Cassedy couldn’t shake the memory of the brutal beating he’d endured for missing last month’s debt payment. The image of his mother’s face, drained of all colour when she saw him bloodied and bruised, was burned into his mind. She hadn't fainted, but she’d come dangerously close. He’d lied to her, of course, blaming it on school bullies, but the truth was far more perilous.
He shook his head, trying to push the memory aside. It was the last week of the 5th form, and only a few hours ago, his school had just ended. He unlocked his front door and walked inside, his younger sister Kaitlyn was already lying on the living room couch, engrossed in her phone.
“You alright, Katy?” he asked, trying to sound casual as he observed her texting.
“Cassedy… you know I should be asking you that question,” she replied without looking up, her fingers still flying across the screen. He expected her response, so he braced himself, trying to think of a way to wriggle out of any further questioning.
“Our school’s over at the same time, yet you go off on whatever unknown venture.”
“Just some after-school errands… with some friends.”
“Since when did you ever find friends?”
“I have my ‘crew,’ you just don’t see them because they don’t attend our school.”
“Really? You sit by yourself like some lone wolf in the schoolyard. I doubt that’s possible.”
“What are you saying then? I’m not friendly enough?”
Kaitlyn finally put down her phone and looked at him, her eyes full of concern as she tried to muster the courage to confront him.
“I know why you’ve been out so late.”
Cassedy felt his heart skip a beat. He wasn’t sure how to respond, so he tried to deflect, his voice stumbling over the words. “What do you mean? No, I really mean… Ah, anyway, today was boring. I’m heading upstairs.”
“You can’t expect to get away with stealing, you know. You’re going to get caught one day. How will the money get paid off then? Just find another part-time job. I’m sure that’s much better for you.”
Cassedy froze, underestimating how much his sister had figured out. Not wanting to continue the conversation, he turned to leave.
“You need to stay out of it,” he said, his voice tinged with desperation. “I know what I’m doing is wrong… but we need the money. Our father needs it too.”
Before she could respond, Cassedy walked away, heading upstairs. His words lingered in her mind, leaving her unsure whether to press him further in the future.
As he climbed the stairs and entered his room, he was greeted by the sight of clothes scattered everywhere. He remembered his mother’s warning that morning: “Take your clothes off the bed, or you won’t find them where you left them.” Sighing, he stuffed the clothes into a drawer, not wanting to deal with his mother’s irritation after her long shift at the hospital. Once the room was somewhat tidier, he searched for something to distract himself. His room was the closest thing to normalcy in his life—a place where he could shut out the troubles of the outside world.
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As he closes the door to his room, his mind heavy with the weight of another day spent under the gaze of judgmental eyes. As he carefully stripped off his clothes, he winced at the sight of fresh bruises marking his skin—a constant reminder of the sins he couldn’t escape. Life in crime, he knew, didn’t come without its scars. It felt like a curse, one that bound him toward his inevitable demise. He couldn’t shake the memory of that day—the day he became entangled in the inescapable web of organized crime, a pawn in their unrelenting game.
Booting up his desktop computer, the screen’s glow illuminating the room. His mind wandered back to earlier that day. It should’ve been a simple Thursday, a day to relax with classmates he’d known for years. But instead of joining them in their games, his thoughts were consumed with the thoughts of planning ahead of time.
“Yooo Cassedy, sitting by yourself again? Want to play a game of CINCO with us?” a classmate had asked. They were all huddled together, enjoying what would be, for some, their last smiles together. Although he wasn’t against the idea of having some fun, his mind was elsewhere—focused on where to steal from next.
As his mind drifted, he was pulled into a memory from two weeks ago, the night of his last heist.
*Flashback*
His target had been a random woman in the town square, an easy mark. He sat at a food court, checking out the area around him, careful not to seem suspicious. It was a late Friday evening, and the square buzzed with customers and passersby. Cassedy knew the drill—he scanned for cameras, cops, security guards, and any good Samaritans who might try to play hero.
He spotted a lady standing by a bus stop, lost in conversation on her phone, unaware of the danger lurking nearby. Her laughter echoed in the air, a sound that would soon be stolen along with her phone. Cassedy hardened his resolve, reminding himself why he was doing this. He needed the money to pay off his father’s debt.
He pulled up his shirt beneath his sweater to cover his face—wearing a mask would’ve been too obvious, and with a quick check of his surroundings, he darted toward the woman and snatched the phone from her hand. Her shriek pierced the evening air.
“STOP THAT GUY! HE STOLE MY PHONE!” she screamed.
Cassedy sprinted through the bewildered crowd, dodging anyone in his path. Her loud cry rang out, and soon, a security guard from a nearby convenience store had taken up the chase.
“STOP, THIEF!” the guard yelled.
Cassedy knew the drill. This was something he’d done before, knowing exactly how he’d be able to lose him–a simple test of endurance. The guard, struggling to keep up, began to lag behind. But Cassedy could feel the strain on his body, his legs burning with each step. With one final burst of energy, he darted into an alley and hid behind a garbage container, trying to muffle his heavy breathing. The footsteps of the pursuing guard grew louder, then slowed.
Cassedy picked up a stone from the ground, readying himself for a last-ditch effort to escape. But just as the guard drew near, his radio crackled to life, and a voice barked through the static.
“I told you this morning not to leave the post! We have a shoplifter, and where are you? Should I tell the boss you went to take a piss? GET BACK HERE!” the voice commanded.
“Tch… already on my second warning, and it hasn’t even been a week since I got the job. This is a joke,” the guard muttered as he turned and walked away.
Cassedy waited until the footsteps faded before stepping out of his hiding spot. He scanned his surroundings, realizing he had ended up in the same alley where the ‘beast’ that had once attacked him had left its mark on his face—a reminder of the dangers that lurked in his world.
*End of Flashback*