Innocent

I've written the first draft of this story in 2010 and have been revising it ever since. This is now the final version.

The wheels turn, and turn, and turn. It finally halts to a stop in front of the only police station within that area. The man in the gray suit steps down from the car, his face showing no emotion.

                “I never did anything!” the young man shouts. “The only wrong thing I did was to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.” The officers shake their heads in dismay. They expected the young man to easily confess to the crime. They handcuff him and deposit him into a small, smelly jail cell. They leave him there shouting his innocence.

                The people of the small town were horrified at the drastic turn of events. The young man, who was believed to be a kind, young fellow is convicted for the murder of the town’s librarian. Many still believed in the good heart of the young man. “He shall be hung tomorrow at dawn,” the town mayor announces at the town square. “He shall pay for what he has done.” The owner of the antique shop steps forward then, loudly protesting. He claims that there was no hard evidence that pointed to the young man as the killer. The lady whom the young man once helped steps forward as well, disagreeing about the hanging. The mayor just frowns and walks towards his car.

                Yes, yes, that’s right. Walk away, you narrow-minded pig. Walk away. The crowd slowly disperses, unaware that a killer was in their midst.

                “Do not lie to me, you--you ingrate,” the man in the gray suit says through gritted teeth as he stands in front of the young man’s cell. “How can I help you if you keep lying?” The young man protests once more. He keeps saying the police got it all wrong. The man in the gray suit finally loses his patience, and turns to leave, . “I have given you your chance. But you have wasted it. I guarantee you that you shall never see me again. Goodbye.” The young man calls out. His hands tighten on the jail’s grilles, knuckles turning white. Finally, in desperation, the young man breaks down and cries.

                The next day, almost every person in town gather in the square, all waiting for the young man’s death. Many women are crying, and even some men could not contain their sadness. Finally, two police officers emerge with the suspect, and together, they walk towards the center of the square. The smile of the killer widens. Poor guy. Too bad you had to be my scapegoat. An hour passes, and the young man is prepared to be hanged. He is given a minute to speak. He takes a deep breath, and he speaks in a low, strong voice, “I was an orphan. Only a kind man took pity on me and let me live. He found me sleeping as a baby, in a box left by my parents in front of his home. Now, my life is about to end, but I welcome it, for I have lived a life that I shouldn’t have lived in the first place.”

                The smile freezes on the killer’s face. Many thoughts run through his mind as the priest blesses the young man. It…can’t be…. His mind wanders back to the time when he and his wife had been married. They had a son, a handsome son, and they were very happy, until his wife started getting sick. He didn’t know what to do. He had to choose whether to use the money to save his wife or to let her die and prepare a bright future for their child. And so, pained with the very thought of his dying wife, he left his son in front of a rich man’s house, hoping that he would grow up with a good life.

                He is brought back to the present by the sounding of the bells, a signal that the rope is about to be released. The killer steps forward involuntarily. His mind is in a state of shock. He wanted to scream at the officers to stop, but he does nothing but stare at his son, only seconds away from his death. At last, the bell rings its final sound and the rope is released. The woman who protested earlier runs from the scene, sobbing along the way. The others follow, although in a much slower pace. The killer is left alone at the square, still staring at the dead body of his son, which the officers now carry to be brought to the morgue. At long last, the killer sinks to his knees and weeps.

                The next day, the antique shop owner is found dead within his home. He has apparently committed suicide by hanging himself. The reason for this, no one in the town ever knew.