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Everyone has a chapter in their life that

they don't read out loud to others.

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Chapter 27- Judgment day for the wicked-

Both of my demons sat down on their seats as their defense attorneys sat beside them. My tingling nerves eased down a bit when the trial finally began.

A big buff guy with an officer uniform stood in front of the bench where the judge stood and began to speak in a booming voice that made everyone inside this enormous room go silent " Please rise. The Court of the Second Judicial Circuit, Criminal Division, is now in session, the Honorable Judge Morgan presiding."

Everyone in the court stood up waiting for the next instruction.

" Everyone but the jury may be seated.

Mr.James, please swear in the jury."The Judge let out as he stood tall looking down at everyone with judgy cold eyes that pierce through people's dark dirty souls. It was like he was an angel of God who was sent down from heaven to condemn the wicked on earth by using the law of men against them.

Mr.James faced the group of 12 people on the chairs against the white wall "Please raise your right hand," and so they did.

He continued with a clear, loud voice."Do you solemnly swear or affirm that you will truly listen to this case and render a true verdict and a fair sentence as to these defendants?"

All 12 Jury made out of young and old, males and females answer with a straight face "I do."

"You may be seated," The officer said.

Judge takes over as everyone sat down on their seats " Members of the jury, your duty today will be to determine whether the defendant is guilty or

not guilty based only on facts and evidence provided in this case.

The prosecutor has the burden of proving the guilt of the defendant beyond a reasonable doubt.

This burden remains on the prosecutor through the trial. The prosecutor must prove that a crime was committed and that the defendant is the person who committed the crime.

However, if you are not satisfied with the defendant's guilt to that extent, then reasonable doubt exists and the defendant must be found not guilty.

Mr. James, what is today's case?"

They started giving the opening statement and all the important details and evidence they are providing today from both sides. And what the defendants are being accused of.

By the time I knew it the Judge was telling the Prosecutor to call in his first witness to the stand.

" Thank you, your Honor. I call to the stand, Officer William." The prosecutor let out as his green eyes landed on his first witness.

"Will the witness please stand to be sworn in by the bailiff. (Aka: Mr.James) " The judge spilled out as he motioned with his hand for the first witness to rise on his feet.

A man that seemed to be in his early twenties stood up from his seat dressed in a dark suit. The room for a moment filled with whispers but quieted down when Mr. James spoke.

" Please raise your right hand. And place the other one on this Bible. " Mr. James proceeded to say as he got close to him. " Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

"I do." The officer motioned him to go to the stand and sit down. So he did.

They were fast to bombard him with questions from both sides.

Questions like...

When you arrived on the scene what did you see?

How was the state of the young girl?

Did you see anything weird?

Have you found any illegal substances in the home?

The guy in the stand started speaking clearly for everyone to hear" The front door was wide open with blood smeared on the doorknob.

My partner and I received a call from the dispatcher about a home invasion... But instead, we found the landlord's lifeless body on the floor. He seemed to be dead for 8 hours or so..."

An image flashes on the big projector in the corner of the room, a picture of the landlord, laying on the floor coated with his blood. His eyes lost their color like a dead fish, void of any emotions, just staring into space.

Many of the spectators silently gasped under their breath as low mummers filled the enormous room. It quieted down when the young man proceeded to speak in a booming voice " Then we found the young girl in and out of consciousness on the basement floor.

" Was she conscious of what was happening around her, for her to call the authorities?" The defense attorney said making me frown softly at that stupid question.

My nervous fingers played with the Rosemary dangling down my neck. Hoping that this action would alleviate my tensed muscles and my over-analyzing thoughts that keep running in my head endlessly.

The young male let out, as a little soft frown overtook his strong features to this guy that's twisting his words. " No, She was not capable of calling anyone or getting on her own two feet. She couldn't breathe properly either with how battered she looked. She was a soon-to-be second corpse at the crime scene."

"You may step down." The judge let out as he looked at the guy on the stand when the defense attorney finished bombarding him with stupid questions.

" Mr. Lockwood, You may call your second witness to the stand." The judge let out as he watched the guy who was occupying the stand get up and make his way back to his seat.

"Thank you, your Honor. I call to the stand, Ms. Emma Stone ." When I heard my name my heart stopped as my hands began to tremble.

"Will the second witness please stand to be sworn in by the bailiff (Aka: Mr.James)." I stood up immediately and I made myself to the front. Many eyes followed my every move. It felt so suffocating to be watched like this by so many strangers.

My heart felt like it was about to burst out through my ribcage. Ms. Sue's words resurface to the forefront of my mind 'Everything is going to be fine, Emma. It will be over before you know it'

" Please raise your right hand. And place your other one on the Bible. " So, I did.

" Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

" I do." He takes me inside and motions me to sit on the stand.

My anxiety skyrocketed when all the spectators and jury's eyes filled with curiosity were pinned on me.

This is what I fear the most in this world... is being the center of attention... Good or Bad.

The nice prosecutor dressed in his dark green fine suit gives me a reassuring look... Reminding me that everything is going to be okay.

The air that was caught in my throat released as my shaking hands slightly calmed down when I smooth them down my thighs. My heart began to beat steadily... as I realize I am not alone in this battle against evil.

A photo appeared on the screen and people gasped at what they saw. My eyes quickly drifted towards my father observing my father's reaction to the vivid picture of a thick chain bolted on the concrete floor of the basement that is covered with old bloodstains... I wish he had never seen that.

His eyes filled up with tears... It seems like the more he stared at that picture, the more he realized what I have been through when he was gone.

"Is it true that your mother chained you down there for days without food or water?"

My heart halts when my body sensed my mother's sharp cold gaze piercing through my skin.

Goosebumps flared on my skin as my eyes began to sting... feeling the fear build up in my chest and disperse throughout my whole body... It has been a while since I felt this anxious and scared.

My head dipped a little as my voice came out unsteady " Yes... For tying me up when... I misbehaved."

"For example?"

"For not giving my mother the right beer bottle or for not assisting my stepfather in whatever he wanted from me....

Just when they felt like I'm too much to take care of or when they went outside to who knows where... for days..." Those words came out as my whole focus stayed on the prosecutor. Ignoring everyone's curious sympathetic eyes as my statements became worse and worse the more I talked on the subject.

Everyone gazed at the woman who was sitting there with a blank cold look on her face with disbelief... Not expecting a mother to do that act of cruelty to her child.

Her bright eyes didn't hold any emotions... Simply void of any feeling of guilt or remorse for what she has put me through for all those years of abuse and neglect from her part.

In front of me wasn't a woman that I used to admire when I was younger and naive... Instead, it was a devil disguised as my mother that died the day my father divorced her.

Just that thought alone made tears swirl up in my eyes... Before all that, she was my favorite person because she used to take care of me like I was her whole universe. Read me bedtime stories when I woke up from a bad dream in the middle of the night.

But now, the affection I had is gone forever... She became the one I most feared and hated. And analyzing that now made me die a little inside.

And that is why love is dangerous... It could either restore you and help you fix your weak soul or break you in ways unimaginable.

My mother was a goner... she sank to her lowest form... not even God could help her reevaluate her cruel thoughts running repeatedly inside her mind or the empty emotions that she is sporting on her features, right now- if she still has any emotion left inside her cold shattered heart.

More pictures flashed on the screen... It has been a long time since I have seen the barricaded white bedroom that I dwelled in when my mother felt like she was in a good mood to let me sleep in a warm bedroom on a bed with some clean bedding and that was sadly on rare occasions.

"Is this your bedroom?" The persecutor motioned with his right hand towards the picture on the screen.

"Yes "

"Has it always been barricaded?"My eyes momentarily swerved towards my father and back at the prosecutor as I said this in a lower voice hoping that my father wouldn't hear it.

I could already sense how his spirit is dimming the more he hears about my past while living with my mother.

I just hope he doesn't blame himself for her actions towards me.

For a nanosecond, my eyes fell on the twins. Both of them had this expression on their face that seemed not to wipe off... Their cold eyes were locked on Eric's slumped form on the chair.

"Yes."

"Why, if I may ask?"

"Because... One night, I attempted to escape when both of them beat me up badly. I was scared that both of them were coming back to do worse... It was their way of disciplining me to obey them without question.

"And how old were you when this happened to you?"

"Eleven," More gasps emitted from some of the jury's lips as others just couldn't believe what they were hearing.

My mother rolled her eyes at their reactions and Eric, her lover, only smiled when he saw me squirm on my seat when he licked his bottom lip.

I tried to ignore him but it was difficult when he's eyeing me like an object of desire and not like a human being with emotions.

When the prosecutor asked me the last question and I answered he sat back down on his seat.

My mother's defense attorney stood up to his full height with a confident aura and began to question me nonstop. I answered every question that he threw at me.

The more I answer the more the shine in his eyes of winning this case was fading away... No matter how many times he tries to twist my story it always comes back out the same way. My mother is a monster and her lover was her pimp who made her what she is today.

When the defense attorney finished with his questions and mind games. The judge instructed me to rise from the chair and make my way back to the seat I was occupying... So the next witness could take my place on the stand.

Kevin scooted over so I had no choice but to sit in between the twins now instead of between Kevin and his mother.

My body tensed when I felt Leo begin playing with the white scrunchie on my right wrist and Kevin's large palm settled on my left thigh as his thumb drew circles on my thigh.

Is this their way of distracting me? Because if it is, then it is working. My mind was so focused on them that I hadn't noticed the judge call in the third witness.

The third witness now takes the stand....

He explained that the hotel room they resided in wasn't there but a couple on vacation.

And when one of the cleaning staff ladies entered that bedroom. She found the young couple stabbed to death and stuffed inside a black large bag, placed neatly in the bathtub.

But not only that... one of the cleaning staff ladies went missing as well and they also found her remains in the dark plastic bag in the bathtub.

They flashed graphic pictures on the screen showing what they were explaining and many spectators gasped at the pictures and videotapes presented to them.

And to add salt on the wounds the young lady that was on vacation was 3 weeks pregnant.

Poor baby...

" Members of the jury, you have heard all of the testimony concerning this case. It is now up to you to determine the facts. You and you alone, are the judges of the fact. Once you decide what facts the evidence proves, you must then apply the law as I give it to you to the facts as you find them." The judge said when both the defense attorney and the prosecutor finish questioning the third witness.

The jury stood up from their seats and made themselves to a brown door, right next to them to discuss the verdict among themselves... A few minutes passed by, and they finally came back out.

My heart palpitates as the silence drags on. It felt like I was watching one of those beauty pageants that take forever to tell who won the Crown.

" Have you reached a verdict? " The judge lets out as he carefully eyes the jury's filling their seat again.

" We have, your Honor."

"What do you say?" The judge focused on the young brunette female who was the only one standing out of all the juries.

" We the jury, in the case of The State of XXXX versus xxx, find the defendant guilty of the charge of attempted murder, child negligence, 2 accounts of Second-degree murder, accessory to murder, and double homicide. " She let out coldly as she gawked at both of the monsters - who sat there without a care in the world.

" Thank you, Jury, for your service today. You both were sentenced to 48 years in XXXX federal prison.

The court is adjourned." The judge lets out as he hits his little wooden hammer on the wooden circle.

My mother doesn't react to anything they were saying... It's like she wasn't registering what is happening in front of her.

Is she not sad that she is going to be in prison for the rest of her life? She was in her little world, again. Not caring about her surroundings.

Eric only smirked like the things he was listening to weren't bothering him at all. Like he has a plan b up his sleeve.

The bailiff ( Aka Mr.James) and 3 massive muscular officers took my mother and Eric away.

Everyone exited the courtroom. When we make it to the enormous hallway my father traps me in a tight warm hug as he says " You did a good job, my little princess. I am so proud of you for facing your fear."

I hugged him back and rejoiced at the fact that I never have to see my demons again.

Thank God, everything went so well. I will be able to sleep well tonight.

My eyes locked with the twins who were there silently watching us... For some odd reason, I had a feeling in the pit of my stomach, that they both wanted to do the same thing my father was doing to me right now.

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I can't believe this story has 19.3k reads🥳. Thank you, everyone, that gave this book a chance. I still can't believe people are reading this book... It makes me so happy to see many people enjoying this story even tho it's not 💯% perfect👌.

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Until next time, bye. 💛💛💛

💜 Happy Friday everyone. 💜