Charles was transported to death row in Arkansas. He was awaiting his death, which was three weeks from when he wrote the letter. The reason he wasn’t fighting for himself? There was no point. Why would they listen to him, a convicted man? And even if they did believe him, would they set him free or just accept the thousands of dollars offered from the mayor of San Francisco? “The government is corrupt here” wrote Charles. He said he might as well accept his fate, not dwell on it or feel sorry for himself. It will be over soon, he wrote, and even if he did get out how could he resume normal life without his family?
Zoe felt sick after reading this letter. In a moment of desperation she spilled everything to her parents who were enjoying a nice cup of tea while watching TV with their feet up. They were shocked at Zoe’s revelation, proud of her for listening to them but angry with her for trying something so stupid. They worked together to find a solution. What could they do? They were all the way on the other side of the world. Zoe realized that Charles had said he would be executed three weeks from when he wrote the letter, which meant it would be less now. Much less. Just as Zoe realized this, a headline appeared on the news: “Murderer Charles West executed in Arkansas today.”
Zoe’s heart sank. For the first time in a long time, she began to cry. She had somehow felt connected to this man, learned his story. There was something about him that made her know for sure he wasn’t a murderer. She looked through the poems he sent her, ones that weren’t on the internet, and his pictures. Then she saw a small piece of paper that had escaped her notice before: it read “Thank you”.
YOU ARE READING
Nothing But The Truth
Teen FictionZoe finds herself solving a mystery with the help of wikipedia and a prisoner on Death Row. Please read and if you want, please feel free to comment!
