The Lord's Will
"We the Jury, in the case of The State of Oregon versus Driscoll," the Jury foreperson lifts his tired eyes from the papers in hand and rests them upon the anxious defendant, "find the defendant guilty of the charge of first degree murder of his wife, Meredith Driscoll, and their four month old son, Andrew Driscoll."
"Emmett Driscoll," the judge's deep, thunderous voice easily drowns out the whispers emanating from the back of the courtroom, "You are hereby sentenced to a lifetime locked away in the Oregon State Penitentiary," The judge begins gathering his papers together and smacks them upon his podium, "Thank you, Jury, for your service today. Court is adjourned." The judge stands up and the rest of the room is immediately set into motion. Women grab their purses, men stretch their arms, and children awaken from their slumber.
Meanwhile, Emmet stares down at his hands as they are cuffed together, unable to swallow the situation fully. Two heavily armed officers grab him and lift him up and out of the courtroom. Emmett continues to stare down at the floor in disbelief.
Emmett's wife and son were murdered a month prior as he slept peacefully upstairs. Both bodies were found on the kitchen floor, neatly sprawled out and gutted, a half-full baby bottle of milk still in his lover's hand. There were no signs of a struggle; no signs of a break-in. Emmett awoke in the morning to find them both and immediately called the police. All of the evidence pointed to him. And now here he was, still mourning over the loss of his family, about to be locked away in a maximum security prison for the rest of his life under completely false accusations. But who would believe him? He had no one.
Emmett lived a quiet life before all of this in a small, peaceful, suburban neighborhood. He never took the time to get to know his neighbors, and rarely went out for drinks with co-workers. He had no close friends or family members. It took everyone by complete surprise that a crime had even occurred on the street that which he lived, let alone the whole block.
"How could you do this to her Emmett?!" A woman suddenly sobs out, throwing fists and claws in his direction. One of the officers leaves Emmett's side to grab the woman and drag her away, "She loved you Emmett!" Emmett looks up at the woman as she is about to be dragged around the corner, his eyes puffy and dark, immediately recognizing the upset woman as Meredith's older sister by three years, "I wish she never took that stupid job and met your sadistic fucking-!" She suddenly breaks down crying right as she is whisked around the corner, unable to finish her sentence.
"Come on, kid. You've got a long road ahead of you." Emmett looks up at the blonde officer. He was probably double Emmett's own age but looked around 30. He almost sounded sorry for Emmett. Almost.
Emmett looks back down at the ground and is guided onward toward the front of the courthouse where he is to be picked up and taken to the Penitentiary to spend the rest of his life behind metal bars. Fan-fucking-tastic.
The double oak doors of the courthouse open up and the light is almost blinding. As Emmett's eyes are adjusting, a dark figure approaches. An older man in a clean suit and dark sunglasses comes into focus, "Thank you Officer Hensley, I will take our friend from here." The officer reluctantly releases his grip from Emmett's arm. He then salutes the older man, and takes his leave back into the courtroom,
The man towers over Emmett, and looks down at him as if her were a child, "Hello, dear Emmett. What would you think if I told you that you aren't going to the Oregon State Penitentiary, hmm?" Emmett looks up at the old man. A smile spreads across his face; his teeth perfectly white except for one golden tooth.
Emmett quickly looks away, a feeling of fear and nausea creeping up on him, "No offense, but I'd say your full of shit. You're a tad too late to free me. My sentence has already been carried out, you see."
"Oh but that is where you are wrong, lad," Emmett looks back up at the smiling man and is immediately hit with another wave of fear and nausea and is forced to look away once again, "I can save you, Emmett. It is what the Lord is asking of me," the man grabs Emmett's cheeks and brings him so close that they almost touch noses, "Think of this opportunity I am so gratefully giving you a sort of... spiritual awakening," The man's smile grows impossibly wider as he reels his head back and slams it into Emmett's skull. Emmett immediately falls backwards, onto the smooth pavement, "He's all yours, Lord..." As his vision goes out, all he sees is the man's necklace: a large, silver cross, "Do what you must with this one."
