chapter 1 - possession charges.

The glare from the flashing blue lights woke Mia. She looked at the man driving, “What is going on?”

“I’m sorry.”, was all he said as he hit his turn signal and pulled off the road.

“What do you mean you are sorry? What is going on?”, she asked. The man just looked forward as the car came to a stop.

“How long have I been asleep?”

“A while.”, the man said just as the policeman tapped on his window and shinned a bright flashlight in their faces. Without turning to look at the officer, the man rolled his window down.

“I need your driver’s license and proof of insurance.”, the officer said in a heavy Southern Accent. Still facing forward, the man reached down and pulled his license from his wallet. Handing it to the officer, he said “Here is my license, I don’t have insurance.”

“Well, that is you first problem”, the officer said and turned his flashlight onto Mia. “I need identification from you.”

Mia looked at the officer’s badge, Mount Isley Arkansas Municipal police. “I just got a ride from him.”

“I didn’t ask you why you was in the car, I asked for your goddamned identification.”, the officer replied and stared at her in disgust.

Mia dug through her pack in her lap, pulled out her Minnesota State ID and handed it to the officer. “You two keep your hands on the dash of this car.”, the officer ordered them and walked back to his patrol car.

“What is going on?”, Mia asked the man, but he just continued to stare forward. She never thought she would get pulled over while hitching a ride from a middle age man that looked like a church deacon and drove Buick. A couple of minutes later the officer walked back to their car and jerked the driver’s side door open. “Get out of the car!”, the officer ordered the man. The man stepped out of the car and was immediately thrown headfirst into it. The officer jerked the man’s arms behind him, handcuffed him, then struck him in the back of the legs with his baton. The man fell to the side of the road writhing in pain.

“Piece of shit”, the officer muttered as he stood over him. A moment later a state trooper pulled up. The officer jerked the man to his feet and shoved him over to the trooper’s patrol car. “He is you all’s problem now.”, the officer exclaimed as the trooper pushed the man into the back of his car. A moment later, the trooper drove off.

The officer walked back to the car and shinned his light in on Mia again. “Do you know who that man was?”

“No, I just got a ride from him.”

The officer just stared at her a moment. “Get out of the car.” Mia did as she was told and slowly stepped out of the car. “Put your hands on the hood”, he ordered her. The officer stepped behind her. “Do you have anything in your pockets?”

“No”. The officer quickly patted her down. “What are you doing with this man?”, the officer asked.

“I was just getting a ride.”, Mia replied.

“A ride to where?”

“Houston, I have a friend down there.”, Mia replied.

“Where did he pick you up?”

“Missouri.”, Mia replied.

“Did you know he was one of those ANTIFA pieces of shit?”

“I didn’t really know anything about him. I guess I have been sleeping for a few hours. Where am I?”, Mia replied.

“The piece of shit vandalized a courthouse up in Northern Arkansas. You are in Mount Isley.”

“Where is that?”, Mia asked.

“You just keep your hands on that hood.” The officer pulled Mia’s pack out and started digging through it. He pulled a prescription bottle of pills out. “That is an amphetamine prescription, what are you doing with them?”

“They were prescribed to me.” Mia replied.

“It’s an amphetamine, what was it prescribed for?”

“Why does that matter, it was legally prescribed to me.”, Mia snapped back.

“You can’t legally have amphetamines in Mount Isley. We are a drug free community here. I am asking you again, what was it prescribed for?”

“They are for weight loss.”

The officer looked her up and down, “You have trouble losing weight?”

“Why is that any of your concern?”, Mia said.

The officer pushed Mia’s face down into the hood. “I am an officer of the law and I asked you a question. Do you have trouble losing weight?”

“Yes”, Mia said under her breath.

“It says on your ID you are 5’5 and weigh 150. What do you really weigh?”

Mia took a breath, “About 175.”

The officer looked her up and down again. “I would imagine so given how you stretch those shorts out.”

“Excuse me.”, Mia started to say but the officer cut her off. “Put your hands behind your back.”. The officer jerked Mia’s arms behind her. “You are under arrest for illegal possession of weight loss drugs in Mount Isley city limits.”

“What”, Mia exclaimed.

“You have a right to remain silent..”