Innocent

Chapter 4: The Judgement

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

~Frederich Nietzsche

        The darkness consumed me as I tossed in my cell, restless, as I listened to the silence of the police station. The light bulb above me, flickered on and off, and became my night light. Keeping the monsters at bay, letting me reign in my thoughts. This could be my life for the next twenty years, I thought dejectedly. My life would be in a cage, where I would be a caged bird with clipped wings. I would be surrounded with others unlike me, with people who had committed their crimes, or I assume most of them had. Technically, I would have everything, a daily meal, a place to sleep, and schooling. The things that I would be lacking, I suppose are considered luxuries in prison. I would have no freedom, and I would be confined to the four walls of a maxium security prison, with no chance of escape. According to Thomas, I couldn't go to juvie, because murder was a too serious offense. Why me? That question that nagged at me, persistent and never leaving me. The judge had a point, why would a murderer take someone he didn't know out of school, so the child could witness a murder, it didn't make sense. Then again, nothing did today. My mind wandered to my parents, the topic was raw in my head.

My six year old self, giggled as I walked holding Joey, my older brother's hand. My parents were behind us with Amari who was Joey's twin brother. I tugged on Joey's hand begging him for a piggy back ride. "Please Joey!" I pouted as I continued to tug on his hand. He rolled his eyes but smiled as he lifted me up on his shoulders and he started to run down the streets, and I continued to laugh as he went faster. He smiled, his fifteen year old self, suddenly looked sad as he looked at the clock. "Izzy, I need you to forgive me." I was confused, and cocked my head at Joey. "Why would I need to forgive you, Jojo?" Joey smiled sadly at me, and was silent. He started to run, I was on his back, as he zoomed through the crowds and the alleys. "Your going to fast!" I yelled as I held on, struggling not to fall. "Joey stop!" I demanded, we were going to fast, I was going to fall. "Stop! Stop! Stop!" I demanded, tears flooded my eyes, I didn't want this. I was going to fall. Joey headed towards a river, he wasn't stopping, he was heading straight towards it. The river was downhill, and the land that surrounded it was filled with thorny roses. "Joey stop!" I yelled. He continued running as he headed towards the hill, he hesitated slightly as he heard our parents yell after us. But instead of stopping, he did something entirely different. He jumped off the hill, and was silent as we tumbled into the thorns and rolled downhill. I screamed as the rose thorns, pierced my skin, digging into me. I was in pain, and I was not stopping, I continued to roll and the thorns digged deeper into my skin. I grabbed onto one of bushes, and let the thorns digger into my hands. My hand became raw, blood became to flow out of my hand, and I could feel myself losing conscious. I turned my head to see, Joey rolling into the water. I watched, waiting for Joey to rise from the water, but it never happened.

I woke up, panting.

        Forget about Joey. Forget about Joey. It's okay, I told myself, you're safe. But the truth was, I was never safe. The memory of my beloved brother loomed over me, a memory that was a ghost that would never stop haunting me. I heard the clink of the bells, and heard Thomas whistling, and I knew the sun had rose again. The darkness had no power over me now. Thomas held up a box filled with donuts and I smiled at him. "So cops really do like donuts, huh?" Thomas grinned at me, and nodded. Through the bars, he handed me a glazed donut, and watched slightly amazed as I dug in, like a starving man who had just been given a feast. "You sure are hungry aren't you?" I nodded my head as I smirked at the fact that he hadn't even taken a bite yet. "I'm done." I said, and Thomas sighed slightly, "Well, then I guess we better get going because the jury has made their decision, and let's hope we like it." I nodded, and headed for the car, with Thomas in front of me, he put the cuffs on me, and I stepped in the police car. The drive was full of jokes, and both of us avoiding the subject of prison.

"So what made you become a cop?" I asked him.

        He grinned at me through the mirror, "Well my father was a cop. He died loving his job, so I said why not? I just graduate and I have been on the force for two months now, and I was loving it, until..." He stopped, looking at me. He meant me. I laughed humorlessly, "Yeah, I suppose watching an innocent go to jail isn't exactly fun." He sighed, "You don't know that. The judge could say you're innocent, because you are. I feel helpless, Izzy. I have no influence, and no power to help you. But, I promise I will work my way up, and I will help you if the jury condemns you guilty." He paused, and pulled over and hesitated, "Izzy, before my father was killed, he was investigating dirty cops and FBI agents. I think he got too close, and that's what got him killed. That's why I became a cop, to bring justice to those who deserve it. You don't deserve this." Out of his pocket he pulled out four things, a needle filled with fluid, a diamond ring, a key and an key-card. He handed me the small key and a chain, he tied the key and chain around my neck. "The key is a key to any cell, use it only in complete and total emergencies and don't use it to escape unless you know what your doing." I touched the key on my neck, letting the cool metal send shivers up my spine. This key was my escape. My chance of freedom, but I had to ask at what price did that freedom come?
Next he grabbed the needle. "Inside this needle is a microchip, used for communicating. So it's like a cellphone except you can't text. I am going to inject it in your arm." I nodded and held out my wrist, because I trusted Thomas completely. He injected the microchip, and I could feel the raw burning sensation as I gasped in pain. "I know it hurts, Izzy. Shhh..." Thomas comforted me, and suddenly the sensation stopped and I was okay again. "How do I contact you?" I questioned, as I held my sore arm. Thomas handed me the ring. "You will flip the pearl open and press the red button." He demonstrated by easily flipping the pearl, and pressing the small red button. Instantly Thomas's arm began to make a buzzing sound, and he answered it by flipping the latch on the class ring he was wearing. He spoke into the ring, and whispered, "Can you hear me?"

        The audio came in my arm, loud and clear. I was shocked, "How?" Thomas smiled at me, offering only. "My father invented it." I was shocked. "Hang up, press the red button." I did so, and the call hung up. "Okay if you twist the pearl to the left, a laser will shoot out. Be careful because the laser is pretty dangerous and can go through the strongest steel, with ease." I admired the pearl ring. Thomas fired the police car up again and continued to drive at a fast speed. "Aren't you going past the speed limit?" I said curiously at Thomas.
"Yes I don't want us to be late for the judge. They might get suspicious." He answered as he pressed harder on the pedal.
"What if a cop comes and gives us a ticket? You could get arrested." I said innocently. Thomas gave me a dirty look at my joke. "Please don't start with the cop jokes, my wife gives them to me all the time." I smiled at him. "Okay. I guess I have the right to remain silent." Thomas grunted and rolled his eyes at me.
After about ten minutes of extreme speeding, we were at the court house.
"Just in time. Izzy, no matter what happens in that courthouse, I am going to be there for you." Thomas said, just before we exited the car. The reporters and paparazzi, chased after me as police struggled to hold them off. A reporter yelled out to me, "Isabelle what do you hope the verdict is going to be?" I stopped and turned to face the reporter, I gave her a dirty look. I continued to walk, and I gladly took a seat. I noticed the all the people in the crowd, like my parents and my friends. I locked eyes with Storm, and watched as she stared back at me. A single tear slid down her face, and she turned away from me.

  I felt the bitter sting of betrayal slide down my throat and stab my heart, but I ignored it as I waited for the judge to announce her decision. The judge entered the room, all eyes on her. "Please rise." She motioned to me, and I stood, waiting for my judgment."The Court of California finds you guilty of the murder of Senator Jake Kennish. You have been sentenced to twenty years in a maximum security prison." I cried out as the police came to drag me away. "No I'm innocent!" I screamed out as I struggled against the police. "I'm innocent!" I screamed as I kicked the police away, wrestling against them. "I'm innocent! Please!" I begged as I started crying. "Don't take me away! Please! I'm innocent!" I yelped, as the police started to drag me out the door. "No! No! No! Stop!" I begged, crying, and screaming, but they gave my soul no tormented release. I collapsed to the floor, exhausted by my efforts, I held out my hands. I looked up at the police officiers and in a soft whisper I said my last words, "Please don't do this." They were my last words, my last hope. The officiers were silent as they cuffed me and dragged me away. I sobbed silently as the officers took me to the last place I ever thought I'd end up. Prison.