Southern Romance Sneak Peak!

Chapter One

  

      “Sara, wake up.” She laid there drowsy from yet another night of endless nightmares that left her eyes swollen from crying and dark ringed circles that said very clearly she hadn't slept all night.

     “Sara, how many times have I told you, if you’re having a bad night, come and wake me, you don't need to go through this by yourself?  I'm your mother, what do you think it does to me to see you like this.  If you won't wake me so I can comfort you, then wake me so I can be comforted just knowing that I was here for you.”  Marie’s voice was soft yet warning at the same time.

     “There's no since in me waking you.  Besides you’re always here for me.  Don’t feel that you aren’t.”  Sara shifted out from under the heavy white down comforter, wiping her eyes, ridding the sleep and sand that was readily taking up residence there.  “I'm going to take a shower and then I’ll be down and ready to go.”

     “You don't have to do this if you don't want to.  You know that right?  There is nobody forcing you to go.”   

      “I have to do this for me.  I have to if I am ever going to feel safe and strong again I have to.”  Sara's mother knew without a doubt her daughter, was very much right.  She just couldn't wrap her mind around having to sit by, while her daughter had to face the man that had caused so much pain. 

     Pain that she couldn't make go away.  She could only wipe the tears falling from her eyes as she exited her daughter’s bedroom and left her to shower alone.  It was probably a good thing Sara went straight to the shower because Marie was about to lose it.  That was something she tried desperately not to do in front of Sara.

      “Emmy Jean, what am I going to do?  I'm sorry I called you like this and so early, I knew today would be hard, but I didn't think this was going to affect me like this.  How am I going to be strong for her when I can't even be strong for myself?”

      “Marie, you need to take a few breaths, and pull yourself together.  This is hard on you to.  I told you when this happened you needed to grieve yourself, but you wouldn't listen to me.  You’re her mother.  Did you really think that you would be able to wake up today and go about your marry little way with no worries?  Your daughter was assaulted, beaten, almost raped, and left for dead.  You couldn't stop it, you can't take away the pain, and you most certainly can't lose it now.  I know that I sound harsh, but right now that is exactly what you need.  You need to get mad, hold her hand, and walk into that court room and support your daughter while she puts that son of bitch away for a long time.”  Marie didn't say anything, she just sobbed.  “Marie, are you still there?” 

      “Yes, but I don't know how much longer I can take this.  You haven't seen her, she is down to maybe 100lbs soak and wet.  She doesn’t eat, she can't sleep, and she just stays in her room all day.  She quit work, can you believe that?  She worked so hard to become a teacher and she doesn’t even care about it anymore.  I used to see so much life in her beautiful eyes, now all I see is red, swollen, painful eyes that look like they should belong to someone much older.  And she’s so pale now.”

      “Marie, I can't say that I have seen those same eyes, but I have seen similar eyes.  It took JT along time to get over Amanda.  He had to do it on his own time.  She will have to do it on her own time.  Sara will live again.  Just as before, she will become full of life and love.  When she does, she will know a powerful strength lives in her like no other.  You just have to give her time.” 

      “Oh Emmy Jean, you’re right, you have always been right.  You know exactly what to say to me to make me find my own strength.  I do love you my friend.” 

      “I love you to, when this is over, you should come and visit.  You and Rick used to come and visit us often when the children were young."

     "I tell you what, if we make it through this, we will.  It would be so much easier if Rick was here.  But at the same time, I don't know that I would be able to handle him and her in the same room with that low life sleaze ball."

     "Will you call me when this is over today?"

     "I will, again Emmy Jean, thank you for always being there whenever I needed you."

     "Hey, what are friends for."

     Marie heard Sara descending down the stairs and said her goodbyes.

     Sara reached for the coffee mug sitting on the counter and poured her a cup of coffee.  She needed a good cup of coffee, if only she could pour a little courage in with it that would help her through this day.

     "Who were you talking to?"          

     "Emmy Jean, I thought I would just kill sometime and I hadn't had a chance to call her this week."  Marie went to moving things around to busy herself, and to hide the fact she had been on the verge of a serious melt down.

     "Still calling up Emmy for some words of wisdom?"  Sara allowed a scant grintouch her lips, only to try to lighten the situation.  Forcing a smile out of her these days was almost as easy as making it snow in July in the middle of Texas.  A phenomenon.  She knew that this had been very hard on her mother, and she didn't intend for it.  After all, this was her fault.  If she wouldn't have gotten so mad that night and left the bar alone, none of this would have happened.

      “It’s good to hear encouraging words from time to time.  Do you want any breakfast?"  Marie looked up at Sara knowing what the answer was going to be before Sara had a chance to answer her. 

     Sara didn’t doubt that.  She wasn’t in the mood to push the subject anyways.  "No, I don't feel like it.  Thanks anyways."

     "Sara you are wasting away.  If you don't eat, it’s not ever gonna get any better.  You’re gonna pine away to nothing and he wins.  Is that what you really want?  I know somewhere under all that hurt and pain is my beautiful daughter waiting to bless us with her presence again."

     "Mom, don't talk to me about something you know nothing about.  I may be your daughter but I’m the one with the pain."  Sara was angry and yelling.

     "I know honey, but you don't have to continue to starve yourself."  Marie yelled right back.

     "You know what it wasn't you under his body.  It wasn't your face he used for a punching bag!  It isn’t your face that wears the scar!  It’s not your ribs that hurt from being kicked, and you don't have the ugly scars from being shot not to mention the other!  You don't wake up at night smelling his breath or his sweat!  You don't wake up at night screaming and fighting the dark!  Oh, and don’t forget scrubbing your skin until it is ready to bleed and feels as if it will do so at any given point!   Don't try to make it better because you can't!  Let's go so this can be over."  Sara slammed her cup down on the counter causing the coffee to splash over the rim and stomped out to the car. 

     Marie just stood there replaying in her head the words her devastated daughter had just lashed out at her.  These were the first words that had been spoken of that night other than her statement to the police at the hospital.  She couldn't believe what that man had done to her baby.  She wanted to kill him.  She wanted to make everything ok.  But the damage was done.  Now she had to be strong, pull her trembling body back together and take her daughter to face her attacker one last time. 

     When they pulled up at the court house there was security around. The press was there snapping pictures of them before she could even get the car parked.  Security rushed into escort them into the court room leaving Marie very thankful. 

     The moment the doors opened to the court room Sara seen him.  Sitting there with his defense attorney laughing and cutting up like there wasn't a worry in his world.  The same smug look on his face today was the one that he wore that night. 

     Behind him sat and stood several officers, decked out in their best, patting their friend on the shoulder and laughing right along with him.  Staring at Sara as if she was the one in the wrong.  Like she was the perpetrator and he was the victim. 

     Sara and Marie made their way to their seats.  The prosecutor knelt down in front of them.  "This is what they want Sara.  They want everyone to see how he is well liked.  He only allowed his fellow officers to come to make you nervous.  To try to scare you into not testifying.  He’s scared.  We have him right where we want him.  Don't let it work.  You can't let it get to you.  Can you handle this?" 

     Sara hadn’t taken her eyes off of them.  She was shaking, her palms were sweating, tears where in her eyes. She remembered everything that man had done to her.  She could feel everything that man had done to her.  It was like it was happening all over again.  He was sitting across the room from her but she could smell his scent.  It was sickening to her.  Making her nauseous.

     "Sara, honey you don't have to do this.  We can get up and walk out right now and never look back.  We can move.  Pack up and start a new beginning somewhere away from here."  Marie was just as scared as Sara.

     "No, if we do that then he is free to do this to someone else again.  I can't, no; I won't let this happen again to somebody else because I was too much of a coward to get on that stand." 

     "All raise, the honorable James Mastersend residing." 

     "Are we ready to proceed?"  The judge’s voices was deep and raspy.  Almost as if he had just gotten out of bed.

     Both attorneys stood and agreed. 

     "Mr. Clemons, call your first witness."

     "Your honor, prosecution wishes to call Sara Stevens to the stand."

     It took everything in her to stand before that ruthless man and take her stand.  She stood and slowly made her way to the stand.   

     "Raise your right hand.  Do you swear that the testimony you are about to give is the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

     "I do."  Sara could hear her voice shake.  Her body trembled.  Her eyes burned from fighting back tears.  She didn’t want to show that son of a bitch what he had done to her.  Physically or emotionally.

     "Ms. Stevens, do you recall what happened the night of August 15, 2011?"

     "Yes."

     "Can you tell me and the court about it?" 

     Sara sat there, she couldn't speak.  She tried to and opened her mouth but no words came out.

     "Ms. Stevens, answer the question please."

     "I was out with a few friends.  We were at a bar celebrating.  I had just passed my exam."

     "And what exam was that?"

     "I had taken a state exam giving me the credentials to teach elementary education."

     "And then what happened Ms. Stevens?"

      “It was me and a few friends.  I had,,,, we were all drinking and laughing."  Sara had to swallow the lump in her throat before she could say his name.  "Officer Davis asked me to dance.  At first I said no thank you.  My friends kept telling me I should, but I didn't want to.  About an hour later he asked me again, this time my friends kind of nudged me to go so I did. 

      “I could feel my head spinning out on the dance floor, and I knew that I had drank too much.  I excused myself and went to the bathroom.  I splashed some water on my face, and decided it was time for me to go home.  When I opened up the door he was standing there. 

      “He told me he could tell that I had drank too much and that he was a cop and if I wanted he would take me home.  We went to the table and told my friends our plans then I said goodnight.  We got into his truck and my eyes were very heavy, everything was spinning.  I felt nauseous.  I gave him the directions and just relaxed. 

      “When I felt the truck stop and heard him shut off the engine, I never even opened my eyes.  I just opened the truck and got out.  I stood there for a minute and I could smell water.  I opened my eyes, and we were parked.  We were out in the country by what looked like a creek.  I asked him where we were but he didn't say anything. 

      “He came towards me and started kissing me.  I told him to stop but he wouldn't.  He put his hands up my shirt and starting feeling my breast.  I begged him to stop."  Sara was crying, shaking, and gasping for air and fighting to say the words.

     "I know this is hard for you.  But we need you to tell the court exactly what happened.  Please, can you continue?"  The prosecutor handed Sara a glass of water.  Marie looked and watched as her daughter did the bravest and hardest thing she had ever seen in her life. 

     "He just kept touching me.  I kept telling him no,,, that I didn't want this.   I even apologized for even possibly leading him on by dancing with him but he wouldn't stop.  He had a hold of my shoulders.  When he loosened his grip, I took off running but he caught me and shoved me down.  The ground was covered in gravel and I could feel pieces of gravel embedded in my hands and knees. 

      “He turned me over, and I started fighting.  I slapped him on the face and he hit me and then hit me again.  He leaned down and put his mouth next to my ear and told me if I didn't hold still he would kill me.  He told me that he had his gun with him and he would shoot me so many times that nobody would be able to recognize my dismembered body. 

      “I was terrified, I just laid there, he kept trying to kiss me, but I couldn't so I turned my head and he said fine, if you won't take it easy, then you can have it hard.  I tried to fight him again but he hit me again.  He tore off my shirt, and took a knife and cut my bra open.

      “He started kissing my breast and I slapped him again, this made him really mad but he didn't hit me.  He raised up and told me that he could tell I liked it rough from the start and then he bit at me, he bit my breast, I screamed, it hurt so bad.  He ripped my skirt off me and tore my panties. 

      “I started fighting, I told him that I had never been with a man before and this must of excited him because then he started laughing and started touching me and telling me how much I was going to enjoy this.  Then I began to vomit, I couldn't help it.  I puked on him."  Sara was uncontrollably crying at this point. 

     "Ms. Stevens, you’re doing the right thing here.  I can't even begin to fathom how hard this must be but we need you to continue."

     "I just need a minute."

     "Of course take your time." 

     Sara sat there pulling herself together.  Trying to calm her breathing and the uncontrollable hiccups that had come from crying so hard. 

     "He started yelling at me.  And then he was hitting me, and kicking me, and telling me I was a tramp and I wasn't worth his time and that he could have better.  But I didn't have anything to worry about.  I wouldn't live to see another day.  He went to his truck and I tried to get up but I couldn't.  I could see blood coming from my breast where he had bit me.  I was bruised.  It hurt to breath, and when he returned he said look at me!  When I did, he had his gun pointed at me."

     "What happened next Sara?"

     "I don't know.  When I woke up I was in the hospital."

     "Is the man that did that to you here in the court room today?"

     "Yes."  Sara pointed to the officer.

     "Let the record show that Ms. Stevens has pointed to the defendant.  No further questions your         

Honor."

     "Your witness defense."

     "Ms. Stevens, I have no doubt that you have not suffered tremendously.  I applaud you for your strength and will to live.  You are a true inspiration to women just like yourself."       

     "Thank You."

     "Ms. Stevens, so you openly testify that you and Officer Davis were at a bar and that you had been drinking.  You also testified that you could tell yourself that you had too much to drink, so you were intoxicated."

     "Yes."

     "Isn't it possible that Officer Davis did take you home just like he testified, and that after he left you went for a walk?   Maybe to get that fresh air that you testified you needed."

     "NO!  That’s not what happened."

     "Really?  You testified that you were so intoxicated that you couldn't even open your eyes when the truck stopped.  Isn't it possible in your drunken state you walked away from the home that Officer Davis had taken you to?  Isn't it possible that your assault that nobody here doubts happened, couldn't it of happened by somebody else."

     "NO, NO, NO!  He did it, he did it!  I was drunk!  I admit it!  But drunk or not I know who assaulted me."

     “Ms. Stevens, you said in your statement to the police that he had used his hand gun.  That it was black and looked like what most cops use.  His gun was tested and did not match the bullet that was pulled out of you.  There is no way that he could have done this.”

     “That bullet might not have matched, and I don’t know a lot about guns.  But I know who did this to me.”  She forced the words from between her teeth.

     "Hm-mm, no further questions your honor."

     "We will take a recess and adjourn in one hour."

     Sara stepped off the stand and her knees were so weak that she couldn't hold her own weight and tumbled to the floor.  Her mother rushed to her side and helped her outside.

     "You did good baby you did it.  It’s over, now they will put that SOB where he belongs.  Behind bars."  The hour didn't last nearly long enough.  About the time Sara was getting calmed down the prosecutor was telling them it was time to go back.

     "Has the jury reached a verdict in this matter?" The judge asked.

     A man stood and said "Yes."  He handed a piece of the paper to an officer and he took it to the judge to read.  When the judge was finished reading it silently, he read it out loud.  Time stood still; there wasn't a sound in the court room. 

     "In the matter of the State of Texas vs. Officer Corey Davis, the jury has found you not guilty in the matter of attempted rape in the first degree, not guilty in the matter of attempted murder, and not guilty in the charge of assault with a deadly weapon.  Officer Davis, you are hereby free to go." 

     The court room erupted in joyous applauds and laughter.  Sara watched in devastation.  His fellow officers hugging and shaking his hand.  He stood to leave the court room but before he did, he stopped next to Sara and let an evil grin brush his lips.  "I'm terribly sorry that happened to you Ms. Stevens."  It was as he was mocking her.  He had told her this would happen.  He told her he would never be found guilty of this.  He was right. 

     Sara wanted to curl up and die.  She wished that bullet would have just been a little to the left and it would of hit her heart instead of her lung and it would of been over with.  Marie grabbed Sara's elbow and held it tight while walking out of the court room.  The prosecutor had their car pulled around to the back of the court house so that they would be able to leave without further trauma from the press occurring and they left.  Neither Sara nor Marie spoke on the way home.  It was the longest drive home they had ever made.

Don't you want to know what happens?  Will Officer Davis get what he deserves or has the justice system failed her?  Amazon.com