The girls, the Prince, the Queen, the Prime Minister, and I were sitting on benches in the audience section. Many people were sitting in the jury box and the Judges at the Judge stand.
The girls and I were wearing our simple dress clothes. The Prince, the Queen, and the Prime Minister were also in their simple, but business clothes. My heart was pounding and I was nervous of encountering my stepmother and stepsister again, I tried to swallow the lump in my throat, sweat was forming on my forehead. The Prince took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Then the doors opened, and in came my stepmother and Prunella. They were dressed in gray and black dresses, Mrs. Clonkers hair was pulled back in a tight bun, and Prunella's hair was pulled back in a headband. Both of their hands were handcuffed in the back.
As soon as they saw me, their glares hardened and they were about to lunge at me. But two security guards pulled them back, the led them to a table where they were to be defended and found guilty.
The judges from the meeting stood up at the judge's bench, and they were wearing their wigs and red robes.
Everyone settled down and went silent, as the judge banged the gravel on the block. I sat still and watched him.
"All rise," he commanded. We stood up and he began his speech. "The trial for the Clonkers family is now in session. Ready for the people?"
A woman stood up from her seat, "They are ready your honor."
"Defense?"
"Yes your Honor," the man stood up and said. "We shall now proceed."
"Mrs. Agnes Clonkers," the Judge said. "You are hereby charged with child abuse, murder, assault, and harassment. How do you plead?"
"I plead not guilty," My stepmother said standing up without remorse.
"And for you Ms. Clonkers?"
"I plead guilty," Prunella said, the girls and I gasped that she confessed. Mrs. Clonkers gasped and shook Prunella.
"How dare you plead guilty Prunella…."
Bang! Bang! Bang! The judge banged his mallet
"That is enough!" Mrs. Clonkers stopped shaking her daughter and she faced the Judge.
"May the witnesses come forward," the judge said.
"Ms. Frank," My head shot up when he said my name. "Will you please come forward to the witness stand?"
I stood up from the bench seat and walked up to the witness stand. I turned to the audience and gulped.
"Is your name Joanna?" he asked
"Yes."
"Tell us in your own words about the orphanage and your stepmother?"
"Yes, I do," I said. "My father married her four years ago, at first I was happy to have a mother and a sister too. But after a year, I saw my stepmother sitting over my father and stabbed him in the chest, I was in shock and I thought I was dreaming. Then I woke up the next morning to see my father, but he was on his bed covered in blood. I was so upset that I sobbed over him. My stepmother said that the cause of death was suicide. After the funeral, she and Prunella showed their true colors as merciless, and cruel monsters. They took away all of my clothes, kicked me out of my own bedroom, and now I sleep on a cot with the orphans. They both made me, and all of the orphans do all the housework and they never said thank you."
"Did they ever punished you?"
"Yes, the rules changed that if we don't fold our clothes or get out of bed at night, she locks us in the cellar for a day and night with the rats. If we did anything serious, she'd torment us and whip us. Like the whip marks on my back. For the past four years it has gotten worse. I just thought that if she would stop, then it would have gotten better, unfortunately she made a decision to make our lives worse."
"Did you slash Prunella?"
"Yes, I did," I said filled with remorse. "We were eating lunch in the mess room, Sophie went to put her tray away. But Prunella blocked her and shoved her on the table spilling her leftovers on the younger girls. I snapped back at her, but Prunella slapped me, I lost my temper and slashed an 'X' in her face, it was like a blood bath. Then Mrs. Clonkers came in and saw Prunella with blood over her face. Mrs. Clonkers asked us who did this, and I said I did. I stood up to her and for the other orphans. I called Mrs. Clonkers a monster and how I was sick of her. The woman then whipped me and threw me in the cellar for one week."
"You are a chronic liar," Mrs. Clonkers snapped. "You and the girls do nothing but lie."
"Shut up you hag!" Vanessa shouted from the audience. "You're the liar!"
"Why you…." Mrs. Clonkers was about to attack Vanessa, but a guard held her back. I turned to face them
"And also, stepmother and Prunella, I do regret about losing my temper on assaulting you. And though you did make my life and the other girls' lives miserable. I feel that I should not get back at you by killing you. Instead, I have decided to spare you and not let you suffer the other people's fates with the giants. I have decided that I have to do what's best. I hope you forgive me."
"Thank you," the judge said. "You may now sit, now Miss Vanessa, please stand forward."
Vanessa went forward and she explained the same story.
"Did Joanna disappear a week after she was locked away?"
"Yes, Your Honor," Vanessa said. "Joanna came out and she was fine, but the scars on her back were fresh. But she made a promise, that she will get back the orphanage. After that night, we woke up and both she and Sophie were gone. We thought they both ran away and abandoned us, I thought she didn't care. But when we heard she was kidnapped, I was worried but relieved."
"Well be grateful that those brats were alive," Mrs. Clonkers snapped. "And they should be back in my care and my orphanage. This is all a lie and you are mistakes!"
Vanessa glared harder at my stepmother.
"Thank you," he said.
He then called for Blaire.
"Yes… Joanna did assaulted her stepsister and was punished…" Blaire said.
"We thought she and Sophie were dead, but I knew in my heart that they were alive… but I have to admit that we will not be tortured again."
The judge nodded and understood her.
After reading Helen and Sarah's statements, more of their stories shocked the audience. Raphaelle then came up and told the whole story.
"I couldn't believe Joanna would attack Prunella, and I admit she did gave us a really big scare. I was locked in the cellar for trying get even with Prunella by cutting up her dresses. I was thrown in there and the rats down there made me scream. I was even more scared that she and Sophie disappeared like the other children did every night on the Witching Hour…"
Raphaelle went back to her seat as the judge understand her story.
"Your Highness?"
The Prince stood up from the bench and he walked up to the witness stand.
"As I went to inspect the orphanage with the authorities, I was at first skeptical of Mrs. Clonkers, and I noticed Vanessa was shaking and her eyes were filled with sadness. Two of my men took a look around the orphanage and discovered the girls were hurt, miserable, and a few did have whip marks on their backs, even red handprints on their faces. It turned out that Joanna was right about her stepmother and stepsister. That place was broken and damaged."
"Thank you, Your Highness," the Judge said. "Mrs. Clonkers and Prunella? Have you have anything to say in your defense and are they true?"
"You buster, and brats are making a mistake!" Mrs. Clonkers shouted as she lost her temper. "How can you be so ungrateful? I have given you brats a home, food, and a bed for each. This whole arrest, and this trial is a ridiculous and mistake! This is all false!"
"Give it up mother," Prunella said. "It's all over for us."
My stepmother gasped and glared at Prunella.
"Prunella! How could you?"
After half an hour, the witnesses came back to the jury box and told the judge of the sentencing.
"We find the defendants Mrs. Agnes Clonkers and her daughter Prunella Clonkers guilty."
My stepfamily gasped, but the girls and I smiled along with the Royal Family in relief. Even others did gasped.
"The sentence will be life in prison, and you shall be working as keepers for the Giants and working in the Snozzcumber fields as laborers."
"At this time, Joanna and Sophie will be place in custody of the BFG. Court is adjourned."
Mrs. Clonkers and Prunella were dragged out of the courthouse and they glared one last time at me. That was to be the last time I may never see them again.
I stepped out into the sunlight with the Queen, the Prime Minister, the girls, and the Prince. And for the very first time, I was finally free.
Well, I finally wrote the trail, but I don't know much about trial and court. I did my best nonetheless. I posted this in honor of the opening premiere of the BFG. It was an amazing movie with a lot of funny scenes!
I think I'll see it again!