A Dirty Bar, A Dirty Life.

7. The Prep, and Trial Part 1.

Pain. Chains. Banging. Screams for help.

"Please! Stop it! I just want to go home!"

The way he violated her... She will never be able to live this down...

"Cadence." Cadence blinked, slowly coming back from her flashback. Rafael was leaning on the stand slightly. They had been rehearsing what to say for their trial.

"Cadence. Do you need a break?" Rafael gently stroked the side of her face, pulling away when she flinched. She had been away from that... cabronazo for 2 weeks, and she was still trying to get used to real human contact again.

Cadence shook her head, sitting up straight. "N-no. Let's keep going. Where were we?"

Moving over back to his table, Rafael looked down at his notepad.

"You were explaining to the jury how exactly you were taken from the bar on that first night." Rafael still felt guilty about not being able to help more. About not preventing this entire situation.

"Right." Cadence took a small breath, closing her eyes and opening them after a moment. "You and I, we had headed back the day after my Bar and living area was trashed. I needed clothes."

"And when you arrived?"

...

"And when you arrived?"

Cadence was testifying for real this time. The trial date had almost... Snuck up on her. She was almost thankful. She wanted this to be over. For this to be done with.

"When we had arrived, the place was exactly as we had left it, though the glass and booze smell were gone. I had told you to stay in the bar while I went back to grab clothes. I had sat down on my bed for a moment when I felt a gun pressed to the back of my head."

Cadence wiped a tear away from her eye. "I had a hand over my mouth, and was told that if I said anything, that I would be shot dead."

Rafael crossed his arms, leaning back against his table. "And you managed to defend yourself."

"Yes. I... I bit his hand. Kicked him in the groin, and while he was incapacitated, ran out. I told you to run. We ran, but I tripped and fell behind."

"When you looked behind you, can you describe the man who was trying to take you?"

Cadence nodded.

"Can you point him out to us now?"

"I-it was him." Cadence pointed to Jim, who was sat next to Ramóne and their attorney.

"Let the record show that Ms. Hampton is referring to Mr. Jim Madison, one of the defendants." Rafael moved to the left of Cadence, leaning on the stand. "Can you tell me what happened after that?"

"He picked me up, held me by my neck with his arm. I called for you, and he told you that if you took one step towards us, that he would blow my brains out." Cadence shuddered, fidgeting with the hem of her skirt. Her mind flashed back to that moment, her eyes closing in a slight pain. Rafael gently placed a hand on Cadence's shoulder and she snapped out of it.

"Please, Ms. Hampton. Continue."

Cadence sniffed, using a tissue to wipe away a tear. "H-he dragged be out through the back, tied me up, blindfolded me. He hit me in the head to knock me out."

Rafael went to his desk, and pulled a picture from a file. "People's evidence 3-80. A picture of the head wound sustained by Ms. Hampton on the night in question." He passed the picture to the jury.