Chapter 78: Chapter 78

Chapter 78

*. *. *. *. *

Bonnie went to school the next day and everyone was talking about her. She was surrounded by her peers including Rose during lunch break.

"Is it true you crushed the killer?" A little boy asked her as she smiled and nodded.

"Did you also take two of his men down at a spot?" A girl asked.

. "yup! I did. With my bare hands," she said smiling.

She wondered who was feeding them with these lies but she refused to tell them the truth because she was enjoying the moment.

"Wow! We also heard you were nicknamed Bruce Lee because of your fighting skills. Is it true?"

"Yes of course. That's me" she grinned.

"Can I have your autograph?" a girl asked.

"Me too!" A boy said as she stared at them and smiled.

"Oh boy. It is not easy being a celebrity" she said shaking her head as she started signing whatever she called her autograph.

"Excuse me. Hey! Move it" Rose walked up to her.

"Oh, hi," Bonnie said and folded her arms.

"Hi," Rose said and faced down

"Uhmmm, I know you do not like me. But can we forget about that and be friends?"

Bonnie frowned at her and huffed.

"You want to be friends with me because my face is on Mystic Hollow news right?"

"No, not that--"

"That is what you want, is that not so?"

"Well, that is not true because I have always wanted to be friends with you but you never give me the chance," she said in one breath as Bonnie gasped.

"But why do you act as if you do not like me?"

"It is Nicholas. I have a crush on him but he likes you instead"

"Oh! is that so?"

"Yeah" she faced down

"Well, I have always wanted to be friends with you too."

"Really?" Rose was surprised.

"Yh, true"

"Friends then?"

"Friends" they hugged as the class cheered and applauded while their teaches smiled and stared at them.

******

2 WEEKS AFTER CONFESSION

Emily, Ruth, and Frederick were to be given a verdict the same day. So Elena and Sarah with some council members and other police officers and their friends, Alex, Laura, and Peter all went to the hospital.

They got to the ex-Mayor first, his hand was cuffed to the hospital bunk and he sat up while he listened to his judgment.

"You finally came? I was wondering when you people would get it over with" he smirked without looking up at them.

"Mr. Frederick Bellos, you have been charged for stealing a child from the mother, aiding and conspire with a doctor to... "

"But the child was mine too" he protested.

"You never knew I was your child. So you stole me" Sarah corrected him as he frowned at the faces staring at him.

"Elena please, continue," Sarah said as Elena nodded.

"And also charged for putting the lives of the locals at risk, not moved when the locals were killed and you did not take action when your wife, Emily Bellos was killing the citizens. Lastly, you harassed Sarah Bellos by attempting to cut off her tongue. Do you plead guilty or not guilty?"

"This is a trap, right? You already have a recorded tape, you played it to me the last time you all came here. Why are you still asking if I am guilty or not? You want me to plead not guilty, then get my jail term increased after the exhibits have been provided?" He chucked.

"Do you plead guilty or not guilty?"

"I am guilty"

"These offenses under the criminal code law of Mystic Hollow are punishable by 10 years imprisonment. You would be taken away now" Elena said as two Police officers uncuffed him from the bunk, after which, his hands were cuffed at his back as he was away. He did not protest, neither did he create a fuss.

"Who knew the Mayor would be hoisted away like a criminal one day?" He gave a shrill laugh as he was finally taken away.

They got to Emily's ward and her hand was also cuffed to the bunk.

"You have finally come for me?" She said and scoffed. She looked pale and worn out already.

"Emily Bellos, wife of... "

"Do not tell me my offense, just tell me the punishments already! And your outfit looks good on you though" she added and laughed.

"Whatever, you have been charged for murdering half of the citizens of Mystic Hollow. And it is punishable under criminal code law of Mystic Hollow by life imprisonment" Elena said as they walked away while Emily laughed.

"Hahahahahahaha, I did not regret doing that. I did it for my daughter! Like it or not, she is my daughter!"

"Mom, please stop it! Why is it that you are not remorseful? You did not do anything on my behalf! You were crazy!" Sarah spoke.

"You do not understand my child. The love I have for you, I would kill on your behalf. You do not know what it is when you have a child and you know you would never be able to conceive again. Like it or not, you are my daughter! And everything I did was for you!" She started laughing.

Two police officers uncuffed her from the bunk while she kept laughing and Sarah stood there, watching her as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"Mom, just stop please!"

"I love you, Sarah! And you are my baby. I do not believe what they say. Do not tell me you believe such nonsense. You are my child. And I know it, Sarah! You have to believe me!" She started crying as she was finally taken out of the ward and her voice and screams could be heard.

They got to Ruth's ward. She sat at the edge of her bed and her hand was cuffed to the bed. Seems she had been crying lately.

A flicker of tears dropped from Elena's eyes when she saw her mom but she wiped it off before anyone could notice.

"Ruth Gilbert... You have. You have been charged for serial murder and your punishment under the criminal code law of Mystic Hollow is Life imprisonment" she stated curtly.

"I deserve to die. Under the laws of Mystic Hollow, anyone that takes a life is supposed to die by the gas chambers or electrocuted" she said.

"So you knew but you too those innocent lives?"

"The idea was never to get caught, till you and your friends showed up"

"And you do not feel any remorse?"

" I wish I could take back what I did, but unfortunately, I can not bring back the lives I took," she said crying as tears formed in Elena's eyes

"You were killing innocent people mom! And about the law, we changed things, we believe in giving people a second chance"

"I do not deserve to live. The Mayor--"

"The Mayor was not even perturbed. I believe you were trying to frustrate his government but he never gave a damn because he loves power more than the people. Innocent people were not supposed to be dragged into the conflict neither were they supposed to die mom" Elena said letting the tears flow.

"I deserve to die. I was driven by bitterness and revenge. After losing my love, best friend, and dad. My mom also disowned me. Life was meaningless to me, if I did not do what I did, I would have committed suicide" she stated and cried.

"Isn't suicide better off than venting your wrath on innocent citizens?"

Sarah walked into the room, seems Emily had been taken away. Ruth quickly averted her gaze towards her.

"Sarah. I know I am the worse person to you right now. But you have to forgive me. I am so sorry. I would never hurt you, my child, I'm so sorry. I was driven by revenge and bitterness and I won't blame you if you refuse to forgive me, I deserve any treatment given my me. I know no amount of sorry would be able to revert the damages I have caused. " Ruth said as Sarah cried.

"Karma, it has no menu, you get served what you deserve! Be my mother or not, you must also face judgment. Your pleading can not bring back the lives you've taken. Take her away" Elena said crying as they uncuffed.

"I am not pleading for my life to be spared. Or to avoid punishment" she sniffed.

"I am asking for forgiveness"

"Elena" she called

"I am proud of the lady you have become my child. I am proud of you both" Ruth said looking from Elena to Sarah as they took her away.

*. *. *. *. *. *

(A WEEK LATER.)

"... So, I gave the house to the orphanage and.. "

"You gave your mom's house to the orphanage?" Laura asked with her eyes almost bulging.

"Yup, I just said that," Elena said as a matter of fact.

"The house is just there and no one is using it. So I thought of using it for good, so, I donated it. My mom would not be needing it anyway" she said and shrugged

"Who wants cookies?" Sarah asked coming out of the kitchen as Alex, Bonnie, and Peter Screamed in excitement.

"So how are we going to start preparing for the birthday? Having the birthday done at the cottage was the best option" Peter said chewing on a cookie.

"I even forgot today is December 21st," Elena said.

"Let's go shopping then. This birthday is going to be swell!" Laura said excitedly as they all cheered.

A message popped into Laura's phone as she took it.

"Liam said he is coming too. And Edward!' Laura said shoving the phone in her pocket.

" Liam? He is coming back to Mystic Hollow?" Sarah asked.

"Yeah, but just for the birthday. I invited him over. I hope he would not get arrested?" She stared from Sarah to Elena.

"What? You are dating Liam now?" Peter asked as she smiled.

"Peter, when are we going to get married?' Bonnie asked walking up to him after she had dressed up

They all laughed at this as Elena's cellphone buzzed in her pocket which she took immediately.

##Hello, Elena here" she said.

## Elena, we have gotten a situation at the prison" Kate said as she frowned.

## Ok, I would be there in a jiffy" she said and ran upstairs to dress up.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Alex asked.

"Guys go without me! Duty calls!" She said as they grunted.

"What duty? It is your birthday for crying out loud!" Laura called.

"I have been called at the prison. They said there have been a situation that could not be discussed over the phone. I have to go. I would be back. Just carry on with the preparations without me for a while"

*. *. *. *

She alighted from her mom's car and walked briskly to the prison yard.

"What is it?" She asked the person in charge.

"Come on. Over here"

She followed and was taken to a corpse, covered from the head to the toes.

She squatted and removed the fold, she did not expect what she saw as she gasped.

Emily Bellos who was part of Ruth's prison inmates was dead.

"What happened to her?" She asked squatting close to the body as she covered the corpse and stood up.

"Ruth happened to her" Crane said as she saw the finger marks on her neck.

"What? Where is she? She killed one of her inmates?"

She was taken to where her mother was, she had been separated from other inmates.

Elena barged to her mom's prison ward, Ruth smiled on seeing her.

"What is the meaning of this? What have you done?"

"She begged me to kill her. She could not live with the fact that Sarah was not her daughter."

"Mother, you have to tell me the truth!" Elena barked at her as she flinched.

"She kept ranting about Sarah being her daughter, she was getting on my nerve" a wicked smile curled around her lips and Elena did not like the look on her face.

"Yes, I strangled her to death. What other punishment does Mystic Hollow law say about that? Since I would be here for life. You can also imprison my soul and spirit after I am dead." She started laughing as she laughed.

"As you said, Karma got no menu, you get served what you deserve, and Emily Brohms my friend, got what she deserved, now, I can die peacefully," Ruth said staring straight into Elena's eyes.

Elena did not know what to do as she thought of how Sarah would see the news as her brain started working fast.

Did Sarah get the vision?

.

TBC