ALONE #Wattys2015 COMPLETED

CHAPTER 7 // ZOE

"It is now time for time for case 3 of today; it is the 1st of December 2014. Zoe Parker and Scott Quent please rise." The judge says. Scott and I stand up. "Send in Mrs Parker and Alex Wong." My mother and Alex walk in with a lawyer, they sit opposite us. State your argument," he says to Scott.
"Zoe Parker has been abused by her own alcoholic mother for the past 12 years, we even have the pictures to prove it. Zoe does nothing wrong at all, but yet her mother still continues to abuse her. Both verbally and physically. Mrs Parker sleeps around with men for money, and when her daughter comes home to find them, she gets the man to abuse Zoe also." Scott sits down and I copy.
"Mrs Parker, state your argument," the judge says. My mother and her lawyer stand up.
"Mrs Parker does not abuse Zoe. Zoe just does not like her mother. Do you even have any evidence to prove that Mrs Parker abuses Zoe. It is probably the other way around. Mrs Parker is innocent. Alex is also innocent, as he did nothing wrong and is just Mrs Parker's boyfriend," my mothers lawyer says. All of this is lies. Lies, lies, lies. I wonder how much my mother paid him to do this, I wouldn't be surprised it she was sleeping with him as well! Scott stands up and places a tape in the recorder up the front, he turns the projector on and images of my body go onto the screen.
"These pictures were taken recently of Zoe's body, where her mother has abused her. There are cuts under both her eyes. These are from alcohol bottles. There are bruises on both her arms, legs and stomach. This is a video recording of what happened 2 nights ago, when Alex was also present. He was under the influence of alcohol, you can tell by his slurred tone. Mrs Parker however, was not. She just wanted to abuse Zoe. Watch the video and you will see for yourself," Scott presses play and sits down. The video plays out, me coming home. Getting hit by my mother, then by Alex. Hitting them both to defend myself. My mother trying to grab the necklace off of me, getting hit in the face with a wine bottle, running upstairs and into my room. The video ends and everybody looks at my mother, she looks extremely angry, her nose is flaring up. The lawyer whispers something into her ear and she calms down.
"How did you get that evidence?" her lawyer asks.
"When Zoe told Jonny and I what happened, we went straight to the police station. We decided to put a necklace around her so she could record what her mother does to her, this would then be taken to court so we could use it against her mother so the abuse would stop." Scott explains. The judge writes this down and looks firmly at my mother.
"We will now hear what my Mrs Parker has to say," he says, everyone turns to look at my mother. She stands up and gives me the death stare.
"It all started in 1997 when Zoe was born. She was the most beautiful child ever. My husband, Mr Parker left us in 2002; we were left with no money. It was extremely hard to get a job so I did the only thing I could. Sleep around with men. I was depressed and angry. Why had this happened to me? I never knew. I had so much anger boiling up inside me so I tried to drink it out. This only made it worse. Zoe wouldn't do anything to help, she would laugh at me and play jokes on me. So I did the only thing I could. I hit her, Zoe would hit back and laugh again, this got me more angry," she explains. All of this is true except for the part where I laughed at her. I never laughed at her, I used to adore my mother, all until she became an alcoholic.
"Zoe Parker, please stand and state your argument," the judge says. I take a deep breath and stand up, all eyes on me, my heart beating 1000 kilometres an hour.
"What most of my mother said was true. Yes, my father let us, I was only 5 and I didn't understand at all. I used to look up to my mother, she was the most beautiful woman ever. All until she started drinking, she became an alcoholic and then she would sleep around with guys. For some reason she started hitting me, I tried to help her but nothing worked. She would just keep hitting me, so I decided I had enough, I was going to leave next year once I turned 18. But Scott and Jonny said to end it now, rather than wait a whole year. I thought about it, how she would be, but the law deserved to serve her justice, so we took the case to court," I say, the judge writes down something and then turns to my mother and I.
"The jury is now to write down their opinion, if Mrs Parker is guilty or not." The judge says, the people of the jury write down if my mother is guilty or not. They then place the papers in a box. My heart beats even faster. A lady with black hair walks up to the box and takes out the paper. She sets out two piles and writes on a piece of paper, but nobody sees what she is writing. She then takes the paper up to the judge and he reads it.
"Mrs Parker, you are found guilty of child abuse to Zoe Parker. You are set to 3 years in prison." The judge says, my mother screams and starts swearing.
"YOU WON'T GET AWAY WITH THIS! I WILL GET YOU ZOE! I WILL FIND YOU!" she screams, two police officers carry her out of the room.
"As for you Alex Wong, you are sentence to 6 months of prison," the judge says. Alex doesn't make a sound, he just walks next to two police officers and they leave the room.
I turn to Jonny and hug him.
I am free.
That old witch is gone.
I am free. 

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A/N: Sorry this chapter was really short guys, I was really busy today but I'll try update soon!

xx Gabby (: