Saving Belle

Chapter 28

Hello all. Just a fair warning that this chapter will have graphic details based on the last subject mention in chapter 27.

Belle's POV

     The judge screams and shouts to try and get those in the audience to quiet down but it only seems to rile them up further. I sit in my seat quietly as I stare straight in the direction of my family and loved ones. Majority of their expressions are blank of any emotion as the others are filled with shock and concern. Suddenly, I feel anger rise inside of me. A new anger I have never felt before. 

     Blackwood had no right to ever bring this up. It is my deepest darkest secret. Only myself and Eric knew of this because he caught me in the act. It was all his fault. He is the reason I had no choice in doing what I did. Eric has been the cause of every once of pain and suffering I have went through since moving into his family's care. He cause the abuse, he cause the rape, and he caused the need for an abortion I could never ask for.

     Finally, the room settled down enough for me to speak up. I look Blackwood dead in the eye and spoke in a deeper voice, a stronger voice, that I have never heard myself use in the past, "Mr. Blackwood may I ask you a question?"

     He goes to object but Judge Oblinary tells me I may ask away. I nod my head as a silent thank you to him before continuing, "Are you familiar with an abortion?"

     Blackwood gives me a confused look, not knowing where I was going with this, but speaks up regardless, "Yes. I am well aware what an abortion is Kyla."

     I nod and take a deep breath, "Your client, Eric Lance, has been beating and raping over the course of many years. None of what he has done to be has ever been consensual, not in the least bit. When I was fifteen years old when I started missing my period. After the third or four month and no period...I knew I was pregnant. He not only forced himself on me, raped me, but also impregnated me. Eric caught on and we was thrilled when he found out that there would be a smaller version of me. He wasn't happy to have a child...he was happy to have another victim." I pause to take another breath, "I knew that having a child would mean one of two things. I would either have the child taken away from me once it was born or the Lance's would keep it and Eric would have another victim to hurt. I did the only thing I was able to do since there was absolutely no way I could get to a hospital or clinic to have an abortion. I threw myself into a medal chair over and over again."

     You could hear a pin drop in the room with how quiet everyone was. The reports were writing away furiously and my family was sitting at the edge of their seats trying to hold themselves together. Lastly, I looked over to Eric.

     I never lost eye contact as I continued speaking, "I threw myself into that chair for over an hour. I didn't stop. Not when I heard ribs crack. Not when I could feel nothing but agonizing pain. I kept going until I felt the blood dribble down between my legs. I had no other choice but to do what I did because there was no way, no way in hell, that I would ever let you touch any other child. You abused me, Eric. You hurt me in so many ways that I could never count and I will be damned if I ever let you hurt another kid...and I will do everything in my power to make sure you never get near another child again. Even if it means I have to fight until the day that I do for people to believe me because no one deserves to go through what you put me through in that house."

     By the time I was done speaking I had tears streaming down my face and could barely breathe. The judge clears his throat and gains everyone's attention, "Belle you may go take your seat next to your lawyer now."

     I nod and stumble back to my seat with shaky legs. When I get closer to my seat, I can feel all the eyes of my family on me but I no longer have the heart to look at them after telling such a violent story. When I am seated I feel two hands reach over to rub my arms. I knew who they belonged to. Fin and Luca were trying to give me as much comfort as they could from behind the little wooden wall that separates my lawyer and I from the rest of the audience. My shoulders are shaking slightly and everything starts to fade.

     My senses have become blurred and I didn't realize that Blackwood and Clarissa had approached the bench before proceeding to question Eric on the stand. I could feel myself slowly starting to lose consciousness but I force myself to stay awake. I would not show them how badly this has affected me. I need to stay strong.

     Soon, the judge calls for the jurors to go to their private room and make their judgement. Clarissa slowly helps me to my feet and takes me out of the room as everyone is dismissed until a decision has been made. I don't notice where we are until My feet touch grass. Did someone take off my shoes?

     She needs to ground herself of she will pass out.

     I feel the grass tickle my ankles and something wet touching my face. A towel maybe?

     If she doesn't come to soon we may need to take her home.

     She can't go home now! Belle has just dealt with so much, she deserves to hear this verdict first hand!

     Oh, and how will she hear it if we can't even get her to come back to us right now?

     Voices slowly start to fade back into my reality and I look toward the one I have come to love the most, Fin.

     His eyes show frustration while his hands pull at his beautiful hair. He shouts at Clarissa while Luca and Nathan try to calm him down. I look in front of me to see Jesse, Kylie, and Tom trying to get my attention. Tom is rubbing a wet paper towel over my forehead while Jesse is rubbing my back. Kylie is right in front of me speaking in a calm tone that would be recognizable as one a mother would use to her infant child.

     Kylie smiles at me, "Hey kiddo. Can you speak for me?"

     I stare straight at her and take a gulp of air but nothing comes out. She rubs my arm reassuringly, "It's okay kiddo. You are in shock. You had to relive a lot today. Everything is going to be okay but I need you to take a deep breath and tell me what you are feeling right now. Anything, it doesn't need to be emotional feeling it could be physical."

     I nod my head and close my eyes for a brief second, "I fe-feel wet."

     Tom speaks gently, "That's me. I'm rubbing your head with a wet rag. You were sweating really bad so I got something to try and cool you down."

     I thank him before Kylie slowly helps me to law down in the grass. She talks to me until I am fully alert again but once I am alert I feel the exhaustion hit me like a train. Kylie pulls me into her arms and tells me to close my eyes. 

     I do as she says and then she continues, "When the jurors have made a decision I will wake you up. Don't worry about anything else right now. Just keep your eyes closed and try to let your body relax. You are so so strong Belle."

     Before I could even think of arguing, my body follows her instructions as my muscles relax and my mind starts to drift. The only thing I could focus on was the slow, calming breathing coming from Kylie as her chest rose and fell against my back. I snuggle closer to her for comfort before drifting into peaceful silence.