Falling For An Inmate

Chapter 28: The truth will (not) set you free

Trigger Warning*

This chapter contains scenes of physical violence (towards the end).

CHAPTER 28

Arya Crawford

Over the centuries, truth has always been presented as analogous with light, with freedom.

The famous words, constantly reiterating how the truth is like a beacon of light, in a chaotic world of lies.

How the truth is the light and the light is the truth.

How the truth will set you free.

But did the philosophers ever stop to consider that perhaps, the truth is not the light at the end of a dark tunnel? That truth will not set you free?

That the truth may just lead you into the darkness, that it will become the reason you are caged?

Perhaps they didn't. But there was consensus on one aspect though. That truth will out. Truth will find a way to the surface. Somehow, someday. Truth will out.

The truth will reveal itself. Whether it leads to light and freedom, or darkness and confinement, depends on much more than well-meaning philosophy. I had yet to witness this unpredictable outcome of truth.

But today, I witnessed that flip side of truth. The side that escaped the clever minds of the philosophers, perhaps. The side of truth that leads you by the hand down the path to darkness. To your confinement.

The earth began to shift under me. The fear of collapse bubbled in the pit of my stomach. The unexpected movement, making my center of gravity shift.

I let out a mini squeal as Carter placed his palms flat against the ground, and pushed himself up into the push-up position, making me sink forwards and grab desperately at his broad shoulders to steady myself. I had wrapped my arms around his shoulders like he was wearing me for a backpack.

Still positioned cross-legged on his back, I clung to him like a baby koala clings to its mother. My eyes wide and crazed.

"What are you doing?!"

He turned his face sideways to look at me, the rabid banshee clawing into his back. A slight blush rose to my cheeks at the proximity of our faces when he turned to me.

"I'm trying to get you off me. Ideally, I would have preferred if you straddled my front, not my back. And also, I don't really like an audience for these kinds of moments." He gave me a cheeky wink.

I stared at him rather dumbly for a second. Somehow, he always knew how to catch me off guard with his sexual innuendos. But I would like to think I was always quite good at returning the banter.

I planted my palm on the side of his face and pushed myself upright into the sitting position that I was in before. I could feel Carter's frown underneath my palm, until I withdrew my hand and tilted my chin up defiantly.

"You know what I think? I think you can't deal with the weight on you. Clearly, you're not as strong as you think. I mean do you even lift, bro?"

There were a few collective 'ooo's from the crowd, as I smiled smugly at each of them.

But have you ever seen those Looney Tunes cartoons, where the coyote would be chasing the roadrunner and he wouldn't realize that he had just walked over a cliff because by some defiance of physics, he would be standing midair like nothing happened? And then he would realize at the same time he would start falling and his smile would turn into a look of horror as he finally fell down the cliff?