Justice Served

24 | Eating Is A Priority

Chapter Twenty-Four
Jayce Mirella

The feeling of the handcuffs that embrace my thin wrists as the cool winds of late January, makes me shiver as the cold air begins to tickle my spin; meanwhile, goosebumps arise on my skin. Rhys made it possible for me to change into a new set of clothes thanks to Luna's unwavering kindness, however, a short sleeve graphic t-shirt hardly provides any protection against the harsh winds that are prone to be around during this time of year.

Aside from my apparel came the discomfort of the multitude of people that surround me. Policemen, and women of all shapes, sizes, and colors surround me for safety reasons since I am a 'blue-collar' criminal while reporters are abuzz around the officers, shoving and pushing while their indistinct chatter floods my ears. Some reporters hold large cameras attempting to get the best shot possible, some hold microphone boxes pointed my way as their words spit rapid-fire in my direction but their voices mix in with others of their kind, whereas some other reporters are snapping pictures blinding me so I occasionally stumble as I walk.

On the far outside perimeter of this unnecessary ring around me are bystanders who are curiously trying to take a glance at who's managed to consume these reporter's attention. I felt like I was a zoo animal in a display, I was that ugly popular exhibit that people couldn't take their eyes off of for all the wrong reasons.

Rhys Chandler was nowhere in sight but that was to be expected considering how police officers came to his office only two hours ago. He had scheduled my initial appearance at court three days ago; my first official hearing in this tiresome process.

I walk up the steps of the all-white courthouse, each step I take causing the others around me to follow in suit. The more I climb my way up towards the entrance of the large building, the more visible the ten large pillars that hold the entrance of this 'righteous' sanctuary becomes. The thunderous shutter that goes off when a camera goes off, the jumbled words falling out of the mouths of the overworked reporters, and journalists, the irritated shouts of the officers as they shove the people that get too close to me, even the distance sounds of honking from the unquenchable drivers on their way to work soften to a lull in my head the closer I get to those large brown doors.

New York State Supreme Court Building.

The building's mass and scale give it the appearance of a temple. A broad set of steps sweeps up from Foley Square to a massive Corinthian colonnade covering most of the front of the courthouse, topped by an elaborate triangular pediment of thirteen figures carved in bas relief from what looked to be granite. The stone steps lead me to the colonnaded entrance, where those large brown doors are pushed open with ease by two large officers of strong build.

My heart hammers against my chest, I begin to feel the palms of my hands begin their production of sweat that coat the surface of my hands. The officers by my side enter the building with me, the other officers prevent the reporters and civilians from entering the building too.

Eventually, those large doors come to a close and I'm inside the large building with officers in uniform around me, but this time my eyes also begin to take in the lawyers, and prosecutors in their typical attire. Hardly anything eye-catching, my eyes began to roam around the interior of the building. The rotunda is large in circumference and rises high in height up to a cupola with a gorgeous antique chandelier designed to light up the room.

In addition to its monumental masonry, the courthouse possessed several impressive murals that encompassed the ceiling. No matter how much I tried, I could not manage to rip my eyes away from the art above me. The colorful designs, the intensity of what was portrayed in the art, the age behind it was all so enchanting. When I was finally able to pull my gaze onto something else, I began to notice ten stained-glass windows and clerestories that brought the most light into the room.