Forbidden

9

The next day

Last time I was in here I thought all my victims families were going to attack me, but we were all only in there for the judge to tell us that we have to reschedule my hearing due to some case complications.

Whatever.

It buys me time to get my act right and figure out how I'm going to present myself in hopes to get out of here.

But today is the day of my hearing finally.

I expect all the same people there as last time.

Especially Esther.

She's probably going to give some speech about how I have to stay locked up forever with no chance at a new life.

Some of those people will probably be sadly mistaken if they think I'm still the danger I was all those years ago.

**

As I walk down the long hallway with the officer and my lawyer, I start to become anxious.

I try and shake it off before going into the courtroom, when my lawyer pulls me aside.

"I need you to breathe." she says to me.

She must've notices I was becoming nervous.

"Everything is going to be okay. Remember what we talk about yesterday, right?" She asks.

I nod my head and take a deep breath.

She nods her head at the officer as he opens the door to the courtroom.

For some reason this time though, Esther is sitting right behind where I'm supposed to be as if she were waiting for me.

I give her a small smile as I sit down.

She leans in a little closer to me and begins to talk.

"I met your goon last night. You're not going to scare me off that easily." Esther whispers.

I look at her puzzled.

"What are you talking about?" I asked.

"Funny like you don't know." She says.

"I really don't know."

Esther chuckles and leans back in her seat.

"Esther whatever you think is going on isn't, that night I lost all my contacts to the outside world, because of me. I have no goons inside or outside of this place." I explain.

My lawyer clears her throat and signals me to turn back around and face front as the judge is about to walk into the court.

As the judge sits down, he begins to read off the things I have been charged with and the reason we're in court today.

"Does the defense have anything to say today pertaining to these actions?" The judge asks.

"Yes, your honor. She wishes to get on the stand and say a few words on her behalf." My lawyer says.

The judge nods and calls me up to the stand.

My lawyer nods at me and gives me a smile of hope.

"Your honor and people in the court today, over the last 2 decades, I have been through an extensive amount of consoling and classes to earn my high school diploma and also a little bit of college work." I start off.

I look around the room and look right at Esther.

"Did I kill those 9 people years ago in that abandoned house? Yes. Do I regret those killings? Every second I'm here. I've changed so much over the last twenty years that I just want a chance to show, not just everyone here, but everyone outside of this case, outside of this courtroom, I am a changed woman. I have no connections to my family on the outside let alone my so called friends I thought I had before coming in here. So for someone to walk in here today and accuse me of having 'goons' on the outside waiting for me is ridiculous. Please, your honor, give me this second chance at a new life?" I continue on.

There wasn't a dry eye in the courtroom.

Esther looked shocked and just slid her notebook back into her purse.

The judge dismissed me from the stand and asks around the court if anyone else would like to come up to the stand and defend the victims.

No one, not even Esther moved.

We were dismissed for a small recess and hopefully will be given a verdict today.

**

"In the case of Ms. Maldonado, who was convicted on nine counts of first degree murder, I speak for everyone in this courtroom today in saying that the things you have done are disgusting and have left scars on the victims families in this courtroom." The judge says.

I sigh as it looks like there will be no hope for coming out of here anytime soon.

"The documents from the CO's in the prison all add up to everything you said about yourself and how you have turned a new leaf in life. I file the motion to let Ms. Maldonado out of her sentence in prison and will serve the remaining 3 months of her sentence in a half way home. After such time, we will regroup and see where to go with you from there. Court is dismissed." The judge concludes.

I'm free. I'm free!