The Queen of Hearts

Part One
The bang of the gavel echoed through the courtroom announcing my inevitable fate. The judge looked down at me, as the jury stood with fear in their eyes, looming over me like death ready to take my soul.
“We the jury find the defendant, Roxanne Cook, guilty of murder,” the jury’s spokesman said looking at me like I should feel remorse. I just stared back with a smirk, and then looked at the judge. Pride filling my body, knowing that nothing could tear me down.
“Then by the court of Texas. I sentence you, Roxanne Cook, to death by lethal injection one week from today.” The judge announced banging the gavel again to seal my fate, my lawyer bowed his head, sad that we lost, but we didn’t loose, oh no…because the world got my message and now they fear me, fear me enough to kill me. I smirked and welcomed my fate with open arms. I placed a hand on my lawyers shoulder with comfort. I then waited for the police officer to take me away.

I was lead out of the court house in handcuffs. I was ecstatic to be met by an angry mob all hissing, booing and yelling foul names in my direction, like they would effect me, or make me bow my head in shame. Not a chance I walked from the court house to the cop car with my head held high. I was pushed recklessly into the car by an over weight 50 year old cop. But I just looked forwards at the driver who was watching me intently from the rear view mirror.
“So you’re the ‘Queen of Hearts’, not exactly what I expected.” He said in a very pure masculine southern voice. I just smirked; I saw the flash of evil in my eyes, reflected in the mirror.
“What were you expecting?” I responded in my own voice untainted by accent, as the car lurched forwards. The cop next to me began drifting off.
“I’m not sure, but defiantly not a young pretty thing like you.” He replied with a slight smile.
“Sometimes, the pretty can be the most deadly.” I said with a coy smile, he had an odd curiosity in his eyes.
He had beautiful eyes, crystal blue, set onto an almost model like face with soft but determined features, all framed with long slightly curly brown hair that was pulled back into a pony tail. His toned bicep muscles moved fluidly from beneath his cop uniform. I had the odd pleasurable idea of wanting to get in his pants. We sat in silence, examining each other occasionally.
“What happened?” He asked finally breaking the silence, as we drove down a deserted country road. The second police officer had long since fallen asleep.
“What do you mean?” I replied, not quite sure if he meant the murder or what lead me to it?
“The murder…how did you manage to kill you’re boyfriend?”
I laughed, “You read the news papers…besides if I told you that would take the mystery out of it for you.”
He didn’t respond, just continued to watch me from the rearview mirror.

We arrived at the large solitary looking prison at around noon; I was lead inside by the crystal eyed cop. His firm hand leading me by the elbow, with a strange tenderness. As we walked down a long corridor of window less doors, he looked down at me. I turned my head, his blue eyes locked with my hazel ones. We stopped outside a door; he unlocked it then pushed a piece of brunette hair behind my ear.
“What’s your name?” I asked, knowing that look in his eye, the look of nostalgia to protect me…
“Derek…Pretty girls, don’t belong in solitary confinement…”
“Pretty girls, don’t get the death sentence…yet here I am.”
“I’ll see you again…”
“Only when it’s time for me to die.” I finished stepping into my cell as he looked at me longingly and shut the door slowly. I felt a pull of emptiness, the idea of death wasn’t foreign to me but, the idea of falling for someone so quickly…was. I couldn’t really understand if it was my need to love before I die, of the want to prove I could, that made m,e want him, but there was a strange connection that I didn’t understand, and I was pretty sure he didn’t either.
The cell was small with only an old rusty cot with crisp scratchy sheets, a metal sink that dripped and a toilet that barely flushed. It was a hell hole, but I wouldn’t be here long. I took the bobby pin out of my hair and drew seven hearts on the wall, each represented one day of life I had left. Because each day I’d have to kill of a piece of my heart so I would be ready.

Derek returned the two days later with my meal for the day, which was usually brought by an ex-convict volunteer. He set it on the bed, while I scratched out yesterday’s heart, and ran my fingers over the five hearts left.
“Are you ganna eat, Queen?” He asked waving a hand in front of my face. I snapped back to reality, and frowned at the nasty looking prison food. Then up at Derek.
“Maybe, what I could really use is a cigarette.”
“Can’t help you there, but I suggest you eat. How old are you?” He asked as he started to leave.
“19, you?”
“23”
I watched him close the door. Not knowing that five days later he’d be the one moving me from this room to the prep room.

I sat for two more days, alone which gave me a lot of time to think. First I started thinking about the murder…it would make a great story. I didn’t murder Jake because of the other girl. I killed him because he lied to me, he was a fake, and a hypocrite. I thought I’d been in love, but that was fake too.
Then I thought about dieing, I would die without experiencing real love. Which led my mind to Derek; every time he was around I got butterflies in my stomach and a hot feeling in my groin. Desire ran through my veins when I looked into his eyes.
Then my mind switched to my life, I’d been a rebellious child, for as long as I could remember I was getting in trouble. But this topped everything, a death row convict falling for a cop…it was illegal, not to mention insane. They were the ones that put me here, but for some reason that didn’t bother me.
My thoughts were interrupted when Derek visited me again. This time he brought a box of acrylic paints and a brush. I was ecstatic, as he handed them to me. Painting… the true love of my life.
“I thought you could use some entertainment, you have permission to paint the walls if you like.” He said as I pulled out the red paint and began painting on the hearts permanently, then crossed out four of them. Then, forgetting Derek was in the room, I started from there, painting animals and people. Then I began painting my emotions, I didn’t realize Derek had stepped up behind me. His chest inches from my back; it was strange because there was a pull a magnetic force, which connected us to each other. This defied the laws of humanity, a cop and a murderer.
“Is that me?” He asked pointing the eyes I’d painted on a portion of the wall. I put down the brush and took a step away from him and went to the sink. But Derek caught my wrist.
“Why did you paint my eyes?”
“I paint what I see…that’s all. Like that heart there…” I said pointing to the human heart I’d done before the eyes, “That’s the heart of my boyfriend, the heart I cut out of his chest.”
Derek pulled me closer to him, “How can someone so twisted be so intoxicating?” He asked me, I shrugged and pulled away returning to my paints. I couldn’t get involved…otherwise I’d stop accepting death. Derek placed a hand on my shoulder and kissed my neck before leaving. Half of the wall was covered by now; I sank on to my cot hand over the spot he’d kissed, which was burning as if his lips were tongues of fire.

When Derek visited me again, it was the night before my last day on earth. He entered my room as I was painting the last wall, and closed the door noiselessly. Pushing strands of hair away from my eyes, so I could focus more. My mural depicted my inner struggle and the story of the murder. He stepped up behind me as I stared at the grey wall; he examined the mural without words. I didn’t realize Derek was even there till he spoke.
“Wow…this is incredible!” He said, and looked at me, I just smiled. Then my smile faded as I looked at the crossed out hearts on the wall…one left.
“Why are you here?” I asked picking up the blue tube of paint.
“I wanted to tell you, I’ll be prepping you for the injection.”
“Ok…will you be injecting me?”
“No, the doctor does that.”
“Oh…”
“Is this the only way you’ll tell what really happened?” He said gesturing towards the wall.
“I’ll tell the priest…but that’s it…you can be there if you really want to hear it.” I felt weak, like all the pure energy and determination to leave my mark on the world had died away.
I turned around, running right into Derek; his strong arms caught me before I fell over. He lifted me back up and set me on my feet, our faces inches away from each other. Heat coursed through me, as I thought I saw lust in Derek’s eyes. I tried to pull away but he held me firmly in place. We just looked into each others eyes, when Derek started to close the gap.
“You know what my last wish is?” I whispered
“What?” he replied his breath hot against my lips, I smirked evilly.
“To get in your pants…”
“At this rate you might just get your wish.” He said before his lips brushed against mine. Then my hands went to his face one slid back into his hair which I pulled from its usual ponytail. We stood there for a moment, our breath mingling. Then he tilted his head and caught my lips in a passionate kiss that I never wanted to leave. His hands ran up my back and back down to my hips. Desire, Passion, flowed through my blood, heart and soul. But I knew I couldn’t do this. I pulled away and stepped back. Derek looked at me confused.
“I can’t…” I stepped towards the cot and sat down then ran my fingers over the one remaining heart, “You see this…I have one day left…I can’t fall for you any farther. I let myself feel cause then I won’t accept death.”
Derek sat next to me, “I don’t accept that…You said you wanted to experience love before you died. Well it’s staring you right in the face! Just forget about tomorrow and deal with today…right now. I love you Roxie, no matter how weird it seems or how much I don’t understand why.”
I looked at Derek, tears welling in my eyes for the first time since I’d gotten here. I didn’t want to feel…Derek took me in his arms, pulling my gentle towards him. I moved slowly onto his lap, burying my head into his shoulder, and holding onto him like if I let go I’d die at that moment. Minutes pasted and I eventually lifted my head, staring into his crystal blue eyes. Derek wiped away my tears with his thumb, and kissed me gently.
It didn’t take long before my blue prison shirt was off and Derek was looming over me both of us in pants and tank tops. Derek’s hands ran over my flat stomach, leaving trails of heat in his wake. His lips played expertly over my neck, enticing a moan from my lips. I didn’t want tomorrow to come, I was happy, here in Derek’s arms.

Heat and sweat coursed between us as he pushed into me, my mind was clouded by passion and pleasure, Derek’s moans slowly bringing me to climax. My nails dug into his skin, making him go faster…slam into me with a force the could break me if I wasn’t meeting his thrusts. I cried his name the sound echoing through the cell…my name soon followed from his lips. As we fell together into exhaustion and sleep, comfort filled my soul as I drifted into the darkness of my mind.