12.36 $
At the psychiatric institution, I ate and slept well. After breakfast, I even joined the other patients in their morning exercises; life was remarkably peaceful. Just a week later, Dr. Lee said my condition was good and informed me I could be discharged, advising me to maintain an optimistic outlook. I calculated the time–Bethany should have already blown up the lab.
I thanked the doctor, grabbed my luggage, and left the hospital. I looked up at the sunlight, humming a tune as I started walking home. I hadn’t taken two steps when my mother and Bethany, accompanied by police, school administrators, and a large group of angry parents, arrived.
The moment my mother saw me, she snatched the suitcase from my hand. “You beast! You’ve killed so many innocent lives! And now you want to run!”
Bethany sobbed, “Claire, turn yourself in! Seek leniency, perhaps in this life I’ll still see you released alive!”
Among the crowd were social media influencers. “Folks, the perpetrator of last night’s school bombing has been found! Everyone take a good look! If she’s only sentenced to a few years, we’ll need to avoid her on the streets!”
J
I was stunned. I had gone to such lengths to hide in the psychiatric institution, why were they still after me? I opened my mouth, but before I could speak, the School Board Chairman’s palm landed across my face. The Chairman’s eyes blazed with fury. “You trying to walk free? What about my son?! Does murder not carry a death penalty?!”
The police tried to intervene, but the parents were too numerous and too enraged for them to take much action. I wanted to expla- in, but no one was willing to listen. They shouted for my death, demanding I pay for the lives lost. Some, overcome with emotion even slashed my face, and my hair was left a disheveled mess.
The commotion at the entrance of the psychiatric institution made the patients inside even more agitated. Soon, the hospital dire ctor emerged, leading a large contingent of doctors and security guards. “What is going on? This is a hospital entrance, not a public marketplace! Our patients need rest!”
My mother clutched me fiercely, offering a forced smile. “We’re leaving immediately! We’re leaving!”
I instantly spotted Dr. Lee standing behind the director. “Dr. Lee! My mother is having a relapse, and they’re trying to arrest me! Please, save me!”
Dr. Lee pulled me behind him. “The patient has just been discharged; her emotional state is still unstable. You cannot provoke her further!”
The School Board Chairman was livid. He pointed a finger at my nose, cursing me. “I’ve seen too many like you–committing hein us acts, acting wantonly, and then claiming insanity afterward! I have plenty of money, and I’ll hire the best legal team to get you sentenced to death!”
The live stream comments exploded.
(Why should a mentally ill murderer not get the death penalty?!]
[Support death penalty‘]
[Death penalty)
12:36 C
Chapter 1
I was both furious and utterly bewildered. I had sacrificed so much, gone to such lengths to hide in the psychiatric institution, yet they still found me. “I don’t understand what I’ve done for you to want to sentence me to death?”
The Chairman retorted, “What have you done, you ask? You blew up your school’s chemistry lab! I’ve never seen a criminal as braz
en as you!”
Unlike my past life, this time I was completely confident. “Our school’s chemistry lab blew up? When did this happen? I wasn’t awa re!”
My mother tried to grab me again, but I dodged, remaining behind Dr. Lee. Failing to seize me, my mother grew even more frantic. You’re still pretending? How could I have raised such a vile creature! It happened last night after school; you went to the lab when it was empty and blew it up. The School Board Chairman’s son was right next door and was crushed to death by the collapsing ceili ng!”
Bethany chimed in, “Claire, don’t try to deny it. I saw you sneaking around the lab yesterday, doing something suspicious.”
The hospital’s security guard, an older man, heard this and grew even more agitated than I was. “Young lady, you need to speak with evidence. I was on duty last night. Are you saying I was negligent and let one of our patients escape?”
