingers being pointed. The chief smiled, raising his arms to egg on the crowd. Rowan stared at the crowd in shock, unable to move due to fear making his body immobile. Then a silent scream caught in his throat as the chief turned swiftly, putting a hand on his chest, forcefully shoving Rowan, and he fell backwards off the cliff.