The Decision <body> <body bgcolor="aabdfd"> <center><h2>The Decision</h2> <h3>Written by Eileen</h3></center> <p> <br> Mrs. Puckett leaned back in her chair, only half listening to the final bits of conversation as the jurors filed into the room. She was one of the first ones in and took the first available seat. It was difficult to think because the room was so cold, but as no one else seemed to mind Mrs. Puckett chose to say nothing. <p> Instead, she tried to concentrate on the vote she was about to cast. Not Guilty, of course, just as she'd always thought. Despite the vigorous opposition, who seemed far too closed-minded to be good jurors in any case, she still believed in her choice. <p> No, that was not fair, saying they were closed-minded. Most of them did seem to at least consider what she and her collegues said. Except for that annoying Matteo fellow. Why can't he learn to speak English like the rest of us? <p> Mrs. Puckett shook her head, then stopped and lightly gripped the table to steady the sudden dizzy spell. // I really need to see my doctor when this is over.// But as the dizziness confused her physical senses, a more internal confusion also took place. <p> // Is it the right thing to do? What if he -is- guilty? We'd be letting him go... he'd be free to continue his actions because we can't choose another option... and he couldn't be put on trial again. But if I say guilty and he's innocent, I'm dooming a man to eternal stasis without hope of heaven--if they can even influence that.// She brushed a bit of hair back behind her ear. <p> No, that was wrong, thinking about the verdict in terms of the punishment. It's not supposed to influence your judgement! You promised it wouldn't! // But it does...// <p> As in all times of trouble, Mrs. Puckett resorted to thinking about her family. Her daughter-in-law and her daughter... the rest of the family. They had promised to come visit when the trial finished. Mrs. Puckett was looking forward to it. She pictured their faces in her mind... and then they both tumbled forward onto the ground, blood pouring from beneath their prone bodies. <p> Mrs. Puckett jerked and the images disappeared from her mind, but the damage was done. One against many. One must weight the balance: the possibility of one innocent life being destroyed versus the possibility of many. Funny she'd never seen it that way before. It wasn't "innocent until proven guilty," that's why. <p> All of this took place in the time it took for the rest of the jurors to file into the room. Then, the illicit video was somehow shown to the jurors and, oddly enough, the showing went unnoticed by the Arrow administration. After the interviews in which Mrs. Puckett tried to convince a man in a suit and tie that she -had- seen something, the ballots were to be filled in and it was time to think again. <p> Mrs. Puckett felt ashamed. She had been prepared to abandon this man to eternal stasis... how could she possibly...? She remembered the video, the images of Mr. Black executing each and every one of those twistings. He was protecting, not harming. Protecting people, like her. What if he'd saved her life and she just didn't know it? What a way to repay him! <p> The images played back in her mind. And she finally allowed the last one to play, the one that had bothered her and that she had tried to ignore. Mr. Black, shooting a crowd of what he obviously thought were twisted beings (whatever those really were). <p> A young woman... an old man... these were not threatening people! And he just killed them, prosecutor judge and jury. Not right. <p> But what was really not right was the very last person she saw him shoot. "The little girl with the flower print dress, teddy bear clutched to her chest." A little girl who looked so much like Jane did when she was small. Too much like Jane and like all little children. What had she done to deserve this? Isn't it possible that, if these people were "twisted," they could be untwisted? There's always a way back! <p> Somehow Mrs. Puckett knew that the film was meant to push her vote in the not guilty direction. But she could not escape from the face of that child, which kept growing up into Jane in front of her eyes. Could she go home to her family if she voted to have him freed? <p> Mrs. Puckett knew the other jurors well enough by now to know that the tally would be close. How close? Could she live with herself if she determined that this man would spend all of eternity in stasis? Could she live with herself if she didn't? <p> Mrs. Puckett closed her eyes after casting her vote. // Forgive me, Johnny, if I was wrong. I'm so sorry. Please let it turn out right.// <p> Guilty. <p> <br> <i>Do not copy or quote the above material without the expressed written consent of the owner of this page.</i> <p> <a href="http://www.oocities.org/talegiver/">back</a> </body> </html>