Wrongful Conviction

The Beginning of The End

For hours, they drive, smiling and laughing about good times and old times, listening to each other yammer on about how much he hated school, and how they had made a pact to marry each other one day. Just as they pull into his mama's, a police officer pulls into the driveway and steps out of his car to approach her own car. Signaling for him to roll down his window, he gives Peter a scowl.

"Young man, step out of that vehicle." He calls, and Peter is quick to obey, patting her thigh gently before stepping out. Her heart begins to pound so hard she can't breathe, and she gets out with her hands up. "Young man, you violated parole earlier by leaving Waimanalo, you know that?" He asks as he approaches Peter, very calm and cool. He was an older man hair cropped short and eyes steel grey.

"This must be some kind of mistake." She snaps, stepping in front of Peter with panic in her voice and her arms quaking in grotesque fear. Her hands clammy as she squeezes them together so hard her knuckles turn snow white and lose feeling. She could feel every heart beat that pangs through her body. She could hear every 'gud gud' that her heart made. Gently, he put his hands on her shoulders and breathes deeply. He could hear his own heart start to thunder, he knew what was leading up to this, and he could feel the dread weighing on him like an anchor drenched in salt water and tied to his waist. He presses a gentle kiss to the back of her head as a tear threatens to fall, and ever-so-gingerly slips a strand of perfect curl behind her ear.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. Don't worry. I got this." He whispers, gingerly pulling her aside to keep her from harm's way. He holds her hand in his own huge paw, and presses his lips tenderly to her soft knuckles; his mustache tickling her skin. "I got this all. Don't you worry your beautiful self one little bit, okay sweetheart?" He murmurs, tipping her chin up and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"You just violated parole, right? That's all?" She asks, her eyes begging him to agree.

"Pretty girl, can you go inside? I'm just gonna chat with them really quick, okay?" He gives her a gentle smile and a sweet chuckle. "Go on inside. This'll only be a minute. The boys are headed out here now." He gives her a sweet laugh, letting the boys start to lead her inside. The sun was setting, all rich, vibrant colors cascading over the tall grass and twinkling in his eyes. "I love you. You stay inside, whatever happens," his eyes fall onto his brothers', "you

keep her inside. Whatever you see you keep her inside." He murmurs and he heart begins to flutter with anxious panic.

"Petey?" She asks, turning around to face him. The panic in her eyes and her slightly parted, cherry red lips started to break his heart. He could feel the pain blossoming in his chest at the broken look on her face. He kept hurting her. He kept breaking her heart, and kept destroying her.

"It's all good pretty girl. Go change, I know how much you hate dresses." He laughs, letting them pull her up onto the porch. He turns to face the cops and put his hands behind his back.

"Peter Mahuna, you are under arrest for the murder of Thomas Stanton, you have the right to remain silent." She gives this shrill cry, and the boys grip her arms as she thrashes painfully against the strength of the two men.

"No! Please! He didn't do anything!" Her cries echo through the air as tears rain down her face. Peter looks back at her as he's walked towards the cruiser, and just like three years ago she writhes back and forth like a caged shark, anger and tears all mixed together into a wet sheen over her face, mouth torn wide as she screams, eyes the size of saucers and bright red from all the anger. Her heart couldn't seem to keep up with her, but she breaks free of her captors and sprints towards Peter.

"Don't take him!" She bawls as she collapses against him, arms wrapped as tightly around him as she can muster. "You don't have to go, Petey. Tell them you didn't do it! Tell them you were with me! Tell them!" Silence ensues, and she stares in horror at him. His big amber eyes were now shiny and full of unshed tears, as it tore him apart to be ripped away from her so quickly. Not even a full day with her, after so many horrible days, after being separated by glass for over a year, and now they would be separated by that same glass again for the rest of their lives.

"Petey, please tell them." She begs with her whole heart, staring so intently at him.

"Into the car, Mahuna." The cop jams Petey into the car. Grabbing him in a final hug, he kisses her cheek before letting her get pulled away from him by his brothers. He shouts to them.

"Hey! You take care of her!" As the car door shuts and they drive away, she watches with a broken heart and one final shriek before it's out of sight. He's strong enough to hold himself until they're out of sight, but once he can't see them anymore his heart shatters. "You guys, that's my girl. My best friend. You could have waited. You didn't have to take me that way, breaking her down like that. She's been to visit me every month since I was arrested for that robbery. And I admitted to that, I know I did something wrong. I get that, I changed. But you had to destroy her like that." He murmurs, and at a red light the cop looks at him with a single tear rolling down his cheek and he nods to him. Tears fall down his face as he cries. Peter hadn't cried in so long, and it hurt him to cry so hard. He closes his eyes to take a breath only for his mind to be filled with her shrieks and see that look ingrained into his mind. Just like staring at the sun for a second too long, he blinks to get rid of it, but no matter how many times he blinks, her face contorted in pain and broken-heartedness, his mind is filled with her screams and he can hear her begging him to give them anything to prove he didn't do it.

"We need to bring in a witness. I have a girl who says she was with him that night. Says she can prove he didn't do it." He murmurs to his Chief as they bring him into the station.

"No! You leave her out of this!" He growls as he's put into detaining.