An Ominous Discovery
Lucas initially brushed off his unease, chalking it up to overthinking. But as he stood beneath Lady Liberty, staring up at her raised foot, a chill ran down his spine. Something was unmistakably wrong.
Backup was en route, and sirens were already echoing in the distance. But one question lingered in his mind: who—or what—could be responsible for this unsettling disturbance?
A Decade of Vigilance
For ten years, Lucas Duncan had walked the perimeter of the Statue of Liberty with purpose and pride. He wasn’t just a guard—he was her quiet protector.
He had faced the occasional threat and handled tourist mayhem with grace. But nothing prepared him for the moment when everything he thought he knew would be put to the ultimate test.
A Reputation Earned
Lucas had built a reputation that commanded respect. Known for his unmatched attention to detail, he never let his guard down—not for a second.
That diligence earned him the role of head security officer. But it also meant that any disruption under his watch was taken personally—especially one he couldn’t immediately explain.
A Keeper of Secrets
Years of guarding Liberty had given Lucas more than just knowledge—he had uncovered pieces of forgotten history woven into the statue’s design.
What fascinated him most were the subtle clues hidden in plain sight, whispers of meaning left by the statue’s creators, waiting to be unraveled by those who knew where to look.
Hidden in Plain Sight
Few visitors ever noticed the embedded messages etched into Lady Liberty’s form. Fewer still understood what they meant.
Lucas and a handful of others had pieced together these symbols over time. They hinted at deeper themes of justice, resistance, and human rights—but what was their full significance?
Light Beyond the Crown
Children often called the points atop Liberty’s crown “shiny diamonds,” a cute misinterpretation that Lucas never corrected.
In reality, the spikes symbolized radiant light spreading across the globe. But there were even more subtle cues throughout the monument—details most eyes never caught, but which Lucas never missed.
Chains That Tell a Story
Near her left foot, Liberty bears a broken chain—easy to miss unless you know it’s there. But its symbolism is powerful: the end of slavery and bondage.
That alone carried profound weight. Yet her stance, especially her other foot, hinted at something even more cryptic—something Lucas was only now beginning to decode.
The Foot That Moved
The Statue of Liberty’s raised right foot represents the constant pursuit of freedom. It’s a subtle but intentional design.
On that particular day, though, Lucas noticed something odd—a mark, a shift, something that had never been there before. What started as curiosity quickly became a full-scale investigation.
Cracks in the Known
Lucas prided himself on knowing every surface, line, and crack of the monument. It was his job, and he did it with care.
So when something unfamiliar appeared—something glaring enough to spot from a distance—he knew it wasn’t just a minor change. It was the start of something much bigger.
A Morning Like Any Other
The day began like any other. Lucas arrived, clocked in, and took over for the night shift. He followed the usual rounds with practiced ease.
The routine was simple: inspect the grounds hourly, monitor the cameras in between. But hidden within the ordinary, something extraordinary was about to unfold.
Making His Rounds
Lucas did his rounds and at first, everything seemed fine. But when he got closer to the base of the statue, he noticed that something didn’t look normal.
At first glance, everything looked normal and to the untrained eye, the difference would fade into the rest. But after ten years, Lucas could spot a slight differential in seconds.
Something Different
The difference was slight, but there was definitely a darker color pushing through the blue-green hue the statue had taken on. Unfortunately, Lucas couldn’t see what it was from that distance.
If he had to uncover what was going on, he’d either have to go down there or he would have to pull out one of his most trusty tools. His binoculars.
Taking A Closer Look
Lucas leaned over the railing as he pulled his binoculars up, and that was when his suspicion was confirmed. Something had indeed happened to her foot. But was it something that was done when she was built, or was it new?
With wear and tear, a lot of her secrets were revealed, could that be happening now? Lucas would need to get down there to tell.
Calling The Authorities
Lucas took the stairs two at a time and finally burst through the staff-only door that led out to the feet. But when he looked up and saw what had happened, he knew he needed to involve the police.
He immediately pulled out his phone and called the local police department, requesting immediate help. But that wasn’t his final call.
Reinforcements
After Lucas got off the phone with the police, he dialed another number. “Don’t you have better things to do?” Kevin asked as he eventually answered the phone.
“You need to get your crew down to the feet. Something terrible happened, and we’ll need you guys to patch her up.” Kevin let out a heavy breath but agreed to get down there right away.
It Would Be A Tough Job
As Kevin looked up at the damage, Lucas could tell that he was just as shocked as he was. Neither of them had ever seen anything like that before. But it wasn’t going to be an easy fix.
This girl would need a proper scrub if they planned on getting rid of all the damage.
Was It A New Message?
When Lucas first saw the anomaly, he thought it was yet another secret that Liberty had been hiding. That would’ve been a great discovery.
But what they actually found had nothing to do with Liberty or her creators. It was a message, though. Just not the kind that would be considered one of her or her creator's secrets.
It Was Far Worse
No, instead of the deep meanings that come with the secrets Liberty held, this message held no place on the statue. It wasn’t made with a deep meaning, and it definitely didn’t belong to the original piece.
What was written there was the work of people who deserved to be behind bars. It was the work of vandals.
Vandals
Somehow, a bunch of vandals managed to get up to Liberty’s foot without being seen by the security patrol or cameras. How was that possible?
How did they manage to get past every single security protocol they had in place? And how did they manage to stay hidden for so long? Their message was long, and it must’ve taken at least half an hour to finish it.
Their Message
But what did they have to say? And why would they pick the foot of the Statue of Liberty to bring their point across?
America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves – Abraham Lincoln. They said, not knowing how wrong their speech was.
Completely Misleading
Contrary to popular belief, President Abraham Lincoln never actually said those words. In many of his speeches, he said something with a similar meaning, but those exact words never left his mouth.
So what exactly did the President say that was turned into the statement used by the vandals? And how was it so misinterpreted?
President Lincoln’s Words
President Lincoln actually said, “It cannot come from abroad. If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
Which isn’t really closely related to what the vandals, who refer to themselves as “Your French Neighbors” said.
Bad Misinterpretation
President Abraham Lincoln was talking about freedom from the suppression of the rest of the world. A fitting statement, since the Statue of Liberty is also about freedom.
He mentions that the country should stand up and defend themselves from invaders or fall in the attempt to do so. But the vandals claim the United States will destroy itself.
An Investigation Is Launched
Needless to say, a case was opened as soon as the police arrived on the scene. Vandalism is something that has never been tolerated, and it does come with a punishment.
But will these vandals ever be found? Will they be brought before a judge to explain their actions? That is something only time will tell.
From A Security Standpoint
The police gathered all the evidence and headed off to the station to start their investigation. But Lucas and his team couldn’t let something like this happen again.
It was their duty to protect the statue and even though they failed at that time, they would make sure that something like that would never happen again.
Tightening Things Up
As the head of security, Lucas made sure the security measures were tightened. The cameras were reorganized to make sure that every single inch of the statue was visible.
And the security patrols were increased, with two guards being on duty for each shift. But would that work? Would they finally be able to catch the vandals?
It Was Just The Beginning
Unfortunately, this journey was far from being over. Since the vandals still hadn’t been caught, the likelihood of them showing up again was high.
And Lucas couldn’t help but wonder if the new security measures would be enough to keep them away from his beloved statue. They had already made it onto the news once, so nothing would stop them from trying again.
It Bothered Him
Since the incident occurred, it bothered Lucas. He felt like he failed the Statue of Liberty, like he failed his entire department.
He knew he couldn’t stop it from happening that time. But the vandals were so stealthy that he was starting to wonder about catching them if they showed up again. They could only clean her foot so many times before serious damage was done.
Sleepless Nights
Because of that, Lucas had a lot of sleepless nights. If he wasn’t thinking about what happened, he was wondering what else he could do to prevent it from happening again.
And he was starting to get impatient. It had been weeks since the incident, and the police still didn’t have any leads to go on.
Reviewing The Footage
So the following day, Lucas took his seat behind the massive desk that was framed with screens and started looking through the footage each camera took that day.
It was a long, daunting task, but he thought he might find something that the police missed. And that was exactly what happened. But was it that he was hoping for?