safety ~ b. loomis

prolouge

"Hey Casey, I'm going to be a bit late to your house." I announce into the living room phone from the bed in my friend, Tatum's, bedroom as I stare at the ceiling. 

"That's okay Jane! Are you at Tate's?"

"Mhm." From my peripheral vision I see a red blur walk into the room. 

"Tell her I said 'hey' and that Stu's giraffe sock here. Also, horror movie or rom-com for tonight?"

"You know I hate scary movies, Case. Always rom-com. And I will spread the message." I catch a glimpse of Tatum's eye roll and immediately stick my tongue out in return.

"Ok, ok. I just had to check. Bye Janie."

"See you soon Case."

"I'll be making popcorn!"

I hang up the phone before I can respond, and turn back to Tatum. She's standing in the middle of the room in a Heather Chandler outfit, the sixth costume she's modeled for me.

"Wowzah! You look hot in this one Tate! Making everyone jealous." I yell in my meager jeans and  green cardigan. She swings her hair and puts her hand on her hip.

"You know I love the compliments, but you've said that for every costume." Tatum struts closer to my spot on one of her twin beds.

"And it's true for every costume. Now I hate to leave you to pick between six glorious Halloween costumes, but I believe you can do it!" I stand and gather my belongings, dropping all of them into my janky backpack right as she sits down.

"Nooo don't leave Jane! I'll have to call Stu. And you know he doesn't make good fashion choices." She stares pleadingly at me with puppy dog eyes as I throw my bag over my shoulder. I smile innocently at her as I back up into the door-way, grabbing my new key chain from the side table while doing so.

"Mwah I love you. Oh, Casey told me to tell you she has your boyfriend's...penguin sock, I think? At her house."

"Ew." She groans as she turns her back to me, turning on the blocky TV on a stand in front of her wall. I unlock her bed door and make my way through her house to the entrance.

"Bye Tate!"

"Yeah, yeah." Is the last thing I hear before closing the door. 

꧁☺︎︎꧂

As I pull into Casey's driveway 15 minutes later, her parents just entering their house.

"Shit" I mutter to myself as I try to catch up with them. Case told me earlier she wanted to talk with me about something, so I assumed she meant without parents.

"Mr. and Mrs. Becker!" I yell from my spot a while back from them.

They turn back, confused at first, but smile quickly after seeing me. It's become routine now, every weekend or so I come over and hang out with Casey. Even though we don't talk much at school, we've been close ever since the 6th grade; so much so, our parents have a bowling night together the second and fourth Wednesday of every month.

"Oh Jane! Casey told us you were coming. Watching a movie tonight, right?" I stop speed walking once I get close enough.

"That's the plan." I let out in a breathy laugh.

"Well come on in, we just got back from our weekly date." I can smell the local sushi restaurant on their perfectly ironed clothes. Casey's dad had turned to unlock their front door, finding it already opened by an inch.

"Huh. That strange." My friend's parents flood into their house, and immediately I start making my way to their kitchen, expecting to find Casey. Instead, I see a fire ignited on the stove from what I assume, popcorn. I begin trying to swat it out (because I don't know what the hell I'm supposed to do with a fire in someone else's house) as Ms. Becker makes her way to the closed kitchen window and slides it upwards, allowing the smoke to escape.

From the other room we hear, "Jesus."

 I turn on the sink to stop the flames as Mrs. Becker makes her way over to her husband. 

"What's is it? Where's Casey?"

Once I am sure the fire has ceased, I turn to see Casey's parents. The back patio door had been completely smashed, glass covering the entire room. To be honest, I hadn't even realized Casey wasn't here yet until her mom asked about it. Her dad started yelling for her, and I followed in his footsteps. The two of them begin panicking and hurriedly searching the house for her while I wandered around calling her name.

"Casey! Casey Where are you?!"

I switch on the back patio light when I arrive there and am momentarily paralyzed. It's Steve. Casey's boyfriend Steve from the football team. Only he's tied up to a chair and has been...murdered. For use of better words, butchered.

My eyes open widely, my throat unable to let out any type of sound. I run towards the parents inside, feeling as if I'm going to be sick any second. They turn towards me with hopeful eyes, stopping their yelling for their daughter. I hate to burst their bubble but-

"Steve- Steve's-" I can't seem to communicate so I point to the spot outside. Their reaction is similar to mine, only she screams louder and he stays quieter.

"Call the police." He says in almost a whisper.

Ms. Becker immediately sprints to the phone closest to us and begins dialing the three digits as fast as possible.

I stare at the sink where I put out the popcorn, mind in shock from Steve and worry for Casey. Please, please, please, let her be okay.

I never was that close with Steve, only saw him at games and in the hallways. Casey loves him though, she talks about him constantly...oh man, she's going to be heartbroken.

"Casey? Where are you honey? Call the police, goddammit." Mr. Becker yells over my thoughts.

"The phone's dead." Ms. Becker yells back. I feel a shiver run down my spine and shift my stance over to look at her mother, avoiding the back patio at all costs. She gasps after putting the phone back to her ear, and my breathing stops.

"She's here, God, I can hear her. Where's my baby?" Her voice is as shaky as my hands and I start to look around their home in search of Casey. Her voice is breaking my heart and my eyes start to well with tears.

What the fuck is going on? Casey's father is still yelling for her. 

He comes back and, calmly but frantically says to his wife, "Get in the car and drive down to the Mackenzie's." Then he turns to me and orders "Jane keep listening to the phone." I swallow harshly, knowing I won't be able to handle listening to whatever is on the opposite end of the line. I was right. I hear faint wheezing, an occasional soft 'help', but no indication to where Casey may be. That is, until, I don't hear anything anymore...then, heavy breathing. 

My air intake takes a sudden halt, and I try not to make a sound. We sit there for the longest minute of my life, neither of us saying anything. I hear a deep chuckle and I realize, for the first time, that Casey...

The receiver  beeps and I hear a scream echoing through the house. 

I drop the phone, the collision causing a clatter. Both Casey's dad and I rush to his wife, finding her collapsed onto her knees outside their door, head hurried in her hands. Before I can look out into the yard where she must have seen something, I hear her father retching into the bushes. I look up and find Casey hanging inside out on her swing.