Just us-based on books

Chapter 3

Suddenly, the world was spinning and I knew this was a dream.

Faces and places flashed through my mind. Diana looking heart-broken, Faye laughing wickedly, a guard dog snapping at some one in a pumpkin patch, blood going down a drain, the silhouette of a person hanging from the ceiling, a hair raising scream, a ring with a black stone, and blood, lot's of blood.

I knew I was not alone.

Nick was standing beside me, the new gold cord stretched between us. He reached for my hand, holding on to me firmly, not letting go. I did the same before he was gone, too. Slipping away from me into a black hole. More images came to me then. Two paths lay before me, a cross roads of sorts.

After that, I was at a graveyard and stood alone in the falling rain, staring at a fresh grave, unable to look at the head stone, afraid of what I would see.

I turned away, to see a rose bush growing before my eyes, a single red beauty blooming. I was than in a strange house, one I didn't know, looking down at my hand to see a smooth jeweled ring, silver and of many different types of blue stones.

My hair was carefully arranged around me, falling down in curling waves and longer than it was now

I was wearing a dress suit, with black leather pumps and looked up to a mirror in front of me to see myself looking nearly ten older than I should. Tears were running down my face, and I realized that though I was seeing things through my future selfs body, I had no control of actions.

I, or the future me, was sobbing harder now, leaning against a granite counter top. It occurred to me I was in a kitchen. She staggered to a drawer, and drew out a long, slim knife.

She then turned and made her way up the stairs, swaying with every step.

Gradually, the stairs ended, opening to a long, rich hall. All of the doors were would, real, solid oak, carved with a master piece. She walked down this hall t the very end, and opened a door with led to a slimmer, more private hall. There were only three small doors on this hall. She went to the second, which opened into a closet, a rather large one.

She pushed pass all the clothes, and made her way into a bathroom. All this time, her crying had been subdued, but now it returned with a vengeance. She stepped into the shower, all her clothes still on, and turned the water on freezing. She slipped to the floor, and pushed off her jacket, as if trying to feel more of the frigid onslaught. I could feel the cold through her, feel how it soothed the pain she was feeling I was suprized and shocked when she took the slim to her right arm, and just held it there.

Feeling the cold metal against her arm. "I have a choice," she muttered. "He would have wanted me to be happy. Now I am," she said this low, trying to convince herself of it. "I never really had a choice, I wish I could have known!" at this she became impossible to understand, saying a word here or there, none of them connected, or made any sense to me. I felt her move her hand, the knife still in it, in a gentle slashing motion, making a thin line of blood just under her elbow, on the inside of her arm. Many other pale scars were here, as on the other arm. Never farther tan half way down.

The cold shower washed the small amount of blood right down the drain.

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Cassie awoke with a start, gasping for breath. She was lying on a bed, which was not her own, in a room, which was not her own, next to a boy, who very much wanted to be her own.

She looked up and met Nick's worried gaze. "Are you alright?" he asked, his voice of love and compassion, the worry still clouding his gaze. Tight lines were on his fore head, and around his mouth. "I'm fine. What happened?" her voice was pale and weak, she felt terribly tired.

"You fainted, just a moment ago, as I was helping you in." Some of the worry had left his eyes, and a few of the lines had smoothed, but he was still concerned.

"Only a moment ago?" she was shocked, the odd dream was already fading, and it had felt like hours. The only one still fresh in her mind was the last. "Oh, Nick!" she cried, throwing herself at him, and burrying her face in his shoulder. He was startled, but he held her close and whispered soothing nothings in her ear.

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This time Cassie really woke up.

She jerked and sat straight up in bed, breathing hard. "What the hell?" she muttered under her breath. She was still in her clothes from yesterday. Her math book was on the bed, and a container of Ben&Jerry's was sitting melted on the floor. It was time to wake up, time to go to school. Time to take a shower.

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She was sitting in class.

She had successfully avoided Nick the entire day, and now all she had to do was get home before he could see her.

As soon as the bell rang, she ran and kept going.