WILD BUT NEVER FREE

Snitching

Everything in the room turned hazy as my mother's words settled on my psyche.

I hardly recognised the women who was making her way back from the witness stand, a woman who had the nerve to beg for my help and support but had decided to keep a secret from me about the two people I cared most about in the world.

She collapsed into the bench behind me next to my father who held her comfortingly, I couldn't help but glare at my weak mother as rage boiled up inside me.

How the hell had she found out before I had?

My father gave me a look of warning to back off which only made me want to jump the wooden barrier between us and launch my fist into his smug looking face.

I took a deep breath, bought my hand up to my face to hide the obvious distraught look on my face and turned around. I refused to give either of them the satisfaction in my emotion. All they had given me for the past twenty one years of my life was tears, absence and pain and I decided from that moment on, as the lies had all untangled in front of me, neither of them would get anything from me anymore.

Westley was looking at me with a look of enthusiasm on his face. For the first time since we had began this, I didn't trust the man who was standing next to me to fight for Cassi's justice. He obviously knew what my mother would have answered, yet had decided it wasn't worth telling me.

I could feel York's eyes burning into me and in that moment I wanted nothing more than to walk out of that room and just give up. What was the point in fighting? Cassi wasn't coming back, she didn't trust me when she was alive, she could hardly trust me to give her the justice she deserved now.

I looked at the exit behind me, thinking how much media attention it would bring if I just got up and left. What would happen to the trial if Cassi's beloved brother just gave up?

From behind me, I heard the voice of my new ally but the emotions that were dragging me down felt like his voice was emerging from under water. "Your honour if you don't mind, I'd like to bring Cassi's brother to the witness stand, out of everyone here I believe he is certainly one of our most valuable witnesses on this case."

I dragged my hands through my hair, knowing exactly why he was picking on me now and not sticking to the planned order of witnesses. Mr Oaks certainly had a skill in digging deep into people's emotions and he knew that bringing me up there now would mean he would hit a goldmine.

I sighed, deciding in a matter of seconds whether to leave before I had to face the music. Before I could even consciously make the decision, I could hear the clicking of my shoes against the wooden floor as I stepped calmly into the seat and sat down, clasping my hands in front of me as I stared blankly at Westley.

We had practiced my testimony for weeks, but in the moment I forgot all of it, and I didn't care. The power that got me up to this seat that I didn't know I had in me could do the talking. This trial wasn't a show, it wasn't scripted; it was a tonne of harsh realities being thrust at me. It was time for me to dish some back.

"Atlas," Westley smiled at me. "You were Cassi's brother, yes?"

I nodded and stated confidently, "Yes."

"When was the last time you saw your sister, Atlas."

"A matter of hours before she went missing. She told me she was going to visit York that day and never showed up."

"Did she seem upset before she left your company?" Westley asked me with wide comforting and encouraging eyes.

"No, not immediately before she left." I responded, realising that from the angle I was sitting at it was extremely hard not to look at York, who hadn't stopped glaring into me, hanging onto every word I said. His intensity made my heart race.