Courtroom language
Courtroom. The prosecutor argues “negligent arson,” projecting footage of the damage. The lawyer pleads desperately for leniency, but Nate can only say, “I didn’t know.” The verdict: a suspended sentence, liability for damages, and 300 hours of community service. The judge states curtly, “You could have just picked it up.” Those words pierce his heart. The light at the exit seemed farther away than he had imagined.
The flames of the internet won’t stop burning. Old photos and posts are dug up, and even a friend’s joke turns malicious. Calls from his mother grow fewer, and messages from childhood friends go unanswered, left as “read.” What arrived in the mailbox was a booklet titled “How to Write a Letter of Reflection.” But the paper was thin, too light to cover the weight of his guilt.
