Beyond the Stars

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Sirens whirred in front of the Gim residence. Nosy neighbors stared through their windows and shook their heads at the young boy who was escorted out of the glass house with black rims and yellow lights. The boy's hands were cuffed with cold silver metal. They were shaking. Blood dripped from his face and hands. His clothes were baggy, they were soaked with a crimson red. He was crying as cops took him to the car.

"I didn't do this. You have to believe me. She's my m-mother." He sobbed quietly before getting through the door.

"Shut up and get in the car." A policeman said to him and shoved him into the car headfirst.

The rude policeman drove away. The boy turned his head around to look at the house one last time. He squinted at the red and blue lights that were blocking his view of the house. Tears fell from his eyes.

"Mom." He called out to her softly.

*****

The young boy sat in the middle of a dim black room. There was only a stainless steel silver table and two chairs. He looked at his hands, they were dried with a brown crust. They were handcuffed onto a metal bar underneath the table that was nailed to the cement floor. He shook his hands and watched the cuffs rattle. The big metal door opened and a woman came to sit across from him. She carried two manila colored folders in her right arm, hugging them near her chest and set them down on the table. She opened the folder on top and skimmed through the first page.

"Gim Hyungsik?"

"Uh- yes ma'am."

Her eyes darted at him when he replied. She cleared her throat as she heard him gulp.

"You are here due to the murder of your mother. I-"

"I did not murder my mother!" Hyungsik stood up from his seat as he slammed his fist onto the table. "I didn't. I- I found her like that. In the room— I found her— just like that."

"Have a seat Mr. Gim so that we may talk more about this."

"There's no need to talk about it. I know that I didn't do it! Why won't anyone believe me!?"

The lady sighed and closed her eyes for a second to gather her thoughts. She took a deep breathe in and looked at him with a sweet smile.

"I'm sorry. Let's start over. I'm Han Yeon Hwa, your lawyer. We talked over the phone not too long ago and I'm here to help you prove your innocence or to minimize your sentence."

"Let's get one thing straight. I did not murder my own mother! I have no reason to."

"Well let's look at the files first and-"

"Quit looking at the files! You're here to defend me! I hired you to defend me! Why are you looking at papers when you should be looking at me and listening to me!?"

Yeon Hwa stuffed the papers back into the folder and folded her hands and looked at Hyungsik. She took a big gasp and sighed.

"Go on. Tell me your side of the story the.."

There was a long moment of silence. She watched Hyungsik tremble as he tried to get the words out of his mouth.

"I was on my way home from another blind date that my mother had set up for me. When I got home I was tired and hungry so I went to go get a snack in the kitchen. Then I went upstairs to the piano room to entertain myself and I—" He stopped.

"You what Mr. Gim?"

He sobbed. His eyes grew red and puffy. His sniffed his nose and wiped his tears.

"I saw her. Lying there. There was a pool of, of her blood. There was blood all over the piano and music sheets, it was everywhere. There was stab wounds all over her body."

Hyungsik cried. He didn't hold back. He buried his face in his hands as he sobbed.

"I'm sorry mom." He said.

"Well in the report there was no evidence of the weapon found at the crime scene. There was no knife. So that's a plus."

Yeon Hwa handed Hyungsik a tissue to wipe his tears.

"Is that all you saw? You didn't see anyone leave or anyone who didn't look familiar in the neighborhood?"

Hyungsik shook his head no and sniffed.

"Can you explain to me why there was blood all over you?"

"I was hugging my mother." He said quietly.

She nodded her head as her eyes doze off to the corner of the room.

"Well you do get to go on trial. But it's in two weeks. So if you remember anything or have something you think is important then let me know. You know my number."

"You're leaving already?"

"Yes. I uh- I'm going to write down my report and probably contact you tomorrow at noon. If not, then call me ok?" She lied to him.

"Oh ok then... will you promise to prove me innocent when we go on trial?" He asked before she took another step out the door.

"Yea... of course."