Falling Into Oblivion

Chapter Seven

I SHUFFLE DOWN THE sidewalk. Street lights are the only source of light that illuminates my pathway as I strut back home alone. I ponder over the last hours of my day making it by far the worse day of my life.

How? I'm not entirely sure...

I didn't know it was possible at this point in time, given all that's happened in the last unthinkable, few months of my life.

I not only hurt the most important person in my life but by some means, made matters worse taking up on Arsen's offer to the cabin. I should have known it wasn't going to end well.

That poor woman. I have no idea who she was or what she was doing in the middle of no where on the freeway with snowshoes. However, it's not unusual for that area; the outskirts of our tiny town. Many own cottages and year round lodgment in the general vicinity, so it makes complete sense. Besides, it doesn't matter what she was doing. We didn't see her and hit her, killing her as a result. What the hell is wrong with us. How can we keep going on like this? My life is like living through a game of Russian roulette. Only, the guns pointed at someone else. Who will be our next victim?

Stop it Cassie! Don't think that way.

I shake myself, open and close my eyes to wash away the tears.

Everything's going to be alright. I will get through this. I'm going to be okay.

The panic quickly fades, and in its place, Kaelem pops in my mind. What am I going to do with him? It killed me to leave him, the way he was looking at me. I know he said he was alright but I also know that I hurt him. I could see it written all over his face. What have I done? He's the only one I can talk to right now. He's the only one who understands me for who I am. Well, for the most part...

But Kaelem's been there for me and I never feel the need to hide my emotions from him. He takes me as I am. Though, would he, if he knew the truth?

I'm thrown back into actuality when I hear footsteps following closely behind me. All my senses heighten and my chest tightens with fear. I move my legs fast but the faster I walk the louder I hear the footsteps approaching. I grab hold of my backpack and bring it forward and clasp it in my arms and hands, catching myself from slipping and falling on black ice in the process.

I carefully crank my neck to the side so that whoever is following me, doesn't see me looking. What if this person isn't following me and I'm just being paranoid?

It also bothers me that I'm barely two blocks away from home and I can't feel safe walking alone. I guess I should know this better than anyone.

From my peripheral vision, I don't see anyone or anything around and my stomach drops. I stop in my tracks and do a three-sixty, taking in my surroundings but no one's here. What the heck? Am I going crazy?

I tread lightly and then speed up my pace when I hear snow and ice crunching next to me again. My mouth goes dry and fear assails me. Should I turn around and yell at whoever or whatever, or should I just take off running? No. I can't let this happen. I can't let fear take over me like this.

I muster up the courage and whirl around to meet my assailant. "What do you want!" I shout.

"Wo, Wo." A yellow teeth man tries to calm me down, throwing his hands up in a I-don't-mean-no harm kind of way. "I just wanna have a wittle fun." He creepily slithers through missing teeth, licks his fingers and smooths out his dirty matted hair.

My knees buckle and I can't move. "Get away from me." I can barely get the words out and he only gets closer, causing my skin crawl.

"You don't wanna have fun baby?" He corners me against a snow bank and steadily runs a dirty nailed finger on the length of my hair.