The Darkness We Hide

Michelle stood in the center of the oddest courtroom she’d ever seen. In truth, it wasn’t really a courtroom like one might think of, it was more like a city council’s chambers with a semi-circular, elevated platform when eight elderly people sat looking down on her.

“Ma’am,” the senior of them said, looking straight at her. “You are here testifying of your own free will regarding the case against one Richard Allen, a rogue werewolf whose actions caused you harm. Correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Michelle replied, her throat feeling tight. She could see Richard, sitting at the very far left of the platform, two burly men standing guard over him. If possible, he looked even crazier that the last time she’d seen him, the night he’d tried to turn her.

“You are also here to give evidence exonerating one Gareth Channing, and member of the Clawfoot Pack,” the Elder said, still staring at her. “Is that correct?”

“Yes, I am,” she answered, clasping her hands together to keep them from shaking.

The four men and four women of the council rose in unison and bowed their heads.

“By the old Gods and the new,” a female elder intoned, “we come to this place seeking the divine justice of our race. Let our judgement be fair and let our verdict be heard by all of our kind so that they may know the punishment just and right.”

“Hail Luna,” was said by everyone in the room as the judges took their seats

Michelle watched all of this warily, not sure if she was supposed to participate or not. When Hugo and Louise, the only two who’d ever been before the council, had talked about how the proceedings would go, they’d never mentioned an opening prayer.

Before she could look to them for help, the head Elder spoke.

“You may begin your testimony,” he said.

Standing before the judges, Michelle whole-heartedly forgave Gareth for the role he played.

“His choices at the time were limited, you honors,” she said, ignoring Richard as he glared at her from his seat. “Yes, Gareth knew I did not want to be turned, but by the time he and his family found where I was being held, the change was already underway. He also knew how I felt about Richard and that for me to be bound to him through the ritual would have been a death sentence.

“I told Richard that if he went through with it I would find a way to kill myself,” she continued, tears welling in her eyes, “but he ignored my begging and did it anyway.”

“Why didn’t you fight back or try to escape?” a judge on the right asked.

“When Richard took me,” Michelle said, feeling a pain deep in her stomach, “he used his car to ram mine into a ditch. I was injured then and being kept in a damp dark cell for the next two weeks, chained to a wall, made me very sick and weak. I couldn’t fight.”

Looking down at their notes, none of the judges could bring themselves to meet her eyes.

“Thank you,” the head judge finally said, standing and bowing his head slowly towards her.

“The Council will discuss this matter and return with our sentence,” he announced, leading the other seven judges out of the room.

Feeling dizzy and lightheaded, the pain in her stomach becoming almost unbearable, Michelle went to sit with Gareth and his family.

It took only minutes for the bell to chime, announcing the return of the judges.

“That was fast,” Gareth said, helping Michelle to her feet.

“The defendant will rise,” the elder judge said when Richard didn't move.

When he continued to refuse to move, rough hands grabbed Richard and forced him to rise.

“You have been found guilty of committing one of the most heinous of crimes, not only of our laws, but in the laws of humans as well,” the judge intoned. “For these crimes, we have no choice but to call for your death.”

“You will be taken from here this day and executed by beheading,” he continued. “May the Gods, the old and new, forgive your crimes, for we here can not.”

Richard began raging as he was dragged away, swearing he would find a way, somehow, of making Michelle his.

As the court cleared, Michelle stood, clinging to Gareth, unable to move.

“Are you ready?” Gareth asked, looking down at her.

“Is it really over?” Michelle breathed, suddenly feeling weak and tired.

“Yes,” he said, holding close, “it’s over.”

Unable to think, let alone speak, she turned into his embrace, burying her face into his shoulder.

Overcome by emotion she began to shake with sobs as months of pain, rage and sadness were finally released.

Feeling her go limp, Gareth was barely able to catch her before she hit the floor.

“Michelle,” Gareth gasped, smelling fresh blood.

“Michelle,” he yelled, sliding to the floor with her.

“Gareth,” Louise screamed, seeing her worst nightmare come true.

Rushing to the couple, she fell to her knees, searching Michelle’s cold, clammy wrist for a pulse.

“We need to get her to the hospital,” she called to her husband.

Before he could do anything, Michelle began convulsing, her eyes rolling up into her skull. Gareth grabbed her up and elbowed his way past staring bystanders, rushing her to his parents truck.

The drive to the hospital, which should have taken thirty minutes took them less than five. They were met and the emergency room by a team of doctors, alerted by a phone call from Louise.

Taking Michelle into an exam room, the nurses refused to let Gareth follow. It took both of his parents to drag him out of the room, his mother doing everything in her power to talk him down.

“Gareth,” Louise said, taking his face in both her hands, “she’s with the best doctors we have. They’re lycan, and they’re her best chance. You cannot be there.”

“I have to mom,” he yelled, still straining against his father’s iron grip. “I can help her!”

“I know you want to help her, but you are not a doctor!” she said back at him. “Besides, Bella is working in the ER today. She’ll be able to give us information as soon as it’s available.”

“Let me go,” he said angrily to both of his parents, “or I swear by the gods I will…”

“You’ll what?!” his mother demanded, daring him to finish his threat.

“Please,” he sobbed, ceasing his struggles, “I can’t lose her… I can’t.”

“Shhh,” she said, pulling him into an embrace, nodding at her husband to let him go. “All we can do is wait and pray.”