The Stolen Brothers

Chapter 6: Court Hearing

Eli's Pov

I didn't think the court hearing day would come so soon. I had to get to do some testimony against my step dad and to say I am terrified is an understatement.

I watched as trees and cars passed by as my actual dad drove me to court. Luckily he is gonna be in there with me while I sit by the judge and talk about stuff that happened before my dad was arrested.

I shuddered. I don't want to think about all the bad shit that happened to me before I got to my real home. I want to forget not to remember.

My dad then parked the car. I looked out the window and saw a huge white building that had white stairs in front of it. There were six pillars holding up the ceiling.

I fixed my tie then walked out of the car. We entered the building and went through the metal detectors. We walked into a huge room where I saw the judge and Carol, my attorney. And there was my...

"I'm gonna be sitting over here okay bud." My dad told me, I nodded then slowly walked over to the stand I was supposed to be in. Carol walked over to me with a bible in her hand.

"Do you, Eli Johnson solemnly swear that you won't say anything but the truth?" She asked me, and I nodded. "I do." I told her, and she placed my hand on the bible.

"Sir please state your name." Judge Emily told me, and I moved closer to the microphone. "Eli James Johnson." I told him.

I looked at the crowd, well more likely at my dad who gave me a reassuring smile. "And you are related to Benjamin Alexander Smith and Nancy Ellen Smith?" She asked me, and I nodded. "He's my step dad and Nancy is my mom." I answered, and she nodded.

"What's your birth date?" She asked. "March 15, 2010." I told her, and I watched as some people wrote stuff down.

"If you look to your right there are various photographs of homes you used to live in." A woman told me, and I looked to my right and saw pictures of houses.

"Do you remember the Dove Passage home in which you were pictured on a couch?" She asked me, and I shook my head. "No I don't." I answered truthfully.

"What about the second picture when you lived in tower lane Michigan?" She asked, and I shook my head. "I don't remember." I told her.

"Can you remember when you lived in Boise Idaho?" She asked me, and I nodded. "Yes."

"And what do you remember from that point in time? Do you remember your step father?"

"Yes." I nodded, and looked at the familiar photo of a house I used to live in.

"What do you remember about your step dad in that period of time?"

"Um, I remember lots of things."

"Do you have particularly good memories of your step dad at that point in time?" She asked me, and I nodded.

"Yes."

"Could you tell us one?"

"I remember we had a pool and me and my step dad would go swimming and have some fun and play games like marco polo."

"And what about your mother do you have any good memories of her?"

"Yes I remember when she used to read me and my little brothers a story before bed and she would sometimes surprise us with gifts when she got off from work."

"Did you love your mother?" She asked me, and I hesitated for a second then responded. "Yes."

"And on August 23 2024 did you tell the police to help you?"