I climb up to my window as I stare outside and look at the stars and the moon.
I look at the constellations and recognise them and I almost smoke remembering how much comfort the outside provides me.
I put my jacket on and put a random pair of tracksuits over my pyjamas bottoms that are in my room and they're pretty big.
I leave the house and go to the park, which has insane facilities for a state park.
I go into the treehouse and stare out onto the park and watch as the sun slowly starts to make its way up and people start to make their way around the park, walking their dogs and cutting through to get to the bus stop on the other side.
I watch as Caleb, Canu and Aubrey make their way around the park on a run and I know that I can't leave until they leave because I don't want to interact with them.
I almost manage to do that until I see the little toddler walking alone by herself.
It's only the boys left in the park and there's no other person in the park.
They notice her too but I'm already flying across the park and jump over the gate as I run over and crouch down to the girl.
"Hi there lovely, what's your name?" I ask and she smiles.
"I'm not allowed to talk to strangers. Sowwy." She says and I smile.
"You're a smart girl. You don't need to tell me. Where are you parents or anyone else who looks after you?" She shrugs and looks around. I do too and that's when I see the baby carrier in the background. There's two. No. Three.
I gently push the girl along.
"Are they your siblings?" I ask but as I approach the babies I see three very similar looking babies, all the same age.
One appears to be a girl and the other two boys.
"They're my cousins. They're..." She looks for the words.
The boys have made it over now.
"Triplets. They're triplets aren't they?" I say and Caleb and Canu also chime in.
"Triplets."
"Okay. Sweetie, where are your parents?" I ask. "Or theirs?"
"Follow me. They're sleeping." My heart thuds a little when I hear that.
I grab the baby carriers and follow her as she toddles along and we come to a thick patch of grass.
"Look after them. Canu come with me." He's the strongest out of the three and I have a bad feeling.
We wade through the grass and come to the clearing and also to 4 motionless bodies.
"Oh God." I say to myself as I approach them and see their faces, almost blue. I still check for a pulse on every single one.
Canu comes closer.
"Stop. They're dead." I say.
"I can handle it." He says. He kneels next to me and he gets his phone out and calls 911.
I notice an envelope next to them and I use the winter gloves that are in my pocket to pick it up and open it. The envelope has my name on it.
I take the letter out and my name is on that as well.
I take a closer look at the people and turn the woman who's face down around.
It's Mara Fetman. Oh God.
"I knew something would happen and I know that once we're dead, it ends. Cassidy, take care of my babies. Our babies. Mati, Rudy, Arun, Jodie. You need not know who did to us but protect our children from meeting the same fate that you did and only if you can. If you can't, I won't blame you, I just need you to try." I sniffle and take a photo of it and put it under her hand.
There's photos as well and I can see their names on the back.
I get up and go back to the children.
I look at the babies feet. I told Mara about this trick that my parents used for Caleb and Canu. Sure enough there's a red R for Rudy and a blue A for Arun.
I stand up when I see the police and Officer Granger greets me.
"Cassidy. It's great to see you or not considering the circumstance but you guys will have to go down to the station, is that fine?" He says and I nod.
We all get hauled into the cars and I see the children get taken away as well by CPS. They'd have to go the station as well.
When we get there I sit down at Officer Khalife's desk and she takes my statement and then she tells me that I can sit at my desk.
I go to my desk and login and open my draw and chew on some gum that I kept in there.
"Hey, now that you troublemakers are here. You guys will be having your community service. Called your parents and told them where you are even though you're all 18 and explained the situation. You're welcome. You guys know Cassidy so just sit down by her desk and wait for the other delinquents to make their way." They sit down by me and talk but constantly look at me at the same time.
"Your desk...?" Aubrey probes and I put a finger up to shush him.
"Hey Cass." Turner fists bumps me as he enters and goes to the locker room, throwing me a look when he sees the boys.
"Hey girl, what's with ugly, annoying and pathetic joining us today?" Dami says as she gives the boys a once over. "All three adjectives applicable to each one of you." She didn't actually think that, she just wasn't a fan of any of them.
"Like you can speak." Caleb says.
"Real mature Caleb." I say.
"She started it." He says and I sigh.
All the others walk in, greeting me in some way and I finally get the three little pigs to join them.
Everyone is sat down in the meet room in a nice little row.
I tell the boys to sit opposite them.
"I know your heads are so far up your ass that you won't even know half of these people even though you've been to school with them for years. Let me introduce them all." I say.
"We've got Turner, Dami, Richie, Terry, Enzo, Rach, Trina, Harry, Julia, Mikey, Peter, Javi, Yoto, Chris, Jack, Jacob, Milano, Markov, Elena, Zand, Logan, Eliza and Faris. They will tell you what they are here for if they feel comfortable doing so." I say and everyone kind of just looks at them. "Introduce yourselves."
"I feel judged." Aubrey says.
"That's because we're judging you. You guys are fuckers." Julia says, knowing Canu would get all riled up. She had a crush on him and I wouldn't stop her. Under all the bravado and bad, yet pretend personality, he was a great brother to me at one point and an, academically, smart guy with some good looks.
"Yeah guys let's not get into it. We need to start. Caleb, Canu, Aubrey, you guys are ok litter duty. I expect three full bags by the time you get back." I give them their gear and send them off and everyone else goes into the workshop.
