SENTENCED ➙ GMW

one;

Lucas Friar slowly made his way down the long hall in the prison, eyeing the cells, and taking in which were empty and which weren't. The cells were filled with men sneering at him, or avoiding his eyes. He stared at them as he's lead past, nodding, and thinking about how much he didn't belong there.

The guard jerked Lucas' arms back, and the handcuffs chaffed against his wrist. He stopped, and stood there in silence, while waiting for the guard to unlock his new home. Once forced inside, the handcuffs were removed and the cell was locked shut. 

"It's lunch time," the guard informed everyone, before clomping away.

Lucas slowly walked to his slab of metal sticking out of the wall, the one without the sheets, and lay on the too hard slab of metal, the image of Riley continuing to replay over and over in his mind.

He could still remember her shrill cries coming from the living room. He had run in to find the front door being slammed shut, and Riley writhing on the floor in pain, red liquid oozing from her chest. Riley's hands were wrapped around something. A kitchen knife. Lucas' face had shown anger, and fear, and hopelessness. He was too late to save her. 

Lucas' eyes began to water again as he thought of her in pain, so much pain.

Lucas had knelt, and grabbed her bloody hands. "Riley..." he choked, her eyes were already glazed over. Lucas' body began racking with sobs, the memory of the life leaving her body burned a hole in the front of his mind.

"Lucas... please... save... me... I... I... love...----------" Riley started coughing, while her chest stopped it's jerky rise, and she fall. 

Lucas still remembers her eyes. Those brown eyes, always so comforting and reassuring. He had pulled her hands to his lips, not caring that they hadbeen shaking vigorously, or that they were covered in blood. All he did was place small kisses on each knuckle. 

Her words.... her last final words were what haunted Lucas the most. What kept him up every night in the dingy cell.

"Save me Lucas, save me," she had begged and cried, and Lucas couldn't do anything at all about it. He didn't do anything but sit beside her while she was on her final moments. The question that seems to stab Lucas every night, the one that Lucas will never be able to forgive himself for. How could he have been so self-centered?

Lucas turned over to the other side of his cell, when he heard the cell door lock turn. He watched as another man stepped in. When he saw Lucas, he turned back toward the guard, and seemed to beg the guard for something. "No, you can't switch," the guard answered loudly, before leaving again.

When the man turned back around, he looked sheepishly at Lucas. Lucas, wondering what on earth this prisoner was afraid of, gave him a puzzled look. "Hi... I'm Zay Babeineaux," he introduced, not looking Lucas directly in the eyes. 

"Okay, well I'm Lucas Friar," Lucas introduced, still confused by Zay's actions. 

"Why are you in here?" Lucas asked, hoping it wasn't something too bad, he didn't want to be stuck in here with some psycho. 

"Bank robbery and starting a fire," Zay replied. Lucas was impressed, but didn't show it, he instead continued to study Zay. After a few uncomfortable moments of complete silence, Zay seemed to be sweating and blurted out "Ugh... Fine! It wasn't me who caused the fire, and it wasn't exactly a bank, but it still counts." Lucas stared at him wide-eyed now, and figured he's might as well tell Zay why he's in prison.

"Well, I'm in for---" Lucas started, but Zay cut him off, "Oh I know what you did! We all do man." Zay laughed, his voice loud and clear. Soon after though, Zay cowered back. 

"And what did I do?" Lucas asked, baffled at what he knew must be some type of misunderstanding. 

"You're the drug dealer who murdered his girlfriend with a kitchen knife after finding out she planned on bringing evidence to the cops," Zay explained, his voice petering off as he realized Lucas' expression was filled with horror.

"That wasn't me," Lucas exclaimed, outraged by yet another lie. 

"Aren't you Lucas Friar?" Zay confirmed, actually looking Lucas in the eye now. "Yeah, but I didn't do that. I'm no drug dealer, and I didn't kill my girlfriend." Lucas explained, and Zay quickly shushed him. 

"Don't let the others hear you," Zay whispered, looking around. "You can tell me later."