Dreams of an Absolution

Bright Future (Episode 45)

"As I am breathing right now, another is breathing their final this beautiful morning. I am grateful, yet saddened, as I serve no purpose in this lifetime I am given, which could be given to one elsewhere who is more deserving."

That was the final paragraph in Lucas's journal entry for this morning. He then closed his half full chapter book and levitated it back on to its shelf using his telekinesis. Lucas remained in his throne like chair as his cat, Smokey, was napping on his lap. He didn't want to disrupt his sleep.

"Such a wonderful creature," Lucas said to himself, peacefully resting the palm of his hand on Smokey's back. Lucas himself then shut his eyes as well, meditating in the darkness of his own mind.

*Knock*
*Knock*
*Knock*

Suddenly, three loud knocks had sounded from Lucas's newly replaced door. He instantly opened his eyes, as the sound had startled him. Smokey had remained asleep though. Slowly and carefully, Lucas phased his body through the chair and into the floor. This was so Smokey wouldn't awaken upon being set peacefully on the chair. Lucas then swiftly floated to his front door, opening it.

"Surprise!" shouted Caspian out of the nowhere. Lucas instantly backed away in shock. Caspian and Lucas were all of a sudden face to face in the doorway.

Caspian breathed heavily, shirtless and barefoot. His gray skin was covered in patches of sewage, blood, and dust. Even his orange, prison jumpsuit pants were nearly shredded completely. Upon seeing him, Lucas wore a look on his face he'd never had before. He was completely confused, and slightly on edge.

"It's... you? How did you escape prison? Why have you shown up at this place once more?" Lucas questioned, squinting his eyes. "Well to talk to you of course," Caspian enthusiastically replied, before switching to an oddly serious tone. Lucas then began to emit his ghoulish, green aura as he said in a deeper voice, "You do not belong here. Have you forgotten last time?"

Caspian sighed and replied, "Look, I get it. No amount of sorry will take back my actions from last time. But, ever since I've broke out of prison, I've had something on my mind, other than trying to survive in the sewers. It's about that note you left me."

Lucas's ghoulish aura faded as he was faintly stunned by Caspian's response. "Ah. Very well then. But understand this. I will have my guard up at all times. Move a certain way and I will take your life in a second," Lucas threatened in his ghastly voice, staring directly into Caspian's drained eyes. He then stepped to the side, wavering Caspian to come in. Slightly surprised by the gesture, Caspian nodded and slowly limped inside the mansion, as Lucas used his powers to shut the door behind him.

Stepping into the shadows of the mansion's massive first floor, Caspian stopped. "This is as far as I walk. I won't go any further," said Caspian, staring down at the floor. "You appear rather mature in comparison to our previous encounter. How interesting. Though, I prefer you make this quick as you smell like a rotting corpse at the moment," Lucas nonchalantly remarked.

Caspian then looked down at his right hand as he began to speak. "Alright. My name is Caspian Maddox." Lucas replied, "Lucas Avadeer."

Caspian continued, "I arrived in this mansion last time as a means of escaping the police. I did some small crimes around the city and a few horrible crimes. Around the time you met me, I remember waking up one day, full of a random hatred. It gave me an urge to do bad things. Bad things like attacking innocent people, and laughing about it. I didn't remember anything about my life before waking up that day a month or two ago. That was, until I got to prison. The torture and pain I had to go through thanks to my cellmate had made me unlock a memory. My only memory. A terrible, horrible memory that I just want to forget about now. It was a rainy day when it happened. After the bullies at my kindergarten killed my best friend in front of me, my cat Simon, that's when it happened. My powers awakened. I turned all those kids into piles of bloody chunks of meat and dust along with the teachers. Half the school turned to dust, and so did... my own mom."

Lucas's eyes widened upon hearing that, grabbing his own chest as Caspian kept speaking. "After that, I remember puking and passing out, before waking up in a police station where my dad was. I thought he was going to console me, and tell me that everything was going to be okay. He instead punched me in my face, disowning me for the monster I was. I cried once more, and my powers activated again beyond my control. I ended up turning not only my dad, but half the police station to dust too. I just remember crying and crying, until I was eventually tased. That's where my memory ended. I remember nothing between that painful memory and waking up in this teenage body, attacking people like an insane person. But, the trauma.. I think that's what the word is. Yeah, the trauma of that memory made my emotions spiral out of control. It made my dusting power grow stronger, which opened the doors for me to escape from prison."

Lucas was staring down to the ground blankly upon hearing Caspian's story. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. Caspian then turned to look at Lucas and said, "After I made it out of that prison, I hid in the sewers. That's where I lived for days. Not eating, but living off drinking that gross sewer water. It made me so sick and I threw up so many times. I was depressed, and I didn't know what to do or where to go. But then, I remembered the words on your sticky note that you left on my back. That every saint had a past, and every sinner had a future..." Caspian's expression looked to grow sadder after saying that, and his lip started to quiver.

A single tear dripped down Caspian's face. "It's not fair. It all started because I was bullied for looking this way. I didn't ask to be made this way. I just wanted to be happy. I never asked to be born." His voice then grew a bit shaky. "My life just got worse and worse. All I ever wanted was a friend. And now, everyone wants me to die!" Caspian then fell to his knees, bawling...

"I wish I could take back all the things I've done. I want to still be a good person. Please..." Caspian cried, putting his head down onto the floor. He was shaking whilst holding onto his shirtless body.

Lucas looked down at Caspian in great pity, as he watched him sob. He thought to himself, "What would you do in this situation, Timothy?" Lucas then spoke, "Thank you for sharing your story. We are very alike, both you and I. Both outcasted from society and living without our parents." With tears still in his eyes, Caspian then glanced up at Lucas while wiping the snot from his face. He looked surprised from hearing Lucas say that.

Lucas shut his eyes and continued, "You and I both have suffered from the hell known as our childhood. Like you, I was full of hatred, and hatred alone. My sole purpose was to destroy a certain someone. That was my life's goal. That is, until I met him. My friend. My only real friend after Smokey, my cat. The only person willing to ever come to this place and talk to a shell of a person like me. His words pulled me out from my own darkness and granted me momentary light. But, no matter how much he tried for me, I once again fell back into the shadows of my thoughts. And that is because the shadows are where people like you and I belong. So, as such, people like us must stick together to last in these shadows."

Stunned, Caspian's expression brightened a bit, gazing as Lucas shouted, "Caspian! It is true you and I had our feline companions, but I was blessed enough to have a human friend as well to distract me from my viscous hatred and vengeance! Perhaps also granting me a new future ahead along with the light!" As his powerful words echoed throughout the walls, sunlight began to shine through a window of the dark mansion, directly onto Lucas as he reached his hand out to Caspian.

Then, as his eyes glowed green and his hair levitated, Lucas proclaimed with strong emotion, "Caspian! I will lead you to this new light alongside me as your first human friend such as my friend did for me! I will guide you and show you that there is more to these mere shadows! That saying I was given by him, I now pass down to you! Though it may not seem possible, I believe in the vice versa of that saying! Oh how I have hope, that perhaps, even sinners can have bright futures! So take my hand Caspian! Will you stand with me and help fight the darkness!? Or let it consume you!?"

At a loss for words, Caspian's eyes began to shine, seeing Lucas as a beacon of hope. Trying to control his emotions, Caspian dashed up off the ground and hugged Lucas, crying his heart out. Feeling awkward, Lucas lightly patted Caspian's shirtless back, slightly cracking a genuine smile.