"Today, I have before you, your honor, a man who's been morally and physically abused by that creature sitting at that table."

The plaintiff lawyer, a rouge man who was in his early forties maybe late thirties when he was immortalized, pointed to a wearisome Henry that sat alone at the defendant's table.

"People of the jury, today I will show you through testimonies of people that have personally witnessed this man's abuse and ill manners that he has certainly wronged many people. My client, Mr. Earl Edward Jones, now, upon his new revelation that his name was unwillingly changed to Mr. Earl Edward Dogwood has been wronged by the vampire you see before you. Without any rash judgements, don't blame the vampire for being a monster, but see that he has the cunning ability to bear false witness. Vampires are known for their sins, for it is said in the time's Mr. Henry Dogwood that one became a vampire by simply sinning. After you see what Mr. Henry has done to my client, see it in your heart that the trauma ensued and endured by my client is cruel and unusual punishment, and that he should not have to live his life an immortal for eternity, harboring a, what Henry has been calling, monster, for the rest of his life. With grace, please find it in your hearts that you should not condemn a man to suffer for the rest of his life because of one decision and act against humanity and immortal beings that can be reversed." The lawyer turned to the judge. "Thank you, that is all."

"Thank you, Mr. Hall." The judge, old and rotting away in his old age of immortality, but still not nearly as old as Henry, swallowed roughly and adjusted his glasses. (He was old and rotting away when he became immortal after having mulled over the decision for decades). "Mr. Henry Dogwood, don't you have an attorney?"

With a shattered look, Henry gazed up from his knitted hands; fingers entwining on themselves; and softly spoke, "No, I want to provide my own case. You see, I've had bad experiences with attorneys and can't seem to find one that will suit me best in the time between when the case was filed and now."

"You understand what it means to waive your rights to proper representation in this vampiric court?"

Henry lightly nodded with pursed lips. "Yes, I do."

"Would you like to present your opening statement?"

"No, your honor." Henry rocked in his chair.

"You understand that by reserving your opening statement the jury nor I will likely favor your case if you aren't to testify against these accusations?"

"Yes, your honor, I do."

The judge's eyes widened in amazement, "Mr. Hall, you may call your first witness to the stand."

Standing up, the pompous young man (young to the rest of the immortals in the courtroom) brazenly confident now, belted, "I call Mrs. Lucy Dunham to the stand."

In a veil of white ethereal essence pouring at her sides, Lucy Dunham floated to the stand as a ghost of something still haunting her. She swore in on all accounts of the Bible, Tora, Quran and about several hundred other religious texts from ancient and current history.

"What is your name?"

"Lucy Dunham."

"What is your relation to that man." Mr. Hall pointed to Edward. He paced the floor, gathering the jury's eyes and attention with ease.

"That's my late husband Edward. Well, I can't say late now, can I?" She gave an awkward smile. "Till death do us part." She managed to laugh.

"And that man over there?" He pointed to Henry.

"That there is Henry. No proper last name has ever been given to my knowledge." Lucy's voice soon became hard and lacking any teasing. There was a seriousness, she felt, about the questions she was about to be asked.

"Has Henry ever posed a threat to you?"

"How do you mean?"

"Has he ever injured you, taken advantage of you, wronged you?"

"If you mean that he's wronged me in a sense that he's purposefully killed me, then." She stopped dead in her tracts.

"Please, elaborate Mrs. Dunham, the court needs to know what Henry Dogwood has done to you back in 1790."

For a short while, Lucy fidgeted with her shall, looking at Edward that gazed lovingly at her. With a quick glance, Lucy turned her eyes to Henry who, looking beaten already, had his head down.

"It was late morning after I had gone to see my sick mother. She was in Canterbury at the time and was painfully withering away at her deathbed for several months. I--I am so ashamed that I hadn't gone to see her any time sooner."

Lucy pulled a handkerchief from her dress pocket and dabbed her nose. "It was the same day that I found out my father had died in a hunting accident. She had told me, and I know it wasn't easy on either Edward nor me, but."

She took a heavy sigh, looking down at the floor and definitely no one in particular. "But then, later that day after Edward had run away, I sent Alfred, our butler to go after him and," Lucy paused on the verge of crying. A singular tear drop rushed down her porcelain cheek. "Henry was the only one there at the time, and I had run into him coming out of my mother's room and, and,"

"Take your time, dear." Mr. Hall lulled to her.

"And he grabbed my neck so tightly," She reached up and with her white gloved hands, daintily wrapped them around her neck. "And he held a cloth to my face so I could no longer breath." Lucy gasped at the resurfaced memory.

"That'll be all, your honor---"

"And then I woke up in a forest outside of his house, and I was gravely ill, your honor. I was gravely ill for he had rubbed my mother's sick breathe onto my lips."

"Thank you, Mrs. Dunham, that'll be all." The judge huffed.

"I ran to the front door to speak with Veronica for I knew she was home for she was home the night when I had come to see Henry. You see, he lured me with a spell, I know of it, look at him! He's capable of casting spells on me! He's capable of casting spells on Edward!"

"We'll get to that later, Mrs. Dunham." Mr. Hall admonished lightly.

"BUT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Lucy yelled, sending a sudden shock across the whole court. "He's the devil that he is!" She still clutched her aching throat.

"He had a whole barrel of evil water he had me drink at the picnic, and when I saw myself in the reflection, I saw the devil looking right at me! Edward knew he was the devil when we first invited them into our home one stormy night. He killed me out of envy and spite! He made me drink a love potion that killed my soul! He had Edward drown in that water too! It's not right to let a man or woman undergo the troubles we've seen!"

"THAT'S ENOUGH, LUCY!" Mr. Hall, with the help of several heavenly officers, silenced the sporadic Lucy.

"I loved you, Edward, I truly did!" She heaved her breath so Edward could hear, but then quietly began saying it over again to herself.

Troubled and torn, the judge sighed, "Mr. Dogwood, would you like to cross examine Mrs. Dunham now?"

Henry shook his head.

"Okay then, Mr. Hall?"

"No further questions, your honor, there's no need for a re-examination." Edward grabbed his lawyer tightly by the arm, whispering a harsh tone into the poor man's ears. "Uh, your, honor, my client would like to make a change to the clause of the claims against Henry Dogwood."

"Let's hear it."

"He'd like to have Henry condemned for wrongful and unsolicited transformation to the first degree."

"That is the court's decision! Not the plaintiffs!" For a second, the judge thought about it. "See to you provide the proper evidence, and, and we shall see." He shrugged.

Henry saw it in his eyes that the judge had already made up his mind. The jury even knew it was wrong for Edward to bare the troubles of the monster he created inside that man, but to condemn him to the first degree, now that is what they were trying for.

So be it, Henry decided, it's about time that I come face to face with what I have done.

"I now call Veronica Rolfe to the stand!"

Chapter 24

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