Don't Panic

(6) "You think I can't win?" [Edited]

Casey's p.o.v

I lit the flare, I ran, and I jumped. Then I fell, faster and faster, falling down the edge of the cliff. Feeling like I'm flying. Feeling like it will never end. Then the rocks come into view, and suddenly I'm falling even faster now if that's even possible. The rocks get closer and closer until I close my eyes as if that small indication of submitting with save me. And then I wake up.

I don't know exactly what happened last night, to be honest, I kind of blacked out. I don't remember everything, but I do remember the cliff, and the screams, and the falling, and then the cheers. 

The sound of people cheering. For me. The only thing I know for sure, Is that I was a contestant in the one game I swore I'd never play.

Every player has a story. Some of them are even true. Every player is hiding something. Secret selves. Secret habits. Secret shame. We're all afraid of something, but the're never the things we say out loud.

The landlord came knocking on our door for the third time this week. "Miss Clarke?" He spoke outside the door.

 "Shit," I said to myself. "Can you braid my hair?" Lily asked me as she walked into the living room. "Not right now Louie's here we gotta go," I told her. 

"I know you're in there. Open up!" He yelled. We were about to sneak out the back door when Lily said "Wait, my Library books." 

We stopped for a moment, putting her books inside her small bag as Louie said "Rents due." We quickly but quietly went out the back way so he wouldn't hear us. 

We went to the side of the trailer and watched him walk away then turned around and ran back the way we came to the nearest road where Bishop and Heather were waiting for us in Bishop's car. 

We hopped in the back, out of breath and Heather said "Rents due again huh?" I just nodded yes as a response while Bishop drove away.

We made it to the Library and I dropped Lily off at her camp. "Okay lily, I will see you back here at 4:00, but Bo is gonna pick us up after his shift" I told her. 

She nodded and said bye as she strolled away and Me, Bishop and Heather walked towards the Library's printer in an aisle not to far away. "SO, Bo and your mom are back together again?" Heather asks.

 "Oh ya, this week they are. After I make some copies of my resume, do you think you can drop me off at link's? I heard that they might be hiring." I asked, pointing my question at Bishop seeing as he's the only one with a car.

 "Yeah, what's the point of even looking for a job if your just gonna play the game?" He questioned.

 "Cause I have $17.26 in my savings account"I told him. It was quiet for a minute before I asked them "Have you talked to Nat at all? She hasn't really answered any of my calls. It's been two days." Heather sighed before saying "Look, it's Nat, okay? I mean you know how she gets." 

"This will all blow over" Bishop commented. "I didn't mean to lie." I said "I didn't even really mean to jump. You know? But when I was up there, it was like had to do it." 

"But you don't" Bishop said. "You think I should quit?" I asked. "Yeah, I mean, players do it all the time" He uttered. 

"Look, Panic is bullshit, Casey" Heather spoke in a hushed tone. "It's-it's bullshit, and it's dangerous, and two kids died last year, so-so what's the point? I mean, you know you can't win. You know you're just gonna be sidelined."

"Is that what you think?" I asked her. "You think I can't win?"

 "No, I-I..."she muttered. "I bet that's what everyone thinks." I said as I walked away from the two. I couldn't listen to any more people tell me I can't win.

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3rd person p.o.v in the police station

"So, graduation is over and summertime has begun, and unfortunately, so has this game the kids call Panic." Sheriff Cortez was debriefing all his officers on the Panic game. 

 They were having a very important meeting on what they were going to do to stop it. 

"Supposedly, Jimmy and Abby were playing this game." The sheriff had pictures of the two on the big screen. 

"17 years old, young and in love, headed to collage, and now there dead." Everyone shuffled in their seats uncomfortably. "As you know, Abby was run over by an 18-Wheeler." Sheriff Cortez continued. 

"She tried to cross I-19 blindfolded. And Jimmy... Jimmy killed himself playing a game of Russian Roulette. Now one thing is clear: this game is organized. Whoever lit up those fireworks, well, they wanted to send us on a wild-goose chase."

 " Yeah it worked pretty good" Officer Williams interrupted. "Yeah, it did" the Sheriff agreed.

"Sir?" Sargent Langley asked the sheriff. " I talked to dispatch about the complaint calls that night, and one of the callers was Myra Campbell." 

 "I know Myra Campbell. She was Abby's best friend" Said the sheriff. " Well, we talked to her over the Winter, and she said she didn't know anything then, but... she sounded really upset on those calls" Langley finished. "Well, maybe those fireworks jogged her memory. Let' s talk to her again." stated Cortez "Okay" Langley Said.

"These kids follow the herd" Started the sheriff. " They protect themselves, they protect this thing, and that's it. Last year this town put two of our kids in the ground, And someone's gonna pay."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Casey's p.o.v

I walked around the corner of the hardware store. "Hey Mindy" I said to the owner. "Hey, Casey" 

She was working while she was talking to me, only stopping for a second to pick up another bag of sawdust. "Do you guys have any jobs available?" I wanted to just ask her straightforward. She sighed, "We're all full up for the summer. You try over at the Buc-ee's? " 

"Yeah, I've tried everywhere"

 "Well, you can leave a resume in case something opens up" she told me. "Thank you" I said as she went back to work. I heard something metal drop behind me so I turned around to see an older woman who had dropped her car keys and was holding a lot of stuff in her hands.

 I rushed over to help her," Hey, I got you." I said just as I caught her bag that she dropped. "Thank you" she said "Almost lost a man overboard there." She opened her trunk and her dog ran out and walked a couple feet away from us. 

"Oh, Rigley!" she yelled "Rigley, get back here!" I ran to get her dog, putting her bag down on the sidewalk for a second.

"Rigley, what are you doing?" She asked the dog. I got the him by the collar and brought him back. "My escape artist" She said laughing. 

 I started petting him and she said "He's usually not that friendly with strangers. You a dog person?"

 "No,I mean, Not really, I just... My mom always told us that if it can't pee in a toilet, then it shouldn't live in a house." She giggled at that 

"At least dogs never leave the seat up. Plus they do what you tell them to. Most of the time" She got her dog back in the trunk while I helped her put her bags in her car.

 "I'm Anne, by the way" 

"Casey." 

" I heard you asking for a job in there?" 

"Yeah" I declared. 

" I could use some help out on my farm. Nothing fancy, I got a couple sheds that need painting. It's not glamorous, but I pay cash. Interested? She asks. "Are you serious?" 

 "I certainly hope so. You know the farm at the end of Old River Road?" "Yeah" I said. "That's my place. Mornings are best." She left and got in her car, she was about to close her door when I yelled out "Hey, Why me?" 

 "Why not you?" she spoke as she closed her door and drove away. I stood their smiling, maybe the summer wouldn't be that bad after all.

Word Count: 1402

Another filler chapter