Chapter 6

Brittany was taken to the local prison. The next day, when the Johnson’s returned home, they found their house full of police. The wanted to know what had happened and naturally the police told her all that had happened. Mrs. Johnson collapsed. She never got to meet James and was happy they still had Lilly but now that she was gone too, she didn’t know what to do.
Mrs. Johnson went down to the prison and spoke with Brittany. She was so angry that she was crying and yelling at Brittany. The guards finally had to ask Mrs. Johnson to leave. She inquired about when the trial was to be held and assured Brittany that they would be present, but not on her side.
Brittany layed awake that night; the words of her grandmother resounding in her mind. Every time she would doze off, her daughter’s face-innocent and helpless- popped into her head. Seeing her daughter’s face caused her to jerk awake.
At Brittany’s hearing, everyone was present. Keagan, her grandparents, Keagan’s parents, and the local news crews had all shown up. Everyone there was against Brittany. Keagan’s lawyer wanted Brittany to once again state what had happened that awful night, but Brittany couldn’t tell it all. She got half way through and stopped. She looked directly at the judge and said something that shocked everyone in the room.
“Your Honor, I deserve the death penalty. I do, I really do. I’ve killed both of my children, and yes, I loved them very much. I would’ve given my own life for my children. But because of a few careless mistakes I killed them. I don’t deserve to live.”
“Well, Ms. Johnson, I cannont allow that. I am sentencing you to six years in prison with counseling. I will also schedule another hearing in three years to reevaluate your sentence if you do not have any mishaps while you’re in there for the first three years. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Your Honor. I do.”
Keagan and everyone else in the room were unhappy with the way things turned out. Keagan stormed out of the courtroom and broke down outside the doors. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson followed him out. They sat down on the bench outside and cried. Keagan’s dad helped him up and walked him over to another bench. The whole courtyard was full of everyone in tears.
“Keagan,” His mom said, “everything is going to be okay.”
“Mom, how can you say that?” Keagan said looking up at her through teary eyes. “My kids are gone and the girl I wanted to marry is too. I might as well just give up myself.” As Keagan said this, he was turning his grandmother’s ring over and over in his hands. He was going to be asking Brittany to marry him.
“Keagan you know better. Brittany didn’t mean for all of this to happen. Do you honestly think she wanted to kill the twins?” Keagan’s dad asked.
“Of course not. She loved them, but ,Dad, why did this happen?”
“We don’t’ know and we may never know, Keagan.”
Both families left together and went to the grave yard. Everyone but Keagan stopped at Anna’s and placed flowers. Keagan walked right on by, but stopped at James’s grave site. He knelt down in front of the headstone. He looked to the left and there was Lilly’s site. The dirt hadn’t even settled yet. Keagan looked to his family and said, “No parent should ever have to bury his children.”
Brittany sat in her jail cell wishing she could just take it all back. She looked down at her belly and remembered how it felt to feel them move and kick. She also sat there and remembered all the time her and Keagan spent looking and talking to her belly. As she placed her hands over her belly, the guard came.
“You have a visitor.” He said unlocking the door.
Who could that be? Brittany thought to herself.
She sat down at the table and waited. She looked up and Keagan was ushered in through the door. He sat down across from her and couldn’t bring himself to speak. He finally looked up at her after a few minutes and said through tears.
“Brittany, I am so sorry. I never wanted this to happen to you, but honestly what were you thinking?”
“That’s the thing, I wasn’t at all. My judgment was impaired. I miss them so much. I wish I could take it all back and never let any of this happen.” Brittany started crying again.
Brittany and Keagan held hands and cried. After twenty minutes, Keagan informed Brittany that he could keep his scholarship if he worked really hard to get his grades back up and he planned on it.
“I have six weeks till graduation. If I get my grades back to A’s I’ll still be able to go.”
“Well, good luck. I know you can do it.” Brittany said wiping away her tears.
“ I know you do, but as of now, Brittany, I can’t stand to see you. Every time I see you, it reminds me of what happened and it makes me so angry.”
“But Keagan,” Brittany said through thick sobs, “I love you.”
“ I know you do, but it is time that we separate; time for us to continue on our own paths. Brittany, you need to do exactly what the judge said so that you can get out early and be okay.” And with that he left, leaving behind the ring that was his grandmothers. He told his parents that it was hers to have, even if he wasn’t going to be marrying her.
Brittany was sent back to her cell where she continued to weep. Now she had true lost everything. Her kids and Keagan were out of her life for good. With her parents being gone and her grandparents not speaking to her, she was truly all alone in the world. Who did she have left to turn to?