Nobody spoke.
Nobody smiled.
Stone removed his sunglasses.
“Good morning, Ember.”
Sadie stared at him.
“You really came.”
“Every one of us.”
She slowly counted the faces behind him.
“I’m still scared.”
Stone nodded.
“That’s all right.”
“Then why are you here?”
Daisy stepped forward.
“Because fear shouldn’t be the only thing standing beside you.”
The Wall Of Courage
Judge Rebecca Lawson allowed the riders to occupy two rows inside the gallery.
As Sadie entered the courtroom, all thirty riders quietly shifted their positions.
Without exchanging a single word, they formed a steady line between Sadie and the place she dreaded most.
No threats were made.
No anger was shown.
Their presence alone was enough.
Sadie climbed into the witness chair.
The prosecutor smiled gently.
“Could you tell everyone your name?”
For a moment, she remained silent.
Stone placed his hand over his heart.
Daisy gave her an encouraging nod.
Sadie took a deep breath.
“My name is Sadie Bennett.”
“How old are you?”
“Nine years old.”
“Do you know why you’re here?”
She looked down at her hands.
“I’m here to tell the truth.”
The room became completely silent.
The prosecutor continued carefully.
“Can you tell us the difference between truth and imagination?”
Sadie nodded.
“The truth is what happened, even when talking about it hurts.”
Nobody moved.
Nobody interrupted.
Every person in the courtroom listened.
Speaking While Afraid
The questions continued slowly.
Whenever Sadie became nervous, she squeezed the yellow break card she had been given earlier.
Eventually, the prosecutor asked an important question.
“Did anyone tell you that people wouldn’t believe you?”
Sadie nodded.
“Yes.”
“Did you believe that?”
“At first.”
“What changed your mind?”
Sadie turned toward the riders.
“They showed up.”
The prosecutor followed her gaze.
“Who are they?”
A tiny smile appeared on Sadie’s face.
“My road family.”
Several riders quietly lowered their heads.
“What did they tell you?”
“They told me I didn’t have to stop being scared before I could be brave.”
Later, the defense attorney asked whether she remembered every detail perfectly.
She shook her head.
“No.”
“I don’t remember everything.”
“Nobody told me what to say.”
Her honesty gave her strength.
Then came one final question.
“Did you dislike that man before all of this happened?”
Sadie thought carefully before answering.
“I wanted him to be a good person.”
The attorney looked surprised.
She continued.
