An Eye For An Eye: The Rise Of Cassius Lucas

Out, But Not Free

Inside the dimly lit prison cell, Lucas sat on a broken chair, barely balanced on its remaining one leg. He flipped through a stack of old newspapers, their pages yellowed and fragile with age and dampness. He wore a faded yellow shirt tucked into a pair of black trousers. Stamped boldly across the back of the shirt in block letters were the words: Lucas Ross, Number 189.

The cell was silent, except for the soft rustle of paper. On the metal table in front of him lay the shattered remains of the shattered glasses of a mirror.

At the corner of the room was a sink with a mirror so scratched you couldn’t see your own face.

Lucas signed heavily, scratching his head with his left hand.

“I….. I'm starving,” a voice said, the words echoing in the room. This distracted Lucas’s attention and he turned his head toward the bunk across from him. It was Raymond Scarlett, his cellmate. Raymond was sitting on the top bunk, his back against the wall while his legs were hanging in the air.

“Won’t they bring food today?” he asked. “I’m battling a chronic ulcer… and the guards know it.”

“Well,” Lucas muttered. “Food should be here in the next five minutes.”

He slowly closed the newspaper he had been reading and placed it on the table beside him. Then, he stood from the broken chair. As he rose, something dropped to the floor with a soft clink. Lucas looked down and saw a black pen lying on the floor near his feet.

He stared at it for a few seconds, then a gentle smile tugged at the corner of his lips.

It was the same pen Lucas used the day he was expelled from Washington University.

He bent down slowly, turning it between his fingers. Then, without a word, he placed it gently on top of the folded newspaper lying on the table.

A year ago, Lucas was sentenced to the toughest prison in all of Washington City. His former best friend, Adam, and his girlfriend, Sophia, had won the case against him even though they were the ones who framed him.

“He’s guilty. He should be jailed!”

Those words had echoed in Lucas’s ears long after the trial ended. They came from Sophia, the same woman he had once called his world. The same woman he had stayed up late for, helping her with her assignments, projects and even sacrificing his own studies to make sure she succeeded.

He remembered the nights they spent in the library, sitting close to each other as he explained things line by line. He remembered bringing her coffee during exam week and encouraging her when she felt like giving up. He gave her his time, his heart and his trust.

And in return, she gave him betrayal.

When the police officers shoved him into the back of their van, he saw Adam standing a few feet away, pointing at Lucas like he was some kind of criminal.

“He should be taken to a psychiatric hospital! He’s lost his mind!” Adam yelled.

All Lucas could do was stare helpless and stunned, as the police forced him into the van like he was some dangerous lunatic.

“You are hereby sentenced to one year imprisonment for assault.”

Those were the last words the lead judge said before rapping the gavel.

Lucas hadn’t just lost his law degree. He had lost everything he had worked for, everything he had believed in, and everything he had hoped his life would become.

His final exam could have been the gateway to the future he had always dreamed of. But that future was ripped away from him, stolen by betrayal, and crushed by mere jealousy.

Lucas was an orphan. He had no parents to run to, no siblings to lean on, and no distant relatives to offer shelter or comfort. From a young age, he had learned to survive on his own. He had climbed through hardship and earned every bit of progress with sweat and sacrifice.

But now, he had lost everything right before his eyes.

Even if he were released, where would he go? He had no one to meet, no place to go to and there was no one waiting for his return.

Suddenly, a sharp crackle buzzed from the speaker above his cell door, followed by a loud voice.

“Food is ready. Everyone should get out of their cells and move to the dining hall.”

The door swung open and Lucas got out of his cell barefooted. He kept walking, one step at a time, like a man who hadn’t used his legs in years.

Just as he was about to enter the dining hall, a man stepped in front of him, blocking his path.

“I heard you will be set free today,” the man said, as he gently placed his hands on his shoulder. “You see… I… I have just a few months left to leave this place. By the time I get out of here, make sure you are still alive, because I'm going to kick your fucking ass.”

“I will never forget what you did,” he said. “The wound you gave me on my back… I still feel it every day. Do you think leaving this place means you're safe? No. It doesn’t matter where you go. I will find you, Lucas. Even if it takes me years, I will find you. And when I do, I’ll make you pay for everything.”

Lucas turned his head slowly. Then, he stared at the man for a few seconds, looking at him from head to toe. He gently took the man's hands off his shoulder and headed straight to the dining hall.

Getting to the dining hall, Lucas gazed at the food for a while before sitting down.

In front of Lucas was grey mashed potatoes, slimy green beans, a slice of stale bread and a lump of meat that looked more like rubber. The food looked like it had already gone bad. The mashed potatoes had a weird smell, and the bread was as hard as a rock. Lucas didn’t touch it. He just stared at it with tired eyes.

“ Lucas Ross,".

A voice called Lucas, drawing his attention.

It was Officer Taylor, one of the prison guards. He stood at the entrance of the dining hall, folding his arms as he gazed at Lucas.

“You done with that garbage?” he asked, pointing at the tray in front of him.

Lucas looked at the food again, then pushed the tray to his right side.

“It depends,” he said. “Are you here to take it away or feed me a new one?”

“Grab your things. You’re done here.”

“What?”

“Yeah,” Taylor said. “Go to your room and grab your things. You are to be released today.”

Taylor left the dining hall, and Lucas Ross rose to his feet. As he was about to take a step forward, a hand was gently placed on his shoulder from behind.

“What’s the point of being free... if you’re not safe? Tell me, Ross… how fast do you think you can run?”