This second chapted is told in the 1st person of Esmerelda during the execution

The cart was unsteady as it moved through the streets of Paris, I bumped and jostled in the back as I looked out of the bars, trying to take in my last glances at the wonderful city I call home.

I can hear the crowd before I see them, I hear lots of shouting –gruff voices of the guards and the outrage of the people of Paris. I see the red sky above me as the cathedral comes into sight – the sky looks so beautiful, it's as if God himself knows that this will likely be the last image I see, the image I will take with me to the next life.

The crowd are jeering as the cart pulls up. As I get pulled out of the cart, I suddenly see the frightened faces of Paris and it's like I'm awoken out of a strange dream, and I realise my fate. I start to tense my body as another guard grabs my other arm, dragging me up the scaffold as I see the executioner, his face lighting up when he sees me struggle. The wood is a sharp shock as I'm tied to it – I attempt to struggle more kicking the soldiers in the face –the crowd cheer more. I receive a slap in the face and my feet are tied to the wooden pole. I suddenly see the faces of my friends in cages, like animals. They're calling to me but their voices mix into one, I see Clopin in silent tears and Djali in a smaller cage struggling to get out.

One face sticks out from the rest; Phoebus. I seem him struggling with all his might against the metal bars: hitting, rattling, kicking, anything to help him get out...to get to me. His face catches mine and I see the look of pure despair. His eyes –even from this distance I can see how beautiful they are. My ears burn and I try to stop the tears from flowing...a few escape. I mouth "I love you" to him and he reciprocates.

"The gypsy Esmeralda has refused to recant. This evil witch has put the soul of every citizen in Paris in mortal jeopardy..."

I phased out his voice, he would not be the last thing I see and hear. I was proud of my determination, and would not be known as the gypsy who gave in to the evil of oppression. My anger subsided and fear started to take over as I could see that the last of the wood was being placed on the pile which was around me. I could see the faces of the people of Paris –some had a determined look on their faces, but a look that was about to break and others looked simply petrified. I looked around at the gypsy's in the cages, they looked even more fearful. The face of Phoebus was a mixture of fear and insatiable anger. He was staring at me, he had not taken his eyes off me, I felt as if he was my silent, watchful protector, just like he had been that day. The panic began to build inside of me as Frollo stopped talking and began to speak to the executioner. My eyes finally turned towards Notre Dame – if I had to die then I would do outside the most beautiful building I have ever seen, and inside somewhere was a man who was one of the most beautiful person I had met-inside and out.

"For justice, for Paris and for her own salvation. It is my sacred duty to send this unholy demon back where she belongs"

As he spoke I saw the flames in his hands and they literally looked as if he had produced his own hellfire himself. The realisation fully hit me within that moment that this was the Devil himself, come to take me away from the haven of Earth. I longed for the face of someone else, someone familiar and I fixed my eyes onto Phoebus, who at this point was leaning full out of the cage, his hand reaching towards me, his face full of pain. I started to hyperventilate, sobbing through my breaths as I fully realised my fate, and as the flames touched the wood I knew that this was the end.

I started to scream, calling for help, wondering why people weren't doing more. As I looked round I realised that the townsfolk were pushing against the guards trying to get through; others looked horrified but were too scared to do anything. I gasped as I saw how quickly the flames had engulfed around me, I started to cough the smoke intensifying slowly around me. I looked around the crowd-the fire made the people dance in a shade of red. I coughed more, crying now, I wished the tears would calm the fire; the heat was so fierce, I feared it would envelop me and that I would slowly burn, that I would feel the flames burn through my skin. I tried to focus on Phoebus now, I could see a glitter near his eyes and I realised he was silently crying. I longed for us to have the future I had dreamed of –of my love and I living in peace in my most favourite city. That was never to come to pass, and as I neared passing out, the flames were excruciating, my fear totally enveloping me-it would have brought me to my knees if I was not tied to the wooden pole. The smoke was surrounding me and the flames were everywhere that I looked. My eyes were burning, not just with tears but with the power of the flames. I could feel myself slipping into darkness as I closed my eyes; I tried to focus on Phoebus, but could no longer see him. The last image I saw was one of something that I longed to be true but was probably only a delusion of the flames. It was Quasimodo, swinging towards me on a rope. He lifted me from the pole and hoisted me high, shouting "Sanctuary!"

I passed out before knowing that this delusion was true...

That's the end of the story guys. Everything else is explained in the film. Thanks for reading, I recently watched the film again and wanted to write this. Hope you enjoyed reading it and please review -constructive criticism is welcome :)