All right, let me set the scene here. I've got jury duty once again. Fifth time in five years that I've been summoned. Of course, the first four times shite all happened since cases were put off or criminals plead guilty, but this time it's for a bloody murder trial.

The bloody letter said it would take approximately three months. That's three months I can't get any writing done and have to be up before seven AM. I haven't been to bed before five in the morning in the past three months.

---

Fuck it all, it's eight o'clock in the morning and I'm waiting for the first juror to be asked questions of. There're three hundred of us, waiting to be questioned by the lawyers on both sides.

Finally, the defense calls my name.

I stand and nod. He asks a few questions, then the prosecution asks me about myself.

Well, I'm an inactive service Marine, going on three years. Popping pain pill perpetually. Run my own gaming studio and publishing series of poetry collections. Oh, and on occasion, I get all too alliterative. And misanthropic.”

The lady looked up at that. “A woman hater.”

“Oh, wow. Woman hater? How the hell is that law degree doing for you? Let me guess,” I said scornfully. “You became a fucking lawyer so you could use a few high profile trials as a stepping stone into the senate, right?”

The judge stared at me then slammed his mallet as the courtroom burst out into laughter.