Friday Fictioneers – Remorse

~ Neil MacDonald
PHOTO PROMPT © Lisa Fox

They said “you must show remorse.”

And I said, “I can’t be sorry for something I didn’t do.”

They said, “Well, it’s your right to claim that, of course, but then we wouldn’t be unreasonable in  concluding you’re in denial.”

To stand any chance of getting free of this, was going to mean living a lie. What a choice! To assert the truth, or to move on. So, what would you have done?

I heave a deep breath.

 .

Friday fictioneers is a weekly challenge set by Rochelle Wisoff Fields to write a 100-word story in response to a photo prompt. You can find other stories here

29 thoughts on “Friday Fictioneers – Remorse”

  6. I hate the choices that the accused are given in the justice system. Plea bargains happen all of the time in the US court system in order to expedite cases. The way it is constructed with many societies’ views of crime and punishment, the system would grind to a halt without them; which are, in so many cases, not bargains at all.

    About your question, to be honest, I cannot answer that question and could not answer that question unless I was actually in such circumstances — and hope I never find myself there!

    Neil, good story in so few words.

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  7. That’s a brutal choice that a lot of wrongly-accused people have to make, unfortunately. Either to admit to something you didn’t do and get a lighter sentence or suffer longer for your integrity. Great story.

    -David

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  9. A difficult choice. I think none of us can truly say how we would react until we were faced with that situation. And it would depend on the enormity of the accusation, of course. Not to mention the consequences.

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  13. Had some of the wrongly-convicted victims of the system escaped this kind of conjured justice, their lives wouldn’t have been ruined. Still, I suppose we should be thankful we no longer convict dogs and monkeys – except that we still do, of course.

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  14. What is truth? Now where have I heard that? 🙂 I can feel your poor MC’s agony in this situation. To be in a situation where you aren’t believed no matter how truthful you are being would be excruciating, and if the stakes of what you say and do are high – even worse.

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