Deadman Walking
By Laura, age 17, California
"Guilty. She shall be sentenced to death."
The gavel slammed against the Judge's desk and echoed throughout the courtroom. Guilty? What was she guilty of? Men in navy blue thrust the girl onto the distasteful carpet, her head ramming onto the rock hard floor. Her head was spinning; she was utterly confused. Once the men had cuffed her they dragged her out and tossed her into the back of a police car.
"Can't believe the kiddo did that with her bare hands."
"Sick and disgusting. That's what she is. Heartless, too. No human would do such a thing."
Murder. She was guilty of murder. But whom did she kill? No memories of a murder existed within her mind. The child's fingers twitched as her body shook; her wide brown eyes stared downwards.
Twenty-four hours later she lay on the ice cold floor, staring at the concrete ceiling. No words had escaped her lips since yesterday. Pleading was futile. They all believed she was the killer. Footsteps could be heard, the click of heels nearing her cell.
"Get up, child." She did as she was told. As she sat up the warden took notice of the girl's blank stare. "Why did you do it?" No response. "Why did you do it?"
"Do what?" Skeleton fingers wrapped themselves around the cell bars.
"Why did you kill that girl?" So, she killed a girl?
"I didn't kill anyone."
"Liar! You took that child's dreams away from her! Why?!" The warden pointed an armed gun towards the girl's forehead through the bars. She didn't flinch. She wasn't scared. She was confused.
"I ... I had no choice. My parents. School. My friends. Society. They all want me to be something I'm not," she whispered. "I can't disobey."
"Tch. What a pathetic excuse." With that, it ended. It all ended. She pulled the trigger to avenge the lost dreams. The murder of the girl with hopes and dreams had been solved and come to an end.
