A Life Changing Moment - Short Story

A Life Changing Moment - Short Story

Blood splattered high on the walls from the force of the blows. Even

though the screams of the two children had long since ceased, Linda

kept stabbing and slashing, her breath rasping in her throat from the

effort entailed, only as her strength began to wane and her mental

state start to alter did she slowly become aware that she and the room

were covered in nauseating, thick scarlet red blood and in the

distance of her darkness she could hear the echoing wail of police

sirens! She slumped back exhausted and began to sob, slowly at first,

then like a torrential downpour.

"How do you plead?"

She barely heard the words, not even realising they were directed at

her.

"Miss Smith, How do you plead?" the judges voice boomed out over the

courtroom, obviously irritated, he was not a man to be trifled with

and besides he also had one eye on the courtroom clock, hoping to wrap

up proceedings for the day rather quickly as he had an appointment on

the first tee of his golf club at 2:30pm and there was quite a

substantial sum of money riding on the outcome, not to mention

bragging rights for some time to come!

Linda snapped out of her trance

"Not guilty" she muttered looking despondently at the floor.

"So the court can hear you please Miss Smith." The judge's voice

boomed out once again as he peered over his bespectacled nose and

cursed his luck for drawing this particular case, today of all days!

"Not guilty" Linda repeated, this time with much more conviction than

she actually felt. As counsel began the convoluted twisting of this

difficult case, Linda's troubled mind was already ret...

... middle of paper ...

... Jury returned about half an hour later, which suggested that they had

been undecided, for Linda time had never dragged so much in her life.

"Foreman, have you reached a verdict on which you are all agreed?"

"Yes your honour."

"What is your verdict on the two counts of murder?"

There was a pause, not even a cough could be heard, everyone was

holding his or her breath.

"We find the defendant…………….guilty."

A gasp of disbelief swept over the courtroom like disease.

The judge turned to face Linda who was unresponsive, "Miss Smith, you

have been found guilty on both counts of murder, you are sentenced to

life imprisonment."

"I know" Linda replied desolately.

"Take her down"

With that the woman's fate was sealed forever, a woman who had so much

promise but isn't that always the way.