Phase 13
I screamed a blood curdling scream as I woke to find myself on the couch in my apartment. I sat up quickly and looked around me. I then felt my stomach, then my back. Nothing.
“How did that feel.” Denzel spoke without emotion. Just stern, revengeful speech. I was speechless. “That’s what I though. Now you know what he goes through. Several times a day. Consider yourself fucking lucky.”
“L- Lucky to have you?” I stuttered, wanting to understand more.
“Yeah.” He said, “You’re lucky compared to the others here. The others that I just know about. There are so many more.”
“So…” I began, “If I was to kill someone else, then… Would you be gone?”
“Yeah, I would.” The room’s temperature raised and I was left to my thoughts. I couldn’t believe what I had just experienced.
…..
I went back to the jail that afternoon. I needed to see him again. I was scared. Unbelievably, fucking scared.
I met Lucas in his cell, with his hands, this time, restrained behind his back. The guards didn’t want to let him out until he could be trusted and predictable. The cell door slowly opened and I stepped in, timid. I had never been in a cell before. Well. Not in person.
“Roslyn. I want to apologize for everything. Everything.” Lucas started talking a-mile-a-minute. “I want to apologize, I know that- well, look. I’m so incredibly sorry. Let me explai-.” I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him. I laid my head on his chest and I felt his heart skip a beat. He was surprised. He said “Rosly-.”
“I know.” I said. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I felt like a fool, but a tear escaped and it fell onto my sleeve. My experience had just been so painful, and for Lucas to endure that… Lucas stood still and said, “What’s going on?”
“You’ll never believe me.” I wanted to say. But instead, I spoke softly when I said, “I felt your pain today. Denzel put me inside of you, and I felt your pain, for a half hour. I really felt you.”
“…What?”
“I saw Mercy’s world. Where you were stabbed, slammed, and broken. I saw everything. The bodies, the red sky. I heard your thoughts.”
Lucas stepped back and I was forced to look him in the eye, standing alone in front of him. He felt invaded, “What the hell. What did you see?” I just told him, but he was in shock, taking it all in. I gave him a moment to let him digest it… then “WHAT?! Oh my God Roslyn.” I felt a connection surge between us. I felt so close to him. “Roslyn…” He said my name again. There was nothing else to say, but I knew I didn’t want him in prison anymore. I began my plan by saying, “I don’t want you in here anymore. I’ll do all I can to get you out.”
“What can you do?”
“I have someone I can talk to.”
…..
I made many, many phone calls that evening. Finally, I went to the top judge in the Sacramento area of the state.
“Sacramento lawyer firm. Janeal and Samuels. How can we help you?”
“I’d like to speak to Jonah Samuels, please.”
“One moment, please.”
…..
“Jonah Samuels-.”
“Jonah, it’s Roslyn.”
“Roslyn? Wow, what do I pay for this visit? How are you?”
“I have a request.”
…..
That night, on the computer, I dug up all the files I could on Lucas, and found that there was hardly any evidence of his killings. Jonah, my first cousin, told me that there was hardly any evidence of any more killings than one. He told me that the official records stated that he served his time for his first and “only” killing (to his knowledge) and that he shouldn’t be in jail. His arrest was under false circumstances. After a court hearing, he’d be free to go.
Suddenly, everything was working in my and Lucas’s favor. Everything was going right.
Little did I know, nothing would be the same after he was released.
…..
The court hearing droned on for two hours. I sat, twiddling my thumbs behind the gate, behind Lucas, for two full hours. I wanted it to be over. The verdict was in our favor. It was ironically perfect.
Lucas was released from the prison that Friday, and he needed a place to stay. I know Denzel’s orders were not to get involved with him, but I had no other choice. I felt obligated to help him and… I felt a strong connection with him. Again. Finally…
…..
~One hour before Lucas’s arrival~
I cleaned my bedroom first. I’m not quite sure why. Lucas wouldn’t even be in that room, he’d be on the couch… Second was the bathroom. I had to get rid of the empty medication bottles, the bloody bandages, and the, the everything. Even if I wasn’t to clean the bathroom and let it stay the same, with the bloody bandages in the trash, I knew Lucas would understand. His bathroom is probably…….. three times worse.
~Half an hour before Lucas’s arrival~
Food. I prepared a nice meal for him. I’m sure the food he got there wouldn’t be in the same league as my fresh tossed caesar salad, steaming mashed potatoes and parmesan chicken… Cooking took about twenty minutes. I wanted to make everything look good.
~Ten minutes before Lucas’s arrival~
During this time, I stood behind the couch and looked at the coffee table. For about nine minutes I looked at the table. The tenth minute was my last normal minute.
Lucas came in right on time, Friday night, 9:00. I let him in. He was wearing his slender, dark jeans with his tight black shirt. No shoes. He came in the door and I said, happily, “I made some dinner for you. If it’s cold let me know, I’ll heat it up.” He went to the couch and fell onto it. “Lucas?”
“Roslyn.” He said sternly, “thanks, but I’m not hungry. I’m tired. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
Rude.
I looked at the warm dish of food on the counter for about three minutes. Lucas was asleep, I could hear his breath, slowly in and out, in and out. I took my hand and swept it across the counter. The plate and food crashed to the ground with a loud clatter and shatter. Lucas jumped up from his couch and, from reflex said, quickly, “WHAT? WHAT?” Lucas looked over his shoulder and saw the food on the ground. I walked into my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I fell onto my bed, fully dressed, and slept. The room was freezing. It felt much colder than before. Then again, I was sharing the apartment with Lucas. And two demons. Two silent, dangerous moths.
“How did that feel.” Denzel spoke without emotion. Just stern, revengeful speech. I was speechless. “That’s what I though. Now you know what he goes through. Several times a day. Consider yourself fucking lucky.”
“L- Lucky to have you?” I stuttered, wanting to understand more.
“Yeah.” He said, “You’re lucky compared to the others here. The others that I just know about. There are so many more.”
“So…” I began, “If I was to kill someone else, then… Would you be gone?”
“Yeah, I would.” The room’s temperature raised and I was left to my thoughts. I couldn’t believe what I had just experienced.
…..
I went back to the jail that afternoon. I needed to see him again. I was scared. Unbelievably, fucking scared.
I met Lucas in his cell, with his hands, this time, restrained behind his back. The guards didn’t want to let him out until he could be trusted and predictable. The cell door slowly opened and I stepped in, timid. I had never been in a cell before. Well. Not in person.
“Roslyn. I want to apologize for everything. Everything.” Lucas started talking a-mile-a-minute. “I want to apologize, I know that- well, look. I’m so incredibly sorry. Let me explai-.” I ran to him and wrapped my arms around him. I laid my head on his chest and I felt his heart skip a beat. He was surprised. He said “Rosly-.”
“I know.” I said. I couldn’t hold it in anymore. I felt like a fool, but a tear escaped and it fell onto my sleeve. My experience had just been so painful, and for Lucas to endure that… Lucas stood still and said, “What’s going on?”
“You’ll never believe me.” I wanted to say. But instead, I spoke softly when I said, “I felt your pain today. Denzel put me inside of you, and I felt your pain, for a half hour. I really felt you.”
“…What?”
“I saw Mercy’s world. Where you were stabbed, slammed, and broken. I saw everything. The bodies, the red sky. I heard your thoughts.”
Lucas stepped back and I was forced to look him in the eye, standing alone in front of him. He felt invaded, “What the hell. What did you see?” I just told him, but he was in shock, taking it all in. I gave him a moment to let him digest it… then “WHAT?! Oh my God Roslyn.” I felt a connection surge between us. I felt so close to him. “Roslyn…” He said my name again. There was nothing else to say, but I knew I didn’t want him in prison anymore. I began my plan by saying, “I don’t want you in here anymore. I’ll do all I can to get you out.”
“What can you do?”
“I have someone I can talk to.”
…..
I made many, many phone calls that evening. Finally, I went to the top judge in the Sacramento area of the state.
“Sacramento lawyer firm. Janeal and Samuels. How can we help you?”
“I’d like to speak to Jonah Samuels, please.”
“One moment, please.”
…..
“Jonah Samuels-.”
“Jonah, it’s Roslyn.”
“Roslyn? Wow, what do I pay for this visit? How are you?”
“I have a request.”
…..
That night, on the computer, I dug up all the files I could on Lucas, and found that there was hardly any evidence of his killings. Jonah, my first cousin, told me that there was hardly any evidence of any more killings than one. He told me that the official records stated that he served his time for his first and “only” killing (to his knowledge) and that he shouldn’t be in jail. His arrest was under false circumstances. After a court hearing, he’d be free to go.
Suddenly, everything was working in my and Lucas’s favor. Everything was going right.
Little did I know, nothing would be the same after he was released.
…..
The court hearing droned on for two hours. I sat, twiddling my thumbs behind the gate, behind Lucas, for two full hours. I wanted it to be over. The verdict was in our favor. It was ironically perfect.
Lucas was released from the prison that Friday, and he needed a place to stay. I know Denzel’s orders were not to get involved with him, but I had no other choice. I felt obligated to help him and… I felt a strong connection with him. Again. Finally…
…..
~One hour before Lucas’s arrival~
I cleaned my bedroom first. I’m not quite sure why. Lucas wouldn’t even be in that room, he’d be on the couch… Second was the bathroom. I had to get rid of the empty medication bottles, the bloody bandages, and the, the everything. Even if I wasn’t to clean the bathroom and let it stay the same, with the bloody bandages in the trash, I knew Lucas would understand. His bathroom is probably…….. three times worse.
~Half an hour before Lucas’s arrival~
Food. I prepared a nice meal for him. I’m sure the food he got there wouldn’t be in the same league as my fresh tossed caesar salad, steaming mashed potatoes and parmesan chicken… Cooking took about twenty minutes. I wanted to make everything look good.
~Ten minutes before Lucas’s arrival~
During this time, I stood behind the couch and looked at the coffee table. For about nine minutes I looked at the table. The tenth minute was my last normal minute.
Lucas came in right on time, Friday night, 9:00. I let him in. He was wearing his slender, dark jeans with his tight black shirt. No shoes. He came in the door and I said, happily, “I made some dinner for you. If it’s cold let me know, I’ll heat it up.” He went to the couch and fell onto it. “Lucas?”
“Roslyn.” He said sternly, “thanks, but I’m not hungry. I’m tired. I’ll talk to you in the morning.”
Rude.
I looked at the warm dish of food on the counter for about three minutes. Lucas was asleep, I could hear his breath, slowly in and out, in and out. I took my hand and swept it across the counter. The plate and food crashed to the ground with a loud clatter and shatter. Lucas jumped up from his couch and, from reflex said, quickly, “WHAT? WHAT?” Lucas looked over his shoulder and saw the food on the ground. I walked into my bedroom and shut the door behind me. I fell onto my bed, fully dressed, and slept. The room was freezing. It felt much colder than before. Then again, I was sharing the apartment with Lucas. And two demons. Two silent, dangerous moths.
