The Stolen Brothers

Chapter 9: Confronting Childhood Trauma in Court

Noah's Pov

For some reason now I have to go to court. Eli has already gone now it's my turn. I'm very scared. I don't think I've done anything wrong.

Dad parked in the parking lot and we got out. "Dad, am I in trouble?" I asked him, and he shook his head. "No you're not in trouble, they're just gonna ask you some questions." He told me, I nodded and we entered the courtroom.

I promised the judge that I would say nothing but the truth and sat down in the stand where there was a microphone in front of me.

"What is your full name?" A lady asked me

"Noah Ace Johnson." I told her, and she nodded

"Noah, do you remember the day your step dad got arrested?" She asked me, and I nodded. "Yes ma'am I do."

"What do you believe was the cause of your step dad getting arrested?"

"Um...I think when my step dad told us that he was ready for his fun night and that made Eli scared so he told Walter the police man."

"Now Mr. Johnson, were you ever being touched inappropriately by your stepfather?" She asked me, and I looked down at my shoes and then I looked up after a couple of seconds.

"Yes ma'am."

"And when did that begin, how old were you when it first happened?"

"I was six years old."

She then handed me photographs that I remember seeing when I last visited but I wasn't in a courtroom I was in some other room.

"Now do you remember if the touching happened before or after your sixth birthday?" She asked me, and I began to think.

"It was after."

"Mr. Johnson, do you remember seeing a photograph from this series of your naked body?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you remember that photograph being taken?"

"I remember a lot of photographs being taken but don't remember anything specific."

"You and your parents would take a lot of photographs of you and your brothers, is that right?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Do you remember naked photographs being taken?"

"Yes ma'am."

"And who would take the naked ones Noah?"

"My step dad."

"How many years did he touch you inappropriately?" She asked me, and I began to count with my fingers. Six...seven...eight...nine...ten...eleven...twelve.

"Seven years."

"Were there any inappropriate touching with your father before the police came?"

"Yes ma'am."

"During the seven years of him touching you did it change like he did things differently when touching you than he normally did?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Did you give them names?"

"Yes ma'am."

"What did you call them?"

"Knees, nice sex, rough sex, and then just sex I hated the rough sex it always hurt."

"Where did this mostly take place in which part of the house or place did he do it to you?"

"My bedroom."

"Have you ever told your brothers about your step dad touching you?"

"No, they already knew."