Generation 2

4

We got out of the limo and went into the courtroom. Penny and I stood there nervously and she was fidgeting while the man spoke. My name got called and with my mouth dry I walked up the stairs and stood opposite a woman who I guessed to be Mrs. Lane. "This woman is trying to take our homes from us for no reason! She works as a team with some people to buy our country and when that doesn't work you instead steal our homes!" My voice was loud and it rang out through the silence of the hall. Mrs. Lane appeared calm but I knew better. Or so I thought.

"Well actually you will find you are quite wrong. I do not wish to steal your homes. You basically donated them the moment you didn't pay the bills. You formed an alliance with a rich girl and now you attempt to publicly shame me and to BREAK THE LAW!" Her voice boomed off the hard walls. Penny suddenly stood up and yelled. "WE HAD NO REASON TO PAY THE BILLS! WE DID NOTHING BUT EXIST AND YOUR PEOPLE DECIDE TO COME WALTZ DOWN AND RUIN OUR LIVES!" I hadn't heard Penny yell before but this was bad.

Penny was furious. You could tell. She glared and yelled and argued right up to when Mrs. Lane said something curious. "May I bring in the witness?" The judge nodded and she opened the door to... John. He was standing at the door looking proud. But then I noticed his suit and tie. His family had always been poor. Hadn't it?

He walked calmly into the room and said. "I suggest you detain her." He flicked a hand at me without glancing my way. "John! Thank goodness! Please my love! Help!" He rolled his eyes and finally looked at me. "You think that was real? It was a skit. Duh. No one could like you." He stood at the podium. I sat frozen. What was going ON? Then he started.

"I had to go out with this girl. So I could get proof. Elizabeth here has been planning against the government. She has been part of a business that is created to stop others from owning the country because she is greedy. She has planned to get out of the law by coming to court." He smiled, "She has failed. It is law to pay your bills. No one did. She goes to jail for attempting to sabotage and for planning against the government."

My lips parted in outrage and fear. I saw people nodding. "NO! Please no! Penny! Mum! Jaylee! HELP!" Two men came up and grabbed me and I noticed two others did the same with Penny. "NO!" I was crying hysterically and I couldn't see from the tears clouding my vision. Jail? Me? No! I fought the men as hard as I could and punched one in the jaw which just caused them to seize my hands.

I suddenly noticed a high pitched noise. It was Penny and she was screaming. Sometimes she got headaches but this time she was on her knees with her head in her hand, screaming. The men tried to grab her but she screamed louder. I realized it wasn't a headache. It was a trick. I acted like I had collapsed in pain and started to scream holding my head too. I rocked back and forwards and screamed until my lungs and mouth ached.

Still I cried. The men didn't know what to do. The corridor was echoing a horrific bloodcurdling scream. I started to writhe on the floor and I saw that Penny was as well. I saw John yelling something at the men and the men started towards us. I screamed even more high pitched. The men backed away holding their ears. John came up and seized the back of my neck. He dragged me to my feet only to have them "give way" I was screaming so hard and high I thought my lungs were going to pop.

John dragged me along the hard stone corridor and down a flight of stairs. By that time I was about to blackout. I screamed so hard that my vision faded to nothing but a tiny dot. The last thing I saw was John holding his ears and diving away from me.