Getting through school has never been a particularly difficult task for Cassidy but when a body is found outside her school everything goes downhill. Now, everything is on the line and she can't trust anyone anymore.
They all say to keep your frien...
// the walls we build around us to keep sadness out also keeps out the joy //
I wonder if the afterlife actually exists. Do souls really go to heaven or roam around earth?
Perhaps everything is just blank. Like when you're asleep and there are no dreams. You don't even know you're asleep really so you're just there. Do you still see, feel and remember?
Maybe it's just plain absence and nothingness so you don't feel anything. Emotionless.
"Cass? Are you there?" I hear Georgia's voice on the other end and I snap out of my daydream.
"Yeah. Sorry. I've been a bit out of it lately." I say honestly and I swear I could hear an "I know" from her but it is soon forgotten as she continues to speak.
"Are you okay Cass? I hear your sister's been taking the death really badly." I sigh and force a smile even though I know she can't see me.
"I'm fine Georgia. Really. Now enough about me, how have you been?"
I hear Georgia let out a shaky breath and say, "To be completely honest with you, the extra time because school is on lock down is killing me! I have nothing to do so I stay in my room all day and I'm bored out of my mind!"
I let out a soft laugh. "Same here Georgia, same here. Isn't it funny that we all somewhat miss school?" I hear Georgia laugh nervously, and I clear my throat to say softly, "Hey Georg? What do you think happened to Nate - "
"Yeah mom!" I hear Georgia shout before she returns to her normal soft tone, "Sorry Cass, I got to go. My mom wants some mother-daughter bonding time or something so she wants us to go shopping. I'll call you later!"
I voice out to bid goodbye but she ends the call before I can.
"Goodbye." I say softly as I place my phone back on the bedside table. I look down at the cracked screen and mentally remind myself to get it fixed soon. I fall onto my bed and just as I close my eyes, the doorbell rings.
I let out a frustrated groan before getting up. I don't expect Kris to open the door and our parents are still at work.
I take slow and small steps as I make my way downstairs. My footsteps echoing along the stairway. However when I reach the living room, I realize that Kris is already at the door talking to Tom.
I guess she heard the doorbell and came down faster than I did. So I make my way back up to my room knowing that Kris would be fine.
"Are you okay?" I catch Tom's words as I'm about to enter my room, but his question doesn't surprise me. It is how broken and vulnerable Kris sounds when she replies that breaks my heart.
"I'm heartbroken Tom."
I close the door and return to the silence of my room. Even the ticking of the clock can be heard in the dead and eerie silence.
Tick tock. Tick tock.
I lay down on my bed and reach out for my phone instinctively. I stare at the cracked screen for a moment before unlocking my phone. I'm still not too sure how it got cracked but I'm a generally a clumsy person so I can't say I'm surprised. I should probably be more careful next time.
I mindlessly scroll through my social media before deciding to watch a couple YouTube videos that pop up in my recommended feed. Soon, I begin to feel sleepy as the calming voice in the video drones on. I continue to let the video play as I slowly fall into a deep slumber.
"Cassidy?" My mother's soothing voice echoes. "Mom?" I hear my voice but my mouth doesn't move.
"Cassidy?" "Cassidy?" "Cassidy Simmons!" "Are you okay Cass?" "What are these, Cassidy?" Voices after voices echo from all over the place. My mother, Georgia, Kris, my teachers. They're everywhere.
The voices get sharper and louder as my hands find their way to my ears.
"Stop it! Stop it, please! Make it stop!" I find myself screaming but the voices just get louder. It feels like I'm going to explode and I hear a high pitched scream until I realize it's me. Suddenly, there's silence, but not the comforting kind. I take a deep breath but all I hear is my heartbeat getting faster and faster. A blinding light flashes and I hear quiet sobbing that I am all too familiar with.
"Kris?"
More sobbing and sniffling. "Kris?" I walk towards the noise and I see my sister on the floor in a black dress, her hair in a mess. "Kris?" I take a step towards her but I can't get closer, an unknown force pushing me away.
"He's gone. Why? He was the only one there for me." I can hear her soft whispers. "Why did he have to go?" She looks up to me with tears streaming down her face. "It doesn't matter though, I'll see him again soon. Maybe I can finally get a happy ending." I see Kris take out a blade and I scream. I can't lose her, I can't lose my sister.
'Kristiana!" I scream as she brings down the blade to her wrist.
I jolt up awake, sweat trailing down my back and my hair sticking to my neck. Breathe in, breathe out. I repeat to myself. Breathe in, breathe out. I even out my breathing and grab my phone.
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I'm going to have trouble falling back asleep now. I sit up on my bed and I can hear the sound of rain outside. I don't get up to check on Kris because I know it's only a dream, no matter how realistic it is. I don't want to worry her anymore, she already has enough problems in mind.
I reach out for the book on the table and begin to read. Nothing is better at getting my mind off the real world than a great book. Sometimes, I think I immerse myself in a book so much that I become unaware of the things happening around me.
I must have fallen asleep in the midst of my reading since I open my eyes to the sun glaring. The burning dryness in my throat beckons me to get some water so I slowly make my way downstairs. I grab some water from the fridge and the cold air hits me by surprise as I shiver from the contact. I plan on returning to my room and maybe even open the windows for a bit for fresh air to enter.
"What if - "
I can hear Kris talking to someone on the phone before I leave the kitchen.
"I'm scared." I hear Kris say but I couldn't see her face as her back was to me. She doesn't speak for a few moments and I take a wild guess that she's talking to Tom. She doesn't talk about Nate with anyone else.
"I miss him." Kris murmurs so quietly that I barely catch the words.
We all do Kris, we all miss him.
☯
Hello :) Leah here! Lacy and I would like to thank you for moving on to this chapter and hopefully you enjoy it so far! Please comment what are your thoughts and if you like this please give us some feedback and even vote if you want to!
