'Justice at Night'

Recasting Task
I feel awful this morning. I feel like a bad person. I watched an innocent man begging for survival, I watched him strung from a tree, I watched his body devoured by flames, and what did I do? Nothing.
I'm furious at myself now. Why didn't I do something? Why didn't I stand up for what I believe in? Maybe I thought they'd hang me along side him, or that they'd chase me out of town. I was scared.
Ha! Scared? I must be kidding! I wasn't half as scared as that poor innocent guy I watched them kill. I've never been as scared as he must have been. The fear in his eyes burnt brighter than any of the flames that embraced his limp body.
I watched them carry his struggling body and saw how small he became. He seemed like a child, completely powerless. This otherwise sleepy town was awoken with hatred, coming together for a violent meeting. It was as if they were possessed, that all they wanted was to harm and hurt. I've never seen anything like it. However, this was clearly normal to them. They all met up as if simply going out for lunch, like it was nothing more than a harmless day out. It did not seem to bother them that they were going to be taking a life. Not only that, but taking the life of an innocent man.
I wish we'd never gone. I would have preferred to spend the night being bothered by flies and bitten by mosquitos stranded on the side of the road in our leaf filled car. But still, even if we hadn't have gone, it doesn't mean that it wouldn't have happened. It simply means we would have been unaware, living a sheltered life. It's true what they say, ignorance is bliss.

Commentary
The short sentence at the beginning of the piece captures the attention of the reader and engages them, making them want to read on. The use of the term "devoured" when talking about flames is interesting as it personifies the flames, making it seem like they have a life of their own. It also shows how powerful the flames are. The use of rhetorical questions throughout the piece engage the reader, again keeping them interested and making them feel involved as the piece progresses. The use of the simile "He seemed like a child" connotes helplessness, innocence and fear. This shows how helpless the victim was and that he was small and fragile compared to them. The image of the victim being small and childlike also gives the impression that the townspeople are large and boisterous, wanting to cause harm.