The Souls of Alcatraz

First place winner of the Synapse Storytelling Contest photography category.

The sun was setting and dark clouds covered the skyline in San Francisco. While driving back to San Francisco from Sacramento, I turned my head towards my right side while traveling through the Bay Bridge and I saw sunlight shining through the clouds specifically on Alcatraz Island. The sun rays were pyramid shaped and were shining solely on Alcatraz Island.

It seemed like God had decided to shine down his light and mercy on the souls of the forgotten incarcerated prisoners, the souls of the criminals whose names had made headlines across nations, the souls of the desperate inmates who were tortured, killed, drowned or shot for not surrendering, refusing to work and insolence, the souls of the driven men who broke out of solitary confinement, slipped away from docks, tunneled out of their cells, the souls of the helpless minorities such as Native Americans whose voices were never heard nor served justices.   

Maybe this was a memorial from mother nature for all those lost prisoner souls who lost their lives trying to escape for their freedom, who might have repented and found their creator behind those bars, or maybe the creator had decided to forgive the souls of the Alcatraz.

Maybe this memorial was for all those desperate souls of Alcatraz who came up with the most remarkably daring getaway plans ever in history.