My plan. My perfect plan. So thought out....so definitely defined....all gone. I can't believe this happened.
"Miss Deen, you know why we're here today. We know why you're here today." The lawyer said. His name was John Calivar, and he was short and round, with a light brown comb-over and a grey business suit. If it had been any other time, just passing him on the street, he would have appeared to be the normal middle-aged man who you could spend an entire day just talking to. But now, in this courtroom, his brown puppy-dog eyes were filled with hatred...hatred directed at me.
I stared at him, blue eyes the color of ice burning into his. He shuffled his feet a bit, but it seemed I was the only one to notice.
"The prosecution calls James Adole to the stand!" Mr. Calivar called, his voice echoing with forced confidence. A tall, dark haired 18 year-old boy with bright green eyes took the stand and said his oath. His muscles rippled under his grey v-neck as he sat down next to the judge.
"Mr. Adole," Mr. Calivar started, pacing slowly back and forth. "Where were you the night of October 31, 2014?"
"I was home, with Cali. We were studying for the math test we had that Monday." James said smoothly. His features were, like mine, relaxed as he spoke of our meeting last Friday. I blinked, meeting his eyes and waiting for him to continue.
"Do you have anyone who can verify that?" Mr. Calivar asked.
James shook his head. "We were alone. Our parents had gone out to a dinner party a few hours before and didn't get home until late that night after we had fallen asleep." He responded.
"So, you stayed the night with Miss Deen then?" Calivar asked. James nodded.
"What do you know of Miss Deen's....eh....maniacal habits?" Calivar asked.
James shook his again. "Cali has always been a bit...creative. But, she's ever been one to want to hurt people. She's never done anything but help them." James said, his words like velvet, sending the jury into a murmuring mess.
Mr. Calivar shook his head, clearly distraught.
"But, Mr. Adole, surely someone so 'kind and compassionate' couldn't have attempted genocide of the entire human race!"
Okay, maybe I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me tell you a little about me before you hear anymore.
My name is Cali Deen. I am 19 years-old and a senior in high school. I've been a straight A student my entire life, wanting nothing else but to go to college. But all that changed on November 1, 2014 when I was arrested for attempted genocide of the entire human race.
It was early that morning, and James had already left my house after our 'study date' for the coming exam in Calculus. I was dressed as I normally would, in skinny jeans and a tank top, and walked through town with my large winter jacket on. It was cold for a November morning, and I wasn't about to go get sick before I could complete my task. What is this task, you ask? Poisoning the water supply using the vial of poison stuffed into my pocket.
I walked at a brisk pace, determined to reach the water bottling plant at the very edge of our crowded city. My plan: Poison the reservoir holding the already purified water with a poison of my own design that's completely untraceable to testing. Pretty good, huh?
I reached the plant a few minutes later and snuck inside. The security here stunk, despite it being the most popular brand of water in the world, and it didn't take me long to reach the giant reservoir of sparkling, crystal clear water. I climbed the ladder, my muscles toned and fit from exercise, and easily got to the top. I unscrewed a small screw from the lid and removed the vial from my pocket. Pressing the opening to the lid I...
"FREEZE! Put your hands in the air and don't move!" A loud voice called over a speaker. I cursed under my breath, and climbed from the ladder with my hands in the air and the vial in my hand. I was swarmed then, cops and armed forces everywhere.
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be held against you in a court of law..." I rolled my eyes as the cop rattled off the list of Miranda Rights required to be read as the cuffed me. I kept my face blank, my entire being void of expression.
"Sheriff! Get her in the back of the car and have it recorded that we had Probable Cause to arrest her. A vial of unknown fluid was about to be poured into the water supply, but we stopped her before she could." The deputy shouted, referring to the vial that had been wrenched from my hands.
I'll spare you the grueling details. Nothing important happened until we reached the police station about 30 minutes later.
I was shoved here and there, getting my fingerprint scanned, my DNA taken, and even being interrogated. Nothing helped them, I was silent. I knew my rights too well to admit anything to them.
From the station, my information was given to the Prosecutors, as the entire country was tuned in to my case. Turns out a 19 year-old criminal who tried to kill them all was quite interesting. Who would've known?
I was quickly rushed to my parents. They sat in the large, cozy, beige-colored waiting room of the station. First, my mother rushed to me and wrapped me in a tight hug, sobbing as I stood unmoving. My father looked at my sternly, my mother soon snapped back to reality and joining him.
"Calina Elizabeth Deen, you are in so much trouble."
Wow. Surprise surprise. Turns out, my parents aren't taking my side on this. They don't even want to protect me. Heck, they even refuse to pay for a lawyer. But that's okay, I can handle myself.
You could say I didn't have a great home-life. From the age of 13, my parents deemed me mature enough to take care of myself. So, I've provided for myself yet still lived under their roof to avoid suspicion. But, enough of that. Back to the story.
I was taken from the station and my parents and taken to a holding cell soon after. My mother watched me go as she dabbed her eyes with a tissue. My father glared at me with disappointment. Me? I felt nothing.
I stayed in the cell for 3 days while my case moved swiftly through the criminal process. The Judge and Grand Jury were agreed: there was PLENTY of evidence to convict-Uh, I mean 'try' me. They set my bail at about $750,000. A violation of my 8th Amendment rights? Probably not.
After about 1 day of my stay in my nice little jail cell, I was brought before my Judge. A tall, middle-aged man with light brown hair and large glasses framing his brownish hazel eyes. He narrowed his eyes at my as I approached in handcuffs.
"Alright, let's get straight to this. Cali Deen, you are accused with attempted genocide, crimes against humanity, and planned murder. Your plea?" He asked, obviously expecting me to plead guilty as they had caught me in the act. Boy, was he going to be surprised.
"Not guilty." I said bluntly, the first words I had spoken since being arrested. The entire courtroom gasped, but I was swiftly whisked away once again to be returned to my cell.
It was another day before I was summoned again. I spoke to the judge once again, and he asked me if I wished to play my part in the Pretrial Motions, and to discredit any evidence found against me. I shook my head, silent again. Let them find what they may.
The jury was selected the same day. It didn't take long, as I was my own lawyer and unable to be present at the selection. They tried to give me my own lawyer, but to their surprise once again, I refused.
Early the next morning the trial began. Several witnesses were called, each questioned by the Prosecutors and then waved away by me. The last witness, James Adole, was sooned called. Now, where were we...
"But, Mr. Adole, surely someone so 'kind and compassionate' couldn't have attempted genocide of the entire human race!"
James's face stayed in its picture-perfect calm. He smiled a bit, and chuckled.
"They can, if they believe death is the ultimate form of help."
The jury and audience gasped, and Calivar returned to his seat. The Judge motioned to me, but I waved James away. He was dismissed, and soon the Judge stood.
"Mr. Calivar, your closing argument." The Judge said. Calivar nodded to him, taking his place center floor.
"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury, today is a new day in our history. Today, the young defendant is on trial for attempted genocide. This means, that had she not been stopped, we could all very well be dead. This 'young lady' has tried to commit the ultimate crime, but was stopped in the act. The police caught her in the act, about to contaminate our water supply. Luckily, they arrived on the scene in the nick of time and saved us all. The vial removed from Miss Deen was tested and indeed found to be poisonous to a person who consumes it. Although it took quite a bit of experimental testing to figure out what it was. No, they did not have a warrant at the time, but they had probable cause. And you and I both know that we're only here on trial after her plea of "Not Guilty" because of her 6th Amendment rights. So, for the sake of your children and families, I pray you make the right decision." Calivar said as the jury murmured in agreement.
I sensed the tension as he returned to his seat and I took the floor. I knew it was a lost cause, as did everyone else watching the trial, but I spoke up anyway. I ignored the large cameras and news reporters watching me as I took a deep breath. Were they in for a surprise.
"Ladies, gentlemen. Welcome to the trial of my greatest accomplishment, or as they claim, attempted killing of you all. But, I don't see it that way. I didn't try to kill you. Just to free you. Why stay in the one place of all your suffering, when you could easily be free? Why hurt yourself and your family by stopping me from helping you? Me, I don't understand. But, I know this. Soon I will be free of this place, and one day you will wish you'd let me go when you had the chance. You didn't, and here I am. But, before I go, think of this one thing: If I had wanted to get away with this, I would have." I smiled as I walked away, leaving them speechless.
The jury wasn't gone for long, and returned with the one word we all saw coming: Guilty.
The judge sentenced me to death by lethal injection. My family fell into tears, and even my father shed a few. My death would tear them apart. Oh well.
I sat in a white room, my body in a large white hospital gown and a doctor in a white lab coat standing in front of me. My parents stood on the opposite side of a one-way mirror wall. The doctor made small conversation as he stuck the needle in my arm, the cool stream of medicine flowing directly into my bloodstream. I didn't listen.
Darkness began to press against me, and breathing soon became hard. I sighed lightly, knowing the end was near for me. One thing settled my heart as I slipped under: The cops only recovered 30 mL of poison from my vial; I went to the Tropiconia Water plant with 31.
My eyes slipped closed as I saw one last thing: the doctor who had ended my life taking a large gulp of water from a plastic bottle with a familiar palm tree logo.