Cassie

Chapter Four: Cassie

 I walked home that night. I knew it wasn't a good choice, but I went along with it. Austin tried to convince me that he could give me a ride home, but I refused. He begrudgingly let me have it my way, concern filling his face. I gave him a quick kiss to reassure him before descending the steps of the porch, the wood creaking underneath my white boots.

As I began to leave, he stood in the doorway, watching me as I went. "Stay safe, Cassie!" he shouted, cupping his hands around his mouth to better project his voice. I smiled. "I will!" I yelled back, giving him a little wave before turning my head back.

I was wearing a baggy, warm, dark blue sweater, jeans, a black jacket, a peach-colored scarf, and black knee-high socks with white stripes at the tops. Even under all of my layers I still felt cold in the chilly November wind, beginning to regret not taking Austin up on his offer to drive me. Still, I pushed on, shivering every now and then as the cold shot through my body whenever there was a breeze. It was incredibly dark out, and many of the street lamps I was walking under were weakly lit, their cracked bulbs giving off faint amber spots of light. I shuffled along, leaving the suburban part of the area and walking into a more urban-like segment of the city. I strolled in silent peace, passing under the golden cones of light. It was a cloudless night, the full moon shining brightly in the distance, casting its moonbeams down on me. There were faint bulbs of light in the sky, the stars barely able to been seen. I breathed out, my breath swirling in front of me like smoke. I closed my eyes for a few brief moments, finding tranquillity in the solitude, the only sound being the occasional car rushing by.

I wasn't alone for very long. I soon noticed a group of men on the other side of the street, all bunched up in a group. They were talking in low, hushed voices, glancing up periodically. One of them locked eyes with me, his gaze harsh, his eyes narrowed. He turned his attention back to his conversation. I walked on, soon forgetting about them. Only a few minutes later did I see them. At first, two of them were trailing behind me, which I didn't think of as strange, after all, there were plenty of people in the city with many places to go to. I didn't start to feel uneasy until another couple of minutes later when another man joined them, the three of them closing the distance between us. While I certainly wasn't comfortable, I had been to the ER countless times already with fractured bones and busted noses, so I was, unfortunately, used to it. I took a deep breath, figuring they'd punch me a few times and leave me writhing on the ground, clutching a bloody nose. That's how it often went, but it seemed that fate had other plans.

Another two shady figures joined them, making them a group of five. I sighed, squeezing my eyes shut and beginning to pick up my pace, the bitter wind nipping at my face. I could hear their footsteps behind me, like the marches of an invading army. I bit my lip, my whole body seizing up as they got closer and closer. I wasn't sure whether to stop and just get it over with, or to run away as fast as possible. I decided on the latter, pumping my legs as I quickly walked down the sidewalk, my strides getting larger and quicker. They only quickened their pace, closing in on me. I could feel one of the men's breath on my neck as they grabbed my shoulder, knocking me backwards. I got pushed to the ground. I could feel someone's foot ramming into my stomach, another's into my back. I curled up, holding my hands over my head, breathing heavily. Someone grabbed onto my hair, pulling me by it. I screamed, only to be punched in the mouth. I could feel blood spill out of my mouth, staining my clothes. I could feel a stomp landing on my head. I whimpered, tears running down my face. They kept pommeling me into the ground. In the midst of it all, I could hear a man leaving the group, only to return moments later, something cold, hard, and metal in his hands. It slammed into my skull, my whole world distorting. I felt woozy and out of control, as if I wasn't in my body anymore. I couldn't move, I could only feel. Pain shot through my body as they beat me, spitting on me and yelling at me, calling me a "tranny" a "shemale", the list went on, their words hurting like their punches. They eventually stopped, my body battered and bleeding. I could barely breathe, my breaths uneven and raspy, my head burning. I could feel one of them grab onto my hair again. They yanked on it, dragging me by my locks. It felt like my scalp was being removed, but I couldn't move to act against it. My thighs scraped up against the asphalt as I was dragged along. Suddenly, I was scooped up and thrown into something hard, a lid closing above me.

With a great amount of effort, I managed to open my eyes, only to see that I was buried in garbage, putrid smells reaching my nostrils and assaulting my mind. I writhed around, but every movement hurt, my bruised body screaming in protest with every breath I took. I laid there, without enough breath or energy to cry, without enough strength to move, without enough life in me to call out. I laid on the garbage, slowly feeling my body give out, the life being pulled through my body in slow, agonizing bursts of pain. Shudders ran through my limbs, causing even more pain. I closed my eyes, feeling my body shut down slowly, buried underneath heaps of garbage in a dumpster.

I was dying.

I was all alone.