Wherever You Are

Twenty Nine: The Ending, or Beginning, Of Everything

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The court room was full of every possible scientist and citizen it could handle. The loud noise of chattering hurt my ears and I wanted to cover them, but the handcuffs around my wrists stopped me from trying. I stood in solitude in front of a long, empty table with three seats placed beside one another. I had no one on my side, no one to look to for support, or go to for directions on what to do next. I was utterly alone.

Looking around the room, eyes turned to me like I was some villain which was ready to attack at any moment. Guards were placed at all exits, guns loaded and eyes not losing contact with me one bit.

"Attention, silence please," I heard someone shout over the noise, before a young woman and two older men entered to take a seat at the table before me. The woman was no older than her forties, with short cut brown hair and a creased face that I could tell had concentrated much in the past. The two older men looked about the same with receding white hair, and crinkling and aging faces. But it didn't matter what they looked like, for they were the head scientists and nothing mattered except for what they thought.

"The court session will now precede," the same man said again, as all three at the table raised their right hand and spoke an oath that I had no clue even existed. I couldn't catch all of it, as some was in another language, but I caught the gist about how they must remain truthful and non-bias in their decisions made. Surprisingly, I wasn't made to do the same oath, or any oath at all like if I was above ground and on trial. Instead, they merely proceeded by hearing Greyson's take and the vitals that were brought in after further investigation.

Standing as I watched Greyson talk, I couldn't help but zone out at the words he spoke. Everything blurred together like I was going through an echoing, dulling tunnel of darkness. I didn't feel ill, but I definitely didn't feel right. Was I nervous? Scared? I didn't know, but I did know I wanted Jack and I wanted to get out of the situation as soon as I could.

"Could Jack Nethers come to the front please?" the voice echoed throughout my head, my blurred vision becoming perfectly clear as Jack came into the picture. Turning, I watched as the back door was opened and Jack, being held back by two guards, was pushed down the aisle to me.

"Jack!" I screeched, trying to run up to him, but immediately hearing the guns of the other guards come out. Stopping in my tracks, I knew if I made another move they most likely would shoot and I didn't want that outcome at all.

"Charlotte, I'm so sorry, I'm here now," he told, as the Guards pushed him up to me to stand by my side. His hands were cuffed as well, but as he stood beside me, his hand and mine touched ever so slightly and I knew I wasn't alone.

"Dr. Nethers, please explain the situation to us in your own words. From the very beginning," the head woman asked, leaning forward in her chair as she seemed curious to hear our side of the story.

Taking a breath, I didn't think Jack was nervous at all, but right before he spoke I could tell he surely wasn't calm. "Charlotte and I met when we were just teenagers. She lived in the house next to mine and we would spend all day together. As we got older, we knew we loved each other and we moved in together and started our lives like any other couple would. I hadn't proposed to her, but believe me it was in the works,"

"However, I got the notice of my duty down here as a scientist right as our lives were taking off together. I had to leave Charlotte unexpectedly that night, never to see her again for 15 years. She moved to another state, married unhappily, but got the job of her dreams. I thought everything would be okay again for her, but it wasn't and it definitely wasn't for me either," he said, looking over to me in a gentle, calming manner.