I shot up, my eyes glancing around the ceiling before I remembered where I was, in the car on the way to the trial. After I had passed out, Detective Nala took me to Brett and I stayed in the hotel overnight.
In the morning, I had put on a sharp black suit, courtesy of the Detective, and soon left out the door to get in the car. "Hey, are you ready?" Brett asked me, glancing at me up and down, his brows furrowed.
"Yeah, ready," I replied, opening the car door and stepping out onto the concrete pathway. A brick fence trim led to the courthouse's big door, and the smell of old books was hitting my nose the closer I got.
As I approached closer and closer, I could feel my heartbeat speed up even more. Was I truly ready for this? I planned on it at some point, but now that it was happening, I could feel the want to turn back.
More sweat dripped from my palms onto the ground, and I fixed my red tie once more before I finally stepped into the courtroom where the trial was supposed to be held.
'Wait, let me handle this,' A deep voice spoke from within me, causing a flame to be reignited in my chest before he continued. 'My name is Crimson, you can trust me.'
Before I could refuse, or even speak, my control faltered, and my vision turned black. The last thing I saw was the courtroom doors.
The courtroom was colder than I expected, the bright overhead lights reflecting off the polished wood in a way that made everything appear sharper, and more distant. Spectators filled the rows, teachers, parents, and a few classmates, all watching me, judging me.
I couldn't stop the pressure forming in my chest. This wasn't just about the case, it was about all of the pain and suffering they caused by ignoring everything. It was about the person I lost and the students who had lost everything alongside me.
The bailiff's voice cut through the silence. "State your name for the record."
I swallowed hard, my hands clammy as I spoke. "Liam Harper."
The defense attorney stood up. He was well-groomed, his suit sharp and his smile calculated. "Mr. Harper, you claim that the school ignored your report of an alleged assault. Is that correct?"
I nodded slowly, keeping a close eye on him as Detective Nala glared harshly in his direction. "Among other things, yes. They also covered for pedophilia and letting students be assaulted on campus."
He moved a step closer, his tone sharp. "And yet, you have no proof. No emails, no forms, nothing?"
Before I could respond, my attorney stood. "Objection, Your Honor. The school has refused to release those records."
The judge gave a quick nod. "Sustained. Move on, Counselor."
Yet the defense attorney didn't relent, still confident in the way he spoke. "Mr. Harper, hasn't it also been the case that you've made similar complaints before, complaints that were, shall we say, less than credible?"
My body tensed, but I forced myself to stay calm. If I tripped up here, there was a chance it wouldn't get much further. "I've reported things before, yes. But they weren't baseless."
He raised an eyebrow, his smirk barely concealed. "Yet none of those reports led to action. Isn't that interesting?"
I clenched my jaw, grinding my teeth silently as I retorted his claim. "Because they didn't care."
The judge intervened. "Counselor, move on."
"I have proof this time," I said, my voice steady despite the nerves under the surface. "There are witnesses. And there's a video."
The attorney paused. For a brief moment, his smirk slipped, replaced by a flicker of fear as his eyes widened temporarily. But then, it was gone. He took a step forward. "A video that, conveniently, appeared only after you decided to pursue legal action?"
"You need evidence to report a crime, do you not?." I bit back, biting my lip as I continued. Letting the fire in my heart grow bigger. "This is the truth that no one wanted to hear until I made them listen."
The courtroom went silent as everyone stared at me. I could feel the school staff glaring at me, yet the Detective was glaring back, followed by Brett.
"I do," I continued, pulling out a folded paper and handing it to Brett, who stood quietly to my right. He took it, approached the judge, and handed it over.
The judge glanced at the document. "What is this?"
"It's an email," I said, feeling my heart race in my chest. "From the principal. It says they didn't want to take action because it might damage community trust."
There was a ripple of murmurs from the Jury, quickly followed by someone whispering shit. In response, the judge raised her gavel to silence them.
The defense attorney, however, remained unfazed. He moved toward the bench. "Your Honor, this document wasn't obtained through official channels. We request it be excluded from evidence."
"Objection," My attorney shot back. "The defense cannot dismiss critical evidence simply because it's inconvenient."
The judge gave a short nod, setting the document down. "I will allow it for now, but we will revisit its admissibility later."
The attorney stepped forward, his gaze never leaving me. "Mr. Harper, one last question. You've portrayed yourself as the victim of a corrupt system, but you've also had issues with discipline, haven't you? Detentions? Confrontations with teachers?"
"Objection," Brett interrupted. "Irrelevant and prejudicial. Judging from who we are currently against, it seems only fitting that he was punished. If anything, this adds more credibility to my client's overall argument."
The judge nodded at Brett's words, seemingly convinced. "Sustained. Move on, Counselor."
The attorney didn't press the issue. He gave me a cold smile and retreated. "No further questions, your Honor."
I slumped back into my seat, exhausted. The questioning had stopped, but the weight of the room didn't lift. Not yet.
My attorney rose to his feet, turning toward me. "Mr. Harper," Brett asked, his voice softer than before, "Why did you decide to come forward with all this? Knowing what you'd face?"
I took a steadying breath. The pressure of it all hit me again. But I knew what I had to say.
"Because no one else would," I said, my voice unwavering despite the crack that edged its way through. "Because I couldn't stay silent and let it keep happening." I looked around, meeting the eyes of the few who were watching, who hadn't already made up their minds.
"Someone had to say something. Even if it cost me everything, my friend died because of this silence, someone had to break it."
The silence stretched on until the defense attorney cleared his throat, his voice dripping with false politeness. "Your Honor, if we're done here, I believe it's time for us to consider the evidence in its entirety. I would like to remind the court that Mr. Harper has yet to provide any clear, concrete proof that the school acted maliciously or failed to address his concerns."
The judge nodded, and although they tried to mock me more and turn me into some sort of liar, they only fueled the fire inside me. They thought they could discredit me, and make me into the troublemaker. But I wasn't done yet.
I watched as my attorney stood and prepared to counter. "Your Honor, the lack of immediate action taken by the school speaks volumes," He said, his voice calm but sharp, like a blade. "Mr. Harper was punished for his honesty. He wasn't given a chance to explain himself. The very system he trusted failed him, and we intend to prove it."
His words rang in the room, and I saw the flicker of uncertainty in the defense attorney's eyes. He wasn't expecting that. It was as if the air in the courtroom had shifted. What once seemed like an easy win for them was starting to feel like it could slip away.
The judge nodded, acknowledging Brett's statement. "I understand, counsel. Let's proceed with the evidence."
The next moments felt like an eternity as documents were presented, each one more damning than the last. My heart raced as the emails, the testimonies, and the reports all painted a picture of negligence, a pattern of silence that had run through every level of the school. It was like a slow-burning fire, the kind that you couldn't see at first, but it was there, spreading through every inch of their system until it was too late to stop.
When my turn to speak came again, I stood taller than I had before. "I'm not here to make them pay," I said, my voice steady, though every word felt like a heavy truth breaking free. "I'm here so that no one else has to suffer the way I did. I'm here because no one should ever be silenced when they speak out."
I looked toward the judge, meeting her gaze. She didn't look away, and for the first time, I saw the smallest flicker of something- something that wasn't disdain, something that was… understanding.
The defense attorney was quick to pounce on the opening. "And yet, Mr. Harper, you still fail to provide any solid evidence that the school was responsible for the actions you claim they were." He was trying to break me again, to twist my words into something they could dismiss.
But I was done with their games. "I don't need to provide all the evidence," I shot back. "The truth is clear, even without it. The school failed me. They failed all of us."
A murmur rippled through the courtroom. The defense attorney's face tightened, but I could see the moment when he realized his words weren't having the effect he wanted. The walls that had once felt so unbreakable were starting to crack.
My attorney stood and nodded toward the judge. "We rest, Your Honor."
"Give me ten minutes for counsel," The judge spoke, her voice booming as she retreated back into her chamber and we remained behind, waiting.
There was a heavyweight in the air as if everyone knew that the moment of truth was just around the corner. I sat there, heart racing, as the defense team shuffled through their papers and adjusted their suits, ready for their final attempt at discrediting me.
The judge called for the proceedings to begin, her voice commanding the room. The defense attorney rose first, attempting to salvage what was left of their case. "Your Honor, we ask that you dismiss all charges against the school. The evidence presented has not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that the school system failed in any significant way. Mr. Harper's allegations remain unsubstantiated."
I could feel the anger building inside me, but I bit my tongue. This was it. This was my moment to make sure it all counted. I wasn't going to let them slip away now.
My attorney stood, his posture straight and confident, the sharpness of his voice cutting through the defense's flimsy argument. "Your Honor, we've presented the truth. This school ignored multiple red flags, chose to punish the victim, and allowed a system of silence and cover-up to persist. We've shown you the emails, the reports, and the statements from faculty. There is no denying what happened here."
The judge looked at both of us for a moment, her gaze steady, weighing everything. The courtroom was silent as if the world itself was holding its breath. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the judge spoke.
"Having reviewed the evidence thoroughly, I believe it's clear that the school's actions- or rather, their inaction, have played a role in the harm done to Mr. Harper. The failure to protect him, to investigate the situation properly, and the subsequent retaliation against him are unacceptable."
The words struck like a hammer. I could hardly believe it. For so long, I had been fighting against a system that seemed untouchable, and now, the judge was acknowledging it. She continued her voice firm.
"Therefore, I am ruling in favor of Mr. Harper. The school is found guilty of negligence and misconduct. The necessary criminal investigations will follow, and the individuals responsible will be held accountable."
My heart skipped a beat, and I barely heard the defense attorney's muttered protests. My attorney was standing beside me, a small but satisfied smile on his face. I didn't even feel it at first- this sense of release, of vindication. It was like the weight of everything I'd carried for so long had finally been lifted.
The judge's gavel struck down, sealing the fate of those who had wronged me. "I order that the police begin their investigation into the actions of the school administration. Arrest warrants will be issued for the principal, the head of security, and any other individuals found to be directly involved in this case. This court is adjourned."
The room erupted in a mix of shocked murmurs and quiet applause, but all I could hear was the sound of my own pulse pounding in my ears. I turned to my attorney, who was already gathering his things, his face proud but calm. "You did it, Liam," Brett said, offering me a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
The people responsible were finally going to pay. The principal, the head of security- those who had dismissed me, silenced me, tried to break me-were about to face the consequences.
We left the courtroom, and I saw the reporters already crowding around, their cameras flashing, just like with Alan Andrews in his speech, they were swarming me like moths to any flicker of flame.
The police were already moving in. I watched as they approached the principal, the Dean, and even the Counselor, their handcuffs gleaming in the light, and I couldn't stop the rush of satisfaction that washed over me. Nobody else would be hurt by them, not anymore. It was finally over, after years of torture.
'Hey Liam, we did it,' I thought, getting out of the chair and putting him back in as my cape dragged behind me. Whether it was our victory, or just his, it was done regardless.
I opened my eyes and saw Detective Nala, Jim, and Brett approaching me at the same time. In an instant, Brett wrapped his arm around me and gave me a hard noogie as I laughed, dancing inside my thoughts. I knew everything that went down, I could see all of it, including the man dressed in a fiery cape and crown.
"Hey, can I speak to you, Mr. Nala?" I asked, dragging him away from the other two as they prepared to start the car, with Brett rubbing his hands together the entire time.
"What's up?" He questioned, his yellow eyes staring into mine as I took a step back and started.
"You know, at first I thought it was strange. What are the chances that figure appeared after visiting Gispellen? Then it got weirder, that billboard never had your name on it before, it used to be a toothpaste ad. And then you suddenly appeared after that in the police station, at that point I was still thinking whatever."
I paused, catching my breath as I looked into his eyes, which threatened to turn into the orange color I knew I had seen in them before. "But you made a mistake, the moment you mentioned my truck seat I knew what- No, who you were. And Nala is a terrible anagram," I finished, throwing a photo of the grave with the name Ares engraved.
"That's you, isn't it? Alan Andrews," I accused, taking another step back as he let out a loud sigh of defeat, icy smoke exhaling onto the air.
"Yeah, you got me, kid. I have to admit, didn't think you had it in you," He replied, his figure starting to contort and shift into something else.
After a few seconds, the figure I had seen in my dream appeared in front of me. Detective Nala- Or Alan Andrews stood in front of me, still six foot two. But this time, he had a pair of black horns four inches tall, a blood spider web-shaped earring, and the familiar black suit with the velvet red cufflinks and undershirt.
*****
Hello everyone! I'm proud to announce this is the end of the book. I hope you all enjoyed it and if you have any questions, don't worry. Most, if not all, will be answered in a later novel.
Thank you for sticking it through with me, for any old readers here, I reworked the entire novel to make it much clearer, readable, and enjoyable. Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have a good week and take some of the messages to heart.
Once again, my theme is societal corruption and corruption in the school system. I hope you all understood it, and yes, the main character has DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder)
This novel is based on a true story, well minus the supernatural elements I added, of course. It was created using different experiences people have gone through, including someone I know personally, and got permission from him to add his story to this novel.
Merry Christmas everyone, until next time! -Clue