Prologue:
Sirens were blaring as they got closer and closer. I looked down on my hands that were smeared with blood, hot tears trailed down my face. I stared at his body in disbelief, anger and regret. Was he dead? I moved closer to him but stopped short. He looked sordid; there was blood all over his body. His hair was caked with drying blood and his eyes looked lifeless though I could see his fingers were twitching. The blood was still flowing from his head, I looked down and saw the wooden cricket bat splintered and concealed with blood. I edged closer, my heartbeat going a mile a minute. I hadn’t meant to do it. Really I didn’t. It was as if something had taken over me and I went berserk. I only managed to hover over him for five minutes before someone kicked the door in. I turned my head as the paramedic and police officers squeezed through the door, they must have been knocking and shouting and I was oblivious. I was dressed in a pink lace underwear set and… Eric, well he had his boxers idly hanging from one foot. My hands were covered with his blood, along with my phone which I had used to call them. See, I really didn’t mean it. I had even called an ambulance for him. The police looked from me to him surely seeing completely different expressions; mine sullen and full of resentment whilst his was contorted in pain. They weren’t sure what had gone on and stood back whilst the paramedics did their job.
A female paramedic with striking red hair, and the prettiest of green eyes ushered me over into a corner and wrapped me in a foil blanket. If she knew what I had done she wouldn’t have been so kind. I watched in a daze as the paramedics did their best with Eric. My view was obstructed but I soon blocked out everything around me. I could only see white. I heard nothing though I knew there were a lot of things going on around me. I saw nothing though there was plenty to see. My senses had shut down, I was there in body but my soul was less than intact. I began to shake violently, I had lost control. I was quivering for a while before I collapsed and all went black instead of white.
I awoke in a sterile hospital. I was seeing white again. The room was painted an off white and everything else followed suit aside from the brightly coloured staff. I looked down at myself. I was wearing a white hospital gown with blue speckles. My peroxide blonde hair was damp with seat and my skin was visibly paler. I sat up, with some discomfort. I could see a police officer rising with me. It wasn’t until then that I noticed that my right hand was handcuffed to the bed. The officer noticed me staring
“Regulation” It was rehearsed, he didn’t look like he wanted to be here. I didn’t blame him. I didn’t want to be here either. I wanted to curl up and let the world forget me. Become a part of the scenery, a part that was never realised or praised. I wanted things to back to how it was before the previous night. At least I thought it was the previous night, I looked out of the window. It was dark and the moon was visible. I blinked involuntarily; I didn’t want to be awake now.
“Miss Costa. My name is Officer Townsend. I’m going to ask you some questions about what happened two days ago.”
“Is he okay?” My voice broke half way through the strained sentence.
“Eric had experienced a severe concussion. When the paramedics arrived he was barely alive. They did their best and he is recuperating in intensive. Hey may survive this though they say that he might not come out completely unscathed. He might be mentally handicap” I felt those hot tears trail down my face once again. I did that. I was responsible. I hated myself for that. I wanted to die just then. How could I do that? My life wasn’t exactly picture perfect but I would never set out to kill someone. Would I? I dabbled in drugs, alcohol and did unmentionable things my parents would be ashamed to have known about. It wasn’t their fault I had turned out so rotten out of the rest of their two golden apples. I was just different and I made a point to make that point clear after dying my hair blonde whilst my family remained chestnut brown. My mind wondered aimlessly, going over the past events that had led to this. Completely ignoring what the Officer was saying until he cleared his throat to grasp my attention.
“Miss Costa. Are you paying attention?” There was a tone of irritation coming from his voice. I looked at him expressionlessly. He was clearly irritated now and if it wasn’t due to the fact that he was meant to be professional he would’ve said something to hit heart.
“I’ll come back in the morning. Get some rest Miss Costa” There wasn’t a touch of emotion in that voice.
I slept for what seemed like days. It was full of twists and turns. I couldn’t sleep peacefully no matter how hard I tried. I awoke as the sun reflected from the walls and hit my eyes. I checked the clock above the door. It was just after ten and instead of the police officer; my mother was in his place along with a man I wasn’t familiar with. My mother introduced him as Mr Pierce and he was just that. He was as neat as pin. Hair neatly combed back, black rimmed glasses. He looked immaculate and his eyes were the most piercing blue I had ever seen. He told me that I didn’t have to talk to the police if I didn’t want to but it would be best if I did. To clear me of suspicion of course. I nodded as if I was paying attention. I wanted them to shut up and leave me alone. I just wanted to be alone and wallow in self-pity. But I knew that would never happen. I would have to face the consequences sooner or a later. My mother and the lawyer left with the same information as they had come with. Eric was in intensive care and all they knew was that he had been beaten in the head with a bat.
I was discharged from hospital the next day. The next week went by in a blur. People asked me questions that were left unanswered. I didn’t speak. Not to anyone. I didn’t feel I deserved to speak whilst Eric was in the hospital on the edge of death. If he died my life would be ruined. It wouldn’t be worth living. Even if he was a vegetable, that would be better than him dying. That would mean I was a killer. A murderer and I was not a murderer.
Mr Pierce told me the court date was set for the upcoming Wednesday, which was two days from now. He told me I had until then to tell him what happened or this would be a suicide case. He wouldn’t be able to help me. I didn’t want help and the guilt was eating me up inside that I thought suicide might even be comforting. Those two days up until the court day was the same it had been since the day I returned home. Silence. It continued until we arrived at the court. Mr Pierce looked at me with regret and guilt. Perhaps because he thought he should have pushed me more to tell him what happened. He didn’t want me to get sent to jail. He had a daughter my age and he couldn’t imagine how my parents felt about this whole thing. But he knew how he would feel and that was why he was still here. Doing his best to defend me when he didn’t know the full story.
“I’d like to call Rayne Costa to the stand” The prosecution team said to the magistrate. I stalked towards the podium. I was dressed in a black suit which consisted of black pencil skirt, a white blouse and a black blazer with black low heeled shoes. My hair was styled in a neat bun. I looked sombre and defeated before I had even uttered a word. I avoided the eyes of everyone in the room, especially Eric’s family. I raised my hand
“I swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth” I had never imagined I would be saying those words in an actual court on the verge of getting in severe trouble.
“Now Rayne, could you please tell us what happened on the night of September twenty-fourth?” I looked down, avoiding everyone’s gaze. This would be the first time I told anyone what really happened that night. I had rehearsed it so many times in my head before. I wanted to tell someone what happened that night but I couldn’t bring myself to do so. I swallowed before starting
“Eric and I were at a party earlier that night. One of his friends, I don’t remember who. We didn’t stay long though, maybe until 11. After he took me to an apartment he said that his friends had moved out of. He said there was still some furniture there and we could spend the night like it was our own place.” I smiled at the thought remembering how sweet it had sound coming from him. We had been dating for five months until that night.
“He had to break in because he didn’t have a key.” I shrugged as if it was no big deal. It really wasn’t.
“He lead me through to the bedroom, he’d been there earlier and had decorated it and everything. It looked really romantic; he did the best he could though you could tell it was mainly cheap things he had used. He had brought a bottle of vodka with him when we left and we took turns taking swigs from it. After a while we started kissing… and making out.” I had been waiting for that night for god knows how long. I knew for a fact that Eric was the one, or at least close to it and I was ready to give it up. He had put such an effort into making it look special. I knew it wasn’t his first time which was good in a way though that put a lot of pressure on me to impress him.
“We went pass kissing and we moved to the bed and you can guess what happened after.” I looked up to see an array of mixed reactions.
“You were more appropriately dressed when the emergency staff had arrived, can you explain that please” I cleared my throat before continuing
“After we had… finished, I got put my underwear on. It was getting pretty late and I was going to head home but Eric had other plans. The night hadn’t gone how I planned. I… had higher expectation for my first time and I didn’t really want to try again. Eric kept pushing. I guess he was drunker than I was because he wouldn’t have done that if he was sober. He’s a nice guy. Since I kept saying no, he started insulting me. Commenting about how he had better. I snapped and grabbed the nearest thing I could find which the bat was. I started hitting him and I couldn’t stop. I stopped when he looked like he was dead. Then I started panicking and trying to wake him up, I called the police then. I didn’t mean it” I looked at the judge
“I swear I didn’t mean it” I started sobbing uncontrollably. It settled to little sniffs and hiccups as I walked back to my seat beside my lawyer.
We had to wait outside the room until the jury came to their verdict. I was biting my nails during the whole of the time it took them. I wasn’t usually such a nervous wreck but things like this could do that to you. I did all the things I could think of to calm myself down; rubbing my temples, counting to ten even breathing but nothing seemed to work. I couldn’t eat or drink anything despite my parents efforts, all I could do was think about all the what ifs. What if they sent me to jail? What if they sentenced me to death – they don’t do that in England but still my imagination was going the extra mile -. I could only think of all the negatives. I knew I wouldn’t get off lightly but it was hard to believe I was going anywhere but jail.
After two hours of waiting – which seemed like an eternity – we were called back in. I stood alongside my lawyer when the magistrate spoke
“The jury has come to a verdict. They have come to a decision that though what you have done is severe and could have led to Eric Young’s death. He hasn’t died and the doctors are confident that he will surpass this. I have decided that since this is your first crime despite how serious it is, you seem sincere in your apology and regret. You will be sent to a Reform school for the rest of your academic year; where we will keep a close eye on you and whilst there we will get to the bottom of what caused this incident and prevent anything like it from happening again. You will talk to a psychiatrist whilst attending this school and that psychiatrist will report back to me on your process. Court is adjourned”
Okay so comment, vote etc. all is appreciated