The 'Monster'

The 'Monster' is a short, student-made story. The author of this story is Maria Martinez-Lopez, a 7th grade student. 

I walk into the room. All eyes on me. It feels like I'm on a tightrope, everybody waiting for me to fall and crumple. It feels like a wedding march. Yet, no one smiled. I can hear sobs throughout the courtroom. I take my seat on the bench to the right of the judge. In my head, the whispers turn to screams. The muffled sobs turn to the words, "Monster! Monster! MONSTER!" I want to curl up into a ball and sink into the ground. If I disappear, will anyone look for me like they looked for Eddie? "Miss Miller," My lawyer says. I snap back into the real world. "I did it," I say softly. "I killed Eddie. I deserve to be locked up." My lawyer turns pale. She takes a minute to think. That might have been the longest minute of my life. "Okay... I'll see how much I can minimize the situation." I nod but the voices are still booming in my head. "You're a monster. A monster!" Suddenly, the courtroom doors burst open. All stifled sobs seem to stop. Eddie's family walked into the courtroom. Leading the huddle of mourning family members was Bianca. I could see the bags under her eyes and her cheeks forever stained with tears. I had hurt her deeply. Bianca deserved better. I deserved to be in prison. A life in jail. A large fee. The death sentence. My punishment will never make a difference in her pain. Maybe she would feel better knowing her brother will be avenged through me. His pain transferred to my punishment. However she may feel, I need to repent. To make my wrongs right. To be freed from the perspective of a monster.