The Dreadful Story of Cassidy Harper *Discontinued*

Chapter 4

A/N Hi, so some of you reading might've missed my 2nd chapter so in case you're really confused, just check that out. Don't forget to comment!

The birds had started chirping again.... Cassidy hated when they did that, because it always woke her up from the hazy stupor she'd been hiding within during the last few days. Opening her eyes a crack she studied the now familiar view of the Tarp Room, as she'd come to call it. And then there was Tarp Girl, who laid in the same place as always, hidden from sight under her tarp.

Cassidy didn't understand why she wasn't dead. She'd figured that Owen would've killed her that first night. But all he'd done was handcuffed one of her hands to a metal shelf that was bolted to the floor. She was still in her same clothes, and he hadn't hit or talked to her since that first night. He'd even provided her a bucket for her bodily waste.

Owen would come in twice a day, once in the morning and again in the evening. During the evening visit he'd bring some food, usually a can of processed food of some kind. He'd give Cassidy the can and a spoon and just watch her eat. Then he'd let her drink some water while he ungagged Tarp Girl and spoon fed her.

Cassidy's head snapped up as she heard the shed door open with a squeak. He was here. Owen lifted the tarp and sauntered into the small space. He didn't even acknowledge Cassidy's existence as he removed the tarp off the girl and started his..... routine.

At first he'd become angry, yelling at her, pulling her hair roughly. Sometimes he kicked her so much Cassidy didn't think she'd survive. But eventually Owen would calm down. Then he'd pick up a tool, today it was a pair of plyers, from the table that sat in the Tarp Room, and s-start..start....

Cassidy squeezed her eyes shut as Tarp Girl's muffled screams filled up the space. Owen always started panting and it made Cassidy want to puke. It was so wrong and cruel, but she never spoke out against it.

Cassidy wasn't a very assertive person in any normal situation. But when that person is a psycho who could decide to kill her at any time, Cassidy thought it best to keep silent, and hope he just kept ignoring her.

"A-ahhhh..." Owen moaned as he reached the climax of his routine. After what seemed an eternity, he was done, and he redressed the girl after allowing her to relieve herself in the bucket. He removed the bloodstained apron he used to keep his clothes relatively clean, but Cassidy suspected that he went and showered before he left the house for the day.

Otherwise there's no way she wouldn't have noticed the pungent smell of blood that followed him.

However, something today deviated from the norm, he glanced at Cassidy. She flinched at the eye contact, and instantly looked down at her shoes.

"You're pretty quiet, aren't you?" Cassidy glanced up at him while keeping her head down. "I mean, you just sit there. Do you like watching?" Cassidy shook her head, again avoiding eye contact.

Cassidy heard him sigh. Then, without warning Owen grabbed her left foot and hoisted it up so that only her back and head were on the ground, while her restrained arm was twisted painfully. Cassidy stayed completely still, holding her breath, waiting to see what he was planning. Then Owen started to take off her shoes and socks.

When he was done he scooped them up and left without another glance back.

Cassidy tried to keep breathing, and calm herself, but soon enough she spiraled into a full out panic attack. She'd been having them off and on these last few days. As well as that, she would get muscle spasms in her arms and legs, feel extremely sick, and she was pretty sure she hadn't slept at all. But it seemed to her like these were just normal side effects of being kidnapped and held captive by a psycho.

The day passed just as the last few had, a seemly timeless expanse of terrible boredom. Occasionally Tarp Girl would whimper and whine through her gag or a cloud would shift over the sun, casting the room into shadow. Because during the day the room was lit only by the natural lighting of the single, grimy window that sat above Cassidy's head.

During this expanse of time Cassidy found herself unable to do much but stare at the dirty, cement floor allowing her thoughts to frantically flit from different, horrible scenarios to a dissociative state of suspension.

By the time the shed door opened again the sun was setting, and it simultaneously felt like an eternity or just a few minutes had passed.

Owen came in carrying two cans of food and two bottles of water. He set down his load on the ground in front of Cassidy who, per usual, was staring intently at the ground. After a few moments of awkward silence while Cassidy was wondering if it was okay to pick up the can, Tarp Girl grunted into her gag as she squirmed.

Owen sighed and pushed Cassidy's can near her with his foot. Then he grabbed the tarp and unceremoniously ripped it off of the girl.

"Shut up. It's not your turn to eat," he said, eerily calm. But the girl couldn't catch the hint, because she continued to squirm. Tarp Girl managed to loosen her gag and she panted heavily. Slipping the cloth from her mouth she looked right at Owen, and spoke is a raspy whisper.

"P-please...... let me go. My father..h-he will pay money, I-I swear. He's the president of-"

"I know damn well who your father is." Owen glowered down at the girl with the utmost contempt.

"I-If you just let me call....he'd pay you....please!" At this point she was crying heavily. Owen's gaze suddenly changed, like someone had flipped a switch. He smiled widely and looked at Cassidy.

"What about her?"

"Huh?" the girl asked.

"Well, I can tell you that this girl doesn't have anyone that'd pay a dime to get her back. Would your father pay for her too?" Tarp Girl's mouth opened and closed trying to figure out the right way to answer. 

"Uh...Yes... I-I'm sure he would," she answered nervously, sweat forming on her brow.

"That's a relief," Owen flashed her a smile that didn't reach his eyes. Then he looked at Cassidy. "Drink your water, now." Cassidy hurried to pick up her bottle and took a drink. But as she sipped it in she noticed the taste was off....and she hadn't had to break the seal on the cap. Realizing what he must had done she moved to spit out the water, but Owen slapped his hand over her mouth.

"If you spit it out, I'll pour it down your throat and drown you with it. Yep, that's it, swallow it...Now drink the rest," he said removing his hand. With shaky hands Cassidy drank the rest. With every swallow her throat tightened more and eventually her hands shook so much she couldn't hold the bottle anymore.

Owen sighed again and he grabbed the bottle with one hand and Cassidy's jaw with another. He pushed the bottle between her lips and tipped it. The bitter water poured down her throat the she was forced to gulp it down. After a moment he took the bottle away and allowed Cassidy to cough and hack.

Cassidy coughed so much she was becoming lightheaded. But she had stopped coughing. The room was spinning and she realized her face was smashed into the concrete. Groaning she vaguely wondered whether she would ever wake up. Maybe Tarp Girl was enough for him after all.....He....didn't....need her.....

A/N: This one is shorter, but I hoped you liked it. Don't forget to comment/vote/tell your friends/tell your neighbors/tell your local hobo. Just kidding, but please let me know what you think so far :)