Books
Title: Shadows & Light, the Trial Begins
Author: Anthony Stephenson
Length: 124,743 words
ISBN: 9781843867210
Published: Pegasus 2013
Market: Anybody over 18
Main: Fiction, Terror, Pain
This story is set around the time of the first gulf war and tells the story of an estate agent called Sarah Phillips who is a happily married mother with two young children.
One day after her car breaks down a few miles from her home, she is brutally attacked by two men. She is threatened and robbed at knifepoint, violently beaten up, and then viciously raped by the two men; she is then left to die in the alleyway. One of the men is a wealthy well respected member of the local community, with many powerful and influential people on his side, all ready and willing to defend the name of their good friend.
The other man is a small time petty criminal, well known to the local police, and has been in prison far too many times. Sarah begins the long road to try and prove her innocence and that the two men are guilty, but it’s not easy fighting a man as rich and as powerful as Mr Forbes, the other man accused of raping her is easily believed, as he is a well known trouble maker, and not many people like him.
But Sarah is a strong determined woman, and is not scared to fight to clear her name, and the name of her family. She enters the court room, ready and determined to see that justice is well and truly served, and the two monsters that attacked her and ruined her life, will never get out of prison to ruin anybody’s life ever again.
As the case progresses she discovers the harsh reality and reactions of what she’s about to face from her local community and in the courtroom, it’s going to be far more difficult for her and her family than she imagined possible, and it will seem like she is being attacked all over again many, many times. It also comes to light that one of the men is a serious drug user and has been in denial for many years, who knows what kind of medical problems he might have?
Will Sarah see it through to the end and see that the two animals that ruined her life get what they richly deserve and more, or will money and power win over justice and let the two accused men walk free.
A Lonely Voice
My dad came to visit me late one night
He told me things would be all right
I never ever had sex before
And I won’t again that’s for sure
But my dad just say’s that things would be fine
It would be our secret just his and mine
He say’s that I should not tell my mum
Because she wouldn’t believe me
And she’d smack my bum
I can’t tell my mum and I never have
Would she believe me about my dad?
She’d only laugh and say he couldn’t
Not your father no he wouldn’t
You’re only a child you shouldn’t lie
It’s him that’s lying my dad not I
I can’t tell my
He couldn’t not your father
Don’t be so daft
My dad still visits me from time to time
My dad still tells me things will be fine
And it’s still our secret just his and mine.
‘A lonely voice aged 13.’
Our Children Are Special Let’s Keep Them That Way