Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Babylon ❯ Volume One, Chapter Three: Crime Love ( Chapter 3 )

Crime Love

Love confuses me at times. Cupid's arrow reminds me of Russian roulette. It's all random. Like in this case.

This happened three years ago. Phillip came to me with a problem. He was in love with a woman in prison.

Her name was Charlotte. Serving ten years for attempted murder. The crime is in the papers. Charlotte tried to stab a woman to death with a boxcutter. Her victim survived. I included the articles in with the files.

Back to the story.

Phillip watched the trial on TV. To be fair, Charlotte did look pretty. Easy to see why he fell for her. The internet crushed on her. Philip took it further.

He came to me the day after her sentencing. I remember that day well. It was July in the middle of summer. There was a festival that day. Same carp festival. Not important for now. I was going to close for the day when I heard a knock on the door.

“Enter?” I asked.

“Are you still open?” a young man asked.

“Yes…” I said. My lights were still on. I haven't closed yet. I sat at my desk as the door opened. A man about twenty-five years old poked his head inside.

“Oh. You're still here,” he said.

“Yes,” I said, nodding. “Come in.” The man walked in quietly. He sat down in front of my desk.

“What do you want?” I asked. The young man looked uncomfortable in his seat. He pressed his lips together.

“I am in love with Charlotte.”

“Huh?”

“Charlotte. The girl from the news. She tried to kill that lady.”

“Oh! Her.”

“Yes.”

“And… you're in love with her?”

“Yes!” He broke down about how he fell in love when he first saw her on TV. I sat back and listened. I should be used to it by now.

“I started writing to her last month,” the man said. “I have to admit I wasn't expecting much. You could imagine my surprise when she wrote back.”

“She wrote back.”

“Yes!” His eyes twinkled. Oh boy. He's one of those men.

“So… What is the problem? Why are you here?”

The light dimmed on his face. I waited patiently.

“She's in prison.”

“Yes.”

“I keep wondering…” He didn't need to finish.

“Do you think it's worth it?”

“Huh?”

“She's in for ten years.”

“Yes.”

“Is it worth the wait?”

“I think so.”

“You think so?”

“I guess…”

“Do you love her?”

“Of course I do!”

“But how?”

“What?”

“You will have to wait until she gets out. Even that can have its own obstacles. She could get killed in prison. She could lose interest. You could lose interest.”

“I won't!”

I put up my hand. “Or she could be using you.”

“She's not!”

“You sure about that?”

“Yes!” Phillip stamped his foot. He won't listen to reason. This is another dreamer. Why do I get these? Phillip already made up his mind. But I knew why he came here.

“I wish you luck then,” I said. “Just be careful.”

“She's not like that.”

“Oh?”

“She did it to protect someone.”

“Is that what she told you?”

“Yes.”

“And you believe her?”

“Yes. She told me everything.”

“Okay, okay.” Phillip was already gone. Not much I can say to him. I already gave him the push. Now, he will have to live with what he's done. When the session was over, Phillip paid his fee and left.

Believe it or not, Charlotte and Phillip are still together. More evidence has come to light that might back up Charlotte's side of the story. Whether she is telling the truth or not remains to be seen. It's enough for a retrial.

Third Shot