Karie walks through the bleak halls of the prison escorted by three guards. The atmosphere is cold. The walls are made of concrete. Her stomach sinks a little with each step she takes. She's starting to second guess doing this interview, but this is her big break. This story is making headlines and she's going to get the behind the scenes scoop. Everyone knows what happened, but people want to know about the events leading up to it. She initially was surprised when Elsa accepted her request for an interview. The media nicknamed her the Ice Queen, so Karie expected nothing short of an icy rejection.
The guards stop in front of a room and open the door for Karie to enter. She enters the room and takes in the scene. Concrete floors, concrete walls, one table, two chairs, and Elsa. She looks like a ghost. Her skin's pale and her hair is plaited into a neat braid. She has dark circles around her eyes and she looks a lot smaller here than in the pictures that have been plastered all over websites and television. She's staring down at her cuffs that are chained to a bar in the center of the table. She doesn't look up when Karie enters the room.
Karie takes in a deep breath before slowly approaching the chair sitting opposite Elsa at the table. She places her bag on the floor and pulls the chair out before sitting down. "Hey, Elsa. My name is Karissa Thomas. I will be doing your interview today. Do you mind if I record this?" Elsa shrugs without looking up, and Karie starts to feel around in her bag for the recording device that she brought. She finally manages to get her fingers on it and she pulls the small device out of the bag and sets it on the table. She turns it on. "Do you mind stating your name for me?"
Elsa stares blankly at her cuffs not showing any signs that she's heard Karie's question. "My name is Elsa Bredesen." Her voice comes out slightly louder than a whisper. It's raspy and it lacks any emotion.
Karie shifts in her seat. She understands the Ice Queen nickname. "Okay, Elsa. Can you tell me how old you are?"
Elsa clenches one of her hands into a fist and starts to tap the other on the table. She watches her tapping fingers for a period of time before responding to the question. "I'm twenty-one years old."
"Okay." Karie takes out a notepad and begins to jot down things about Elsa. Things she'll be sure to mention in the article.
-Bad appearance (frail, not sleeping, etc…)
-Sounds despondent
-Mindlessly tapping
-Cooperative about basic identifying facts
Karie nods once she's satisfied with what she's written before asking her next question. She decides to take a risk to gauge what Elsa was willing to answer. "How old were you and Anna when you realized that you had feelings for each other… that weren't just familial."
Elsa clears her throat and shifts her weight in her seat. Her gaze remains on her hands. "She was fifteen and I was eighteen."
Karie nods as she looks back to her notepad.
-Shocked/uncomfortable with question
-Responded faster than usual
-Has not yet made eye contact
Karie takes in a breath as she looks back to Elsa. "Why did you accept my request for an interview, Elsa?"
Elsa's eyes leave her hands as they bolt around the table. She stops tapping and straightens herself in her chair. "I just wanted people to know my story. I wanted them to know the truth… it's not as simple as they're making it seem."
"Why is it not as simple?"
Elsa leans her head toward her hands as she tries to scratch her hair. "They're making it seem like everything is black and white, when it is so much more complex than that."
Karie puts her pen down and lets out a breath. "Do you think this interview will help justify what you did in the public's mind?"
"Nothing will justify what I did."
Karie nods as she picks her pen back up. "Can you state what you did for the recording?"
Elsa lifts her head, her cold blue stare connecting with Karie's warm hazel eyes. "I killed my sister."