Sunflower || JJ Maybank/Cassandra Routledge

3. Down The Rabbit Hole

Pilot 1.03

Rafe Cameron went after Casey in more than just a typical Kook vs Pogue way. He has turned it into a mental game, which is bound to torment the girl worse than any physical injury would.

Inside, the room is illuminated by the light coming from the door. JJ is the first to move, followed by John B close behind him, leaving Casey standing outside. She scans the motel courtyard, making sure no one is watching them before entering, shutting the door behind herself.

"Huh," John B mumbles to himself as he takes two flashlights out of his pocket, handing one to JJ. The three take a minute to scan the room before searching. Two, almost perfectly made beds line the wall to the left of the door, one with a backpack laying on top, the other untouched. Across the room, another bag sits on a luggage stand next to a dresser. "JJ, checked the bag. See if there's a name on there somewhere."

"Is this weird to anyone else?" Casey asks, walking to the middle of the room while JJ checks the bag on the stand. "This looks just like any other motel room? Other than the fact it seems no ones been here in a couple days and left all of their stuff."

Both boys ignore her and John B starts going through the bag on the bed. "Got a jacket." JJ mumbles.

"Denim slides." John B says to himself.

"No name on the jacket." JJ tells them. "It's a nice jacket, though."

         "Definitely over fifty." Casey points out, kicking some shoes by the other bed. "He got New Balances." She hears John B chuckle as he continues to rummage through the bag.

Casey decides the boys have a handle on the main room and heads into the bathroom. She tries to turn the light on as she enters but like the Château, the power is out. She looks around and similar to the rest of the room, nothing is out of the ordinary. She pulls on the mirror, thinking since this is an old motel, it's bound to have old fixtures and just like she guessed, the mirror clicks off and reveals a small, hidden cabinet filled with a few pill bottles. Casey feels her heartbeat pick up as her eyes bounce between the bottles. She takes a deep breath, trying to calm herself down and grabs the furthest one to the right. She turns it in her hand, trying to find a name but surprisingly there isn't one. She freezes when her eyes find the label of the pills, Xanax.

         Casey completely forgets about the boys in the other room as they talk about coffee and tissues in a British accent. She can't help but feel extremely anxious holding even just the bottle in her hands. She knows she should put it back but she can't get herself to stop looking at it. Tempting thoughts from the girl's past start to take over in her mind the longer her eyes don't leave the label. As she stares at it, movement by the door makes her head shoot up. She quickly hides her hand with the pill bottle behind her back, turning to see JJ. As the two stare at each other, the curious look on his face starts to fade when he notices the anxiety flowing through her. "You okay?"

"Uh, yeah." She stutters, running her free hand through her hair while slowly sliding the pill bottle into her shorts pocket. "Nothing really in here."

JJ squints his eyes as he studies her face, which makes the nerves in the girl continue to rise. He knows her better than anyone and right now, she's not being herself. He starts to say something but his eyes catch a bag sitting on a shelf above the toilet. "Ooh!" He exclaims, reaching over the girl.

"Did you guys find anything?" John B asks, careful not to talk too loud just in case someone outside might hear them.

"A really awesome Dopp kit you won't let me steal." JJ replies, looking through the small bag. Casey rolls her eyes and takes a deep breath, knowing his nonverbal interrogation is over. She slowly moves out of his way and watches as his eyes light up when he finds something good inside.