D R O P D E A D {Completed} (UNDER RECONSTRUCTION -- 2018)

(vii) - 'I don't really have a choice in this, either.'

"Cain, would you ever come on. I need to get home, August'll be wondering where I am."

There was no reply from behind me, so I gave it another go, still fixed on my phone screen. Ah, memes.

"Figment. Seriously, hurry on, would you?" When I was greeted with silence again, I twisted around on my heel, feeling irritated. Nope, nothing. My chest immediately tightened; my heart beginning to pound, I ignored the brisk wind coming off the river, and glanced again. The breeze was stinging at my eyes. A sigh. I stepped backwards. And instead of coming into contact with a protective railing, like I expected, there was nothing. Nothing but a gap.

With a small gasp, I stumbled; my foot tripping, over the edge of the pier, and sending my weight plummeting towards the icy river. Desperately, I reached out, and grabbed for the melted stump that indicated we were missing a safety railing; fingers closed around it and I slammed, squarely into the wall. Drag yourself up, Andi, drag yourself up. With a grunt of exertion, I pulled, scraping the soft flesh of my stomach against the concrete.

"Ah! Cain!"

"You called?" My companion replied sweetly, suddenly perched on the rail beside me. I could feel myself beginning to cry—out of panic, out of terror, I didn't know, but this psychopath had just tried to drown me. "Hell, I hoped you'd fall, but I didn't think you were really that stupid."

After catching my breath, I limped over to where I had dropped my bag and slung it up, wincing when the movement stretched the ripped skin. Fuck, fuck, fuck, how was I going to hide this, to explain? I was still crying, like an idiot, wiping at my cheeks. Yeah. Yeah, I was stupid, look what I was stuck with.

Cain caught up with me in now time. I could hear him behind me, humming cheerfully – he had a nice voice, low and throaty.

"Why're you walking so fast?"

I didn't answer him. But from the sound of his own silence, he was amused by my pain.

"Your friends were fun, you know. Even if that little mortal school was painful. Does any teenage boy know how to clean themselves anymore? It smells like gym socks everywhere."

Still, nothing, so he changed tactic, and it worked, damn it.

"I'll have to meet August, by the way."

That stopped me in my tracks. "Are you insane? You can't meet August. No. I won't let you meet him." Things were bad enough without my uncle –

"To explain my presence, if he ever catches me in like, your house or something. It makes sense, Andrea, you have to admit that."

"I'd rather take my chances at a grounding. I'm not having my uncle know about my stupidity."

"Your stupidity?" He rolled his dark eyes. "You know, a lot more is at play here than your stupidity. For example, my feeding off your clear discomfort. What, are you afraid I'll let something embarrassing slip?"

"You're a soulless –" Before I could finish my insult, Cain cut me off.

"I never claimed to own one except yours."

"Oh, you were waiting to use that line."

"And you set everything up so beautifully for me." His stroll easily kept up pace beside mine – after all, his legs were that bit longer. He'd nearly be someone that I was into, if we didn't hate each other. Well, Cain didn't hate me. It was more like... mild contempt. Like the way you'd feel about a slug. "Now, bring me to August."

"If you think I'm going to introduce the pair of you, you're so wrong."

"Teenage girl brings the son of a demon home to meet the brother of her post cancer-stricken mother. It sounds like the perfect sitcom!"