A Thousand Years- Thorki

Chapter 35

The next day, we walk into the courtroom and get an earful of testimonies from the next door neighbor. Three people testified that day. Fury, Misses Nebula, and Mister Durmamoo.

Fury testifies against them. The neighbors essentially just said people were constantly in and out of the apartment, and they never saw the kids, besides on their way to school and on the way home.

The next day is much of the same. Pointless testimonies and clouds of smoke from the defense.

That night, Thor had to leave for the final game. I sit across from Natasha as I take a sip of wine "Are you ready for tomorrow?"

I furrow my brow and ask "If I'm not?"

She gives a confused look and asks "Are you nervous?"

I take in a deep breath "I'm scared they'll get to me. I'm scared I'll dirty my reputation. I'm scared nobody will look at me the same."

She pats my leg and asks "Don't be scared. I'll be there for you. Just look at me, if you need to ground yourself."

I nod, before taking a sip of wine "I think Thor is going to propose."

Her eyes bulge and she asks "How do you know?"

I sit my wine glass down and sigh "There was a ring box in his drawer, now it's gone."

She smiles at me and asks "At the game? Are you happy?"

I smile with a weak nod and we slip into silence.

~

The next day, I take the stand. I'm the last one to testify. If all goes well, we'll get a verdict tomorrow.

As I take the stand, the prosecutor steps forward and asks "Mister Laufeyson, how long were you in the care of the defendant?"

I set my jaw and declare "Ten years. Between the ages of four and fourteen."

He nods, before asking "How long were they abusing you?"

I look down and state "Ten years."

He gives a tired smile and asks "Are you aware that you're the victim they kept the longest?"

I nod, before declaring "Yeah."

He furrows his brow and asks "Can you tell us more about your abuse?"

I take a deep breath, before explaining "It started off as fondling. He used a wooden spoon."

"He being the defendant?"

I sigh "Yeah." I look down and continue "Then, he started raping me, and hosting poker nights. The winner would have their way with me. I wasn't allowed to wear clothing, and they fed me-"

I fall silent and he takes a moment, before softening his tone "What did they feed you?"

I furrow my brow and speak lowly "The fed me dog food, out of a dog bowl."

The courtroom is deafening quiet, as I continue "They started allowing people over. Pimped me out. Let them do horrible things."

He points to Other and asks "What did the wife do?"

I scoff and declare "She physically abused me. Carved the word whore into my chest. She would cut me with a cheese grater and burned me with her cigarettes."

Ronan looks at me and asks "Why didn't you report it, before?"

I set my jaw and declare "I did. I screamed it until I was blue in the face. Nobody believed the half-way house kid."

He nods, before stepping back and declaring "The prosecution rests."

The defense stands and steps towards me. He smirks at me, before asking "You bought the flat across from theirs. Why would you do that, if they hurt you so badly?"

I take in a deep breath and declare "I wanted to make sure they didn't hurt another kid."

He nods, before asking "It didn't work, though, did it?"

I furrow my brow and declare "They didn't take another victim for fifteen years. I would say it was successful."

He furrows his brow and remark "And the most recent victim."

I take in a deep breath and sigh "Life got busy. I began to move on from my trauma. My boyfriend and I moved in together. We plan on starting a family, soon."

He gives a short nod, before plopping a stack of photos down "What are in these photos?"

I glance down at myself to find a photo of me eating dog food. My stomach churns. I place a hand on my stomach and declare "My abuse."

He takes a minute, before asking "Are you sure?"

I nod, as nausea pangs over me. He furrows his brows and asks "You didn't even look at all of them. How could you be sure?"

I hold up my finger to silence him as I reach forward and grab the trash can. As I vomit into it, he steps back and asks "Knowing, what they could do, you left your post and let them take another kid?"

I look up to him with a death glare, vomit still in dripping from my mouth. I sit it into the trash bin and sit it down, before declaring "I did what I could."

He nods, before stating"In a way, you're guilty. You let them take another kid."

Tears come to my eyes as I ask "Do you really think I would want another kid to go through that? Do you have any idea how it has impacted my life? My trust?"

He scoffs and I cut him off "This first time I had an actual hug from someone, I turned around and tried to kill myself. I still don't sleep at night. I can still feel them inside of me. I can still-"

Tears stream down my face and I stand to scream "I can still feel them fisting me, and raping me! I remember the orgies, and the times they wrapped their hands around my throat, or when Thanos threw me into a wall, for crying!"

I close my eyes and scream "I can still taste the dog food!"

I furrow my brow and hiss " And despite all of it, I pulled myself up, kicking and clawing. I made myself who I am today. And as far as I'm concerned, you can go to hell!"

I huff in hatred as I sit back down. Both Natasha and Mobius stare in shock of my outburst.

The defense takes a moment, before stepping towards his table "The defense rests."

~

After recess, I walk back into the courtroom to find it empty, besides Mobius.

He looks to me and sighs "You did great, Loki."

I look to him and he sighs "They took a deal."

I furrow my brow and ask "What?"

He sets his jaw and declares "They check into federal next Monday. 24 hour surveillance until them."

I set my jaw and he declares "30 years in exchange for the addresses of everyone they did business with."

I scoff and stand up "That's fucking bullshit."

He nods, before sighing "You knew Ronan was going to take the easy way out."

I stand there for a moment, before he hands over a file "They're relinquishing all of their money to the kids they hurt. Split, evenly, between you, on the event the others step forward. You get your cut on Monday."

I nod, before walking out. He calls after me "Where are you going?"

I take a minute, before declaring "I've got a life to get back to."