The Universe Thru My Eyes

Book excerpt: Born in Miami, Florida, Stacii (Rice) was raised by a single dad in Liberty City, a survivor of the struggle. He came from an abusive childhood, full of tragic deaths, starting with the death of his Canadian mother by the hand of his father’s estranged wife to a little brother taking his own life to avoid another beating. A natural-born leader, Stacii came up with a master plan at the age of five to run away from home. He would end up in foster care, then back home with his father. Stacii, a talented teenage boy, had dreams of becoming an NFL superstar. His life took a dramatic turn when ran from home as a teen and ended up homeless, living on rooftops, benches, and the closet of a friend. Stacii was tired of this life and decided to make something happen. He took on his leadership role. He gathered some of his homies and came up with a “get money making” plan. They couldn’t resist. It was then that Stacii’s life totally changed. He began living a life of committing violent crimes and terrorizing the streets of Miami. Stacii and his crew would survive the life of poverty by any means necessary. This lifestyle landed Stacii on the run, from the Canadian border to a detention center in Maine, then back to Miami. Once released to his father’s custody, Stacii went on another crime spree. Stacii ended up living in Providence, Rhode Island, where he met his girlfriend Taz, whom he fell in love with. This started a new wave in Stacii’s life. Back in Miami, Stacii continued his life of violent crimes even after promising his girlfriend CeCe he would stop. With wanted posters plastered all over his Carol City neighborhood, homicide detectives all over his loved ones’ houses, and a $2,500 reward for his capture, he was on the run again. The only place to run was to Providence, where Taz welcomed Stacii with in no questions asked. After a few stumbles, Stacii headed back in Miami. That’s when it all goes down. When handcuffs were placed on his wrists by the Miami police, all loyalty among friends was no more.