𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐝𝐚𝐲 (𝚂𝚊𝚕 𝙵𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚛)

Ramifications of Attempted Justice {Thirty-Seven}

"Now I don't know what to do
I don't know what to do
When she makes me sad..."

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I feel like I'm living in a nightmare as the group of us walk into Nockfell's police station.

My feet feel light, like I'm simply floating through air and watching as my life speeds by. Police officers seem to turn to us in slow motion when we walk in-- each of them taking on a different expression once they lay their eyes on Henry. His hair is such an unnatural color, anyone would realize that he and Sal are related with just one look.

Some of the officers have pitying looks. Some adopt a judgmental expression. Others seem scared.

But one singles us out, moving through a crowd of police that are bunched together and flipping through bags and papers that are scattered all over a table behind the front desk.

The man who I can now see is the sheriff finally reaches us and inclines his head toward Henry. "Mr. Fisher?" He breathlessly asks for confirmation.

Henry only nods once, grabbing the sheriff's outstretched hand in a quick shake. He gulps nervously, worried eyes meeting mine and Larry's for a moment before he looks back to the sheriff.

The man, decked out in his gear with a cowboy hat on his head (if not for the situation I would have giggled at that) sighs and places his hands on his hips. "I'm Sheriff Scott. Got your boy in the back. It's, uh, quite a predicament," he says, taking his hat off his head to rake a hand through his stringy and greying hair.

Sheriff Scott glances at the group of us behind Henry, furrowing his brows before he looks back to Henry. "We need to do some questioning, Mr. Fisher. Would you mind coming in the back with us? And are these your son's friends?"

"Sure thing, and yes," Henry simply replies, voice mumbled and soft.

Sheriff Scott nods, rubbing the scruff on his chin. "You'll all have to call your parents and get them down here. We need permission to question you--"

"We're all eighteen or over," I cut in. My parents don't need to be involved yet. I just know that they're going to be crushed. "Can you tell us what's going on?"

"That's confidential for now, ma'am," The sheriff says with pinched lips, his eyes a bit sad. Almost like he feels bad for keeping everything a secret. "And I won't be able to let friends back there. Only family members."

My chest suddenly feels heavy like a boulder has crashed into my soul and stopped my heart. I'm unable to take a breath of air as the weight of Sheriff Scott's words sinks in.

Not being able to see Sal, especially considering our current circumstances, makes me feel like... death.

Cold, empty, lonely. And it's not dark, because that's too kind of a death for anyone, even me. I've sinned often enough, I don't deserve a death that I can't see. No. It's cold, empty, and white like snow. It's an endless void that I stand alone in, only looking out at the vast, never-ending paleness before me.

The feeling claws at me from the inside-- an incessant cry scratching at my lungs and begging to find some way to escape.

But I hold my breath, watching the sheriff as he looks between all of us. It feels like my world has shattered around me for hours when it's clearly only been seconds.

My hands tremble and my eyes well with tears. Can I fight this? Would it be possible for me to bypass the law and get to see Sal? I don't even care if I get locked up in the process. At least I'd be near him, maybe even get to see him often.