Dark and Light: The Island

Chapter Nine

Hi there guys! I'm so sorry for not updating when I've had this written, but I've been super busy with Sixth Form. I've had exams and coursework and generally ZERO TIME to write much other than for my English course, but right now, I'm sitting in English with nothing to do, so I thought I'd post this up. To those of you who have asked about my Dad: he's doing really well, thanks. His cast came off a while ago and although he's in phyisio, he is back in work. He has been banned from any heavy lifting though. Thanks for sticking with me while I've had my break from writing. You will be rewarded!

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Chapter Nine

Location: The City Courtroom

There was another collective gasp which swept around the courtroom like mist.

"Well, the only thing left to figure out is your motives," the lawyer said, recovering quickly. He was good at what he did, but I was planning to undermine every statement he made, ever question he asked, every deduction he came to. Part of it was me wanting to be difficult and prove to the De Morvilles that they couldn't win, but another part of me desperately didn't want to be at the Island for the full sentence which Mr De Morville had asked for.

"Is that a question, Mr Kyle?" the magistrate asked sternly. I hoped that he was taking pity on me, but it could also of been that he was growing tired of waiting for the lawyer to ask me something.

He ignored the magistrate, and turned back to me after sharing a meaningful look with his client. "Madam Hayes, was it your intention to steal Mr De Morville's money in order to scorn him in some way?"

I shook my head frantically, knowing that I would now be lying through my teeth. "No! Of course I wouldn't do that to him and his family, I respect them! It was a moment of madness, Sir, I assure you!" I hoped that I sounded desperate and stricken, making it seem like I was distressed by his inflection.

"Why do you say that it was a moment of madness, Madam Hayes?" Kyle asked, jumping onto my wording immediately, just as I knew he would. Lawyer's minds worked like that. " 'A moment of madness' would mean that it was a spur of the moment action. Did you not prepare for your act? Maybe months in advance?"

"Objection," Andrew Colton said, almost lazilly.

The magistrate looked at Kyle. "Please rephrase your question, Mr Kyle."

He nodded, seemingly not affected at all. "Did you prepare for your act prior to the act?"

I shook my head, making myself shrink into the chair a little for emphasis. Trying to make out like I was scared of him was working, apparently. Some of the jury were looking at me sympathetically. "Not in the way that you just said, Sir. I just... I just grabbed a coat and put the disinfectant in the pocket. I climbed out of my bedroom window and ran to the house. The whole time that I was on my way there, I was telling myself that I didn't have to do this. I didn't have to steal. I didn't have to lower myself to... To that. But I'd run out of all options." I made sure that my voice broke, and I had tears in my eyes; my only goal was to make it seem like I hadn't wanted to do it, that my situation had forced me to. That I was scared and stupid, and that it hurt for me to talk about that night at all.

"How do you mean that you ran out of options, Madam Hayes?" Kyle asked. His eyes had softened at my pitiful state, but his face and tone remained unaffected. Maybe it was from Mr De Morville's direction, he was supposed to stay stoic and intimidating, but I knew that I was affecting him deep down/ He just wasn't allowed to show it.