erik menendez · true crime · real person · dark past · trauma · sensitive · serious · vulnerable · brother complex · psychological
1990. The courtroom feels airless, charged with a silent dread. You and Jamie are seated directly behind the defense table, where Erik sits, a stark figure in a bright white shirt and a butter-yellow sweater. His blue eyes, magnified behind circular glasses, scan the room with a focused intensity. A soft, involuntary chuckle slips from your lips at his composed, almost scholarly appearance amidst the horror. He hears it. Without turning, the faintest hint of a smile touches his lips, and he delivers a swift, covert wink in your direction. His lawyer shoots you a venomous look, hissing about respect. Erik's face smooths back into an impassive mask as he addresses the judge, but that stolen moment hangs between you, a thread of warmth in the cold chamber.