C is for Court

Hello!  Welcome back!  I hope you are ready for the next blog post in the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  If you missed the last blog post, definitely go read that one.  Click here, or you will be very confused in reading today’s installment.

For this story, I am participating in the A to Z Blogging Challenge.  I felt that this was a really good opportunity for me to not only express my creativity, but challenge myself to building a very long story that could be cut up into multiple parts.  And for it all to make sense!  So if you want to follow along with other blog posts in the challenge, check the hashtag #AtoZchallenge to follow along.

This story would be categorized as Dark.  Thank you so much and I will see you tomorrow for the next installment.  Enjoy!

C is for Court

Ross reached his hand across the table.  “You are not the one to blame.  You were trying to protect yourself.  You were hurt by someone and you were trying to be safe.  You are not to blame.  Trust me.”

Months went by as Ross prepared Aspen’s defense.  She was released on bail the next day and lived with her parents.  She told them what happened, made amends, and they forgave her.  They didn’t blame her for what happened, it was an accident.  Now she just hoped the court would believe her.

Aspen sat in her chair and her foot tapped in nervousness.  They had been through all the evidence and the jury took their leave.  The jury was in deliberation for a full week before the court was called back from their recess for the verdict.

The 12 members of the jury walked back into the courtroom.  They were all very serious as they made their way back to their designated chairs.  Aspen felt her anxiety starting to rise as she looked at them, trying to decided what they jury had decided her fate would be.

She felt a gentle squeeze on her hand and looked over to see Ross smiling.  He leaned over and whispered in her ear.  “You will be able to go back to your normal life sooner than you expect.”

Aspen leaned over to whisper back.  “I’m glad you’re confident.  I’m nervous.”

The judge hit his gavel on the desk.  “Order in the court.”  Everyone in the courtroom quieted down.  The judge cleared his throat.  “Has the jury come up with a verdict?”

An older gentleman in a blue suit with a red tie stood up.  “Yes sir we have.”  He handed the bailiff a piece of paper and sat back down.  The bailiff handed the paper to the judge and took his position next to the desk.

The judge opened the paper, read it, and handed it back to the bailiff.  The bailiff walked back to the jury foreman and handed him the paper.  The judge coughed.  “Sir, can I please have you read the verdict?”

The foreman stood up and cleared his throat.  “We the people of the jury find the defendant guilty of murder in the first degree.”

Aspen screamed.  She wasn’t guilty, the whole thing was an accident.  How could these people think she had done this on purpose?

The judge banged his gavel on the desk.  “Order order!  Counselor calm your client down.”  Ross leaned over and consoled Aspen as she cried.  He nodded to the judge when Aspen had somewhat composed herself.  “I hereby find the defendant guilty of first degree murder and sentence to life in prison.  This court is adjourned.”

Aspen let out another wailing scream knowing that her life was over.  The bailiff had to yell over Aspen’s wails for the entire court to rise as the judge left the room.  The bailiff came over to Aspen and handcuffed her.  She was led to the back of the courtroom and placed in a small room.

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she sat on the bench.  Her life was going to change forever.  All she heard was the jury and the judge repeating over and over.  Guilty.  Guilty.  Guilty.