Gemotions

The courtroom felt suffocating. He sat at the defense table, listening to the prosecutor's impassioned arguments. He felt a cold dread creeping through him, a feeling that clawed at his insides. The weight of the case pressed down on him, and he knew he had to keep it together. He’d barely slept in days.

His secretary handed him a small, plain envelope. He opened it slowly, his hands unsteady. It was from Mark, a former student who’d found himself on the wrong side of the law. Inside was a small drawing of a scales of justice, perfectly balanced. He looked at the drawing, and then back at the courtroom.