Everything was happening so fast. And it was nighttime. I felt surreal and still a big part of me thought I was dreaming even though my wrists hurt rather in a real way...
I remember the scared look on my mom's face when they took me downstairs. I remember being in a police van guarded by two policemen. Finally I remember being thrown into a cell where I cried for a while until I drifted to sleep again...
I was woken up in the morning by a harsh male voice.
"Wake up!" it said "You have to go to the court now. It's beautiful this new Instantaneous Prosecution Policy, you know. It helps to deal with scums like you fast..."
Next thing I remember I was taken to the court house where I met my barrister. I don't remember my family having one so I guessed it was a part of the wish for him to be here. The stone arranged everything to happen fast. A lot faster than it would in a normal case...
I didn't even managed to talk to the barrister properly when a trial started. They made their talks. The prosecutor showed the pictures of a girl I supposedly murdered. She looked cute. She was about my age and, although I would never admit it, definitely prettier than Karyn.
The next picture showed her naked laying in a pool of blood.
Then they played the video from the surveillance cameras. That was when the shock hit me. I could clearly see myself on those videos, first following the girl, then taking her by force and then eventually stabbing her four times in the chest with a knife I took from the inside of my jacket.
I couldn't believe what I was seeing but I imagined that for everyone else gathered in the room this was enough. They knew I was guilty even though I didn't do anything.
A few hours passed and before I realized it the final break before the verdict was announced. I really wanted to see my family and Karyn, to tell them that it's not what it seems, but the guards wouldn't allow me.
After a quarter of an hour which seemed like years to me the jury returned to announce the verdict. They didn't say anything at first but I knew already what they are going to say. I was to be found guilty and as my punishment I was to be Downsent, just as the policeman wished.
The senior juror stood up.
"It is our decision," he started "to find here present Jon Gibson guilty of the pressed charges and to sentence him for 20 years of being Downsent."
I wanted to cry. Even more because I hear a murmur of approval running through the audience.
But I still didn't know what being Downsent meant. I turned to my barrister.
"Excuse me, but what exactly does 'being Downsent' mean?"
"You didn't hear about it?" he was genuinely surprised "It was introduced a couple years ago when they invented this new technology... What basically happen is..."
