empire ;; phan

chapt. twenty

the moon.

dan trudges out into the cold courtroom, cuffs on his wrists, orange jumpsuit hanging off his frame. the three days dan spent in a temporary holding cell were hell;

"get me out!" dan begs, ripping his hair out in chunks. he rolls around on the cement floor in a sweat, screaming. his body aches. he scratches at his arms until the bleed. he cries, trying to tear out his eyes with his blood caked nails.

"what the hell is wrong with him?" an officer questions.

the correctional officer on guard shakes his head. "fucking junkie is going through withdrawal."

dan knows there's no way he'll win. there's way too much evidence against him. but still, dan sits and gives phil a hopeful smile. phil looks so innocent and excited, so full of hope. he thinks dan isn't guilty. phil has already suggested rehab as an option. but everybody here knows it's not the drugs putting him away.

chris and annette are next to phil in the audience as witnesses. dan thinks chris should be on the opposing team. he obviously despises dan for the danger and suffering dan has put phil through. but chris won't ever say it.

the case drags on and they know it's over. dans lawyer is terrible and his arguments will never win over the court- dan's just a fucking whore who murdered seven people and thought he was invincible. annette stares at dan sadly. but phil still smiles, refusing to believe it's over until it's said. dan will never forget the drop of his smile when the judge says;

"daniel howell, you are sentenced to life without parole. case closed."