Chapter 11
1085 Words
I had asked to speak to Chaol in the hall after Chris's confession.
My client did not look pleased and Chaol seemed concerned, but I am furious.
"What is it baby? Do you need help in there?"
Chaol's comment only fuels my fire. Do I need help! We've been in there for eight minutes and
he think I already cant handle it!
"No! I can't take the case. He's guilty!"
Chaol sighs and crosses his arms.
"I know, but a good lawyer can get even a guilty man out of his charges in a case like this."
I'm the one crossing my arms now.
"I could, but I won't. He should be punished, not let off the hook."
Chaol softens his eyes for me and rests his hand on my cheek.
"That's not what we get paid to do."
I shove his tattooed hand off me, making his eyes widen with surprise.
"I don't care what we're payed to do. It's not right! What kind of establishment are you running?
You would help defend a murder and keep him from going to jail for his crimes?!"
Chaol looks angry too now, a mood I've never seen directed at me.
"If that's what the client payed me for then YES! He's not a murderer though, the most
punishment he would receive is loosing his job and a fine! It's not exactly something that would
even keep him from doing what he did again!"
The sound of him raising his voice at me brings tears to my eyes.
"Ellie if you want to be a lawyer, this is the job! All you have to do is defend him in court and I
know you will win! Just do it!"
He seems to notice me holding back tears, but Everytime he reaches for me, I slap his hands
away.
"No! I won't defend that pervert."
"Then maybe you aren't cut out to be a lawyer."
I freeze for a moment before my mouth runs without thinking.
"Maybe not. And maybe I'm not meant to be with someone who has such low moral standards."
I turn before letting my tears fall and run down the hallway.
I don't stop or turn around to answer his calls, but rather choose to leave him with the man he's so
keen on defending.
What if the girl was me? Would he let him get away with that?
I run right passed a newly concerned Margo and into the elevator.
Pressing the 30th floor button several times, I rush out finally at the place I had just started
calling home.
Not anymore.
I know I won't have much time, or maybe I'll have hours. Maybe Chaol's as mad at me as I am of
him.
It's not a gartunee though.
I pull out a duffle from the closet, but notice it's extremely heavy.
I huff it to the middle of the floor and unzip it.
My eyes go wide as I see what I assume is an emergency stash of money. All hundreds stacked
together line the bag.
Not anymore.
I dump the bag over and shake out all the money inside of it.
Making sure it's empty, I begin throwing in the clothes that were mine before I moved in here.
Leaving all but two pairs of shoes behind, I zip the bag and throw it over my shoulder, stumbling
a bit at the weight.
Making my way to the elevator, im relived to see it come up empty.
When I reach the lobby, I keep my head down and spped walk out of the building, ignoring
Margo's beckons and calls.
I feel bad. We we're just getting closer. Knowing I have to leave her behind too, I step out into
the heavy rain and curse myself for not checking the weather.
With no other plans in mind, I take off in the opposite direction of my old apartment.
Anyone looking for me would check there first.
After walking for about two miles, my clothes are soaked all the way through and I thank God
the duffle is water proof.
At least those clothes will be dry.
For a moment, I think maybe my decision to leave was rash, but then I remember what provoked
me.
I refuse to be in a place like that with people playing the system. That's not justice. That's the
power of money.
With no where else to go and not wanting to be found, I decide to do something I never thought I
would.
I stop on the empty street place my bag on the ground.
Taking hold of the sewer grate beneath my feet, I lift it up and place it to the side before putting
my duffel back on and slowly descending the rusted metal ladder.
I pull the grate back in place and continue my journey in complete darkness.
I think I'm going to have to climb back up if it's pitch black. I can deal with bad smells and rats,
but not being blind.
Just as I think that, I reach the bottom to see lines of dim lights making the sidewalk like
structures on each side of the waste flow visable. It least the walkways are wide and higher than
the fluid.
The smell is atrocious, but I'm sure I'll adjust. walking twenty or so feet away from the entrance,
I place down my bag and unzit it, changing into sweatpants and a sweatshirt.
The long pants and sleeves should keep me warm and clean. I hang my wet clothes from the
caged light above me, not daring to place them on the ground.
So this is where I live now.
It dawned on me that I have no food and only one bottle of water, but there's some of my hard
earned money in a few of my pants pockets
I'm sure.
I could always pop up when I'm hungry.
There was a cake shop right in front of the grate. Maybe I'll go there tomorrow.
For now, I brush my long hair over my shoulder in an attempt to keep it off the ground and lay
my head on the duffle bag.
I'm not sure how long I do, but I sleep. And Sleep. And sleep. Even when I wake up, I'm so
depressed that I roll over and go back to sleep again. Even when my stomach growls and feels
like it's eating itself, I still refuse to move. I've lost everything, so I just continue to sleep.
- Writer
