Mind Games

Chapter 26 - Ned

"I don't understand." Ned panted as he pedalled his bicycle furiously next to his friend. "How could Amy be there? Cassie never had Amy on her phone. Her grandparents don't even own phones with the kind of technology needed to run Amy."

Ryan kept his attention focused on the road. "I have to get to Cassie. I brought this on her. I don't know what happened, but she was scared. And now she isn't answering our calls." He said grimly.

"I'm right with you, buddy." Ned told his friend reassuringly. But the questions couldn't stop racing in his head.

The only way he could think of Amy having reached Cassie was if Cassie installed Amy on her phone.

Surely she wouldn't do that! Why would she? Unless she wanted answers.

But even if she did, she would have to set her up. Ryan had told him the process. The Amy she would create would be very different from the version who brainwashed her mom into poisoning her.

But this Amy would still have the shared memory of Ryan's Amy and Cassie's mother's Amy. The memory which held so much hate for Cassie.

He shivered, even in the warm night breeze.

Cassie's grandparents' house was dark and silent in the night.

"Wouldn't it be weird if we wake them at this hour?" Ned whispered, uncomfortably.

"We have to do this." Ryan said firmly.

He rang the bell.

For a moment there was nothing.

Then pounding footsteps. Running.

Ned could suddenly hear faint maniacal laughter from within the house and his blood ran cold.

Ryan looked pale as someone fiddled with the lock on the other side.

The door flung open and he saw the terror in Cassie's face.

He looked anxiously beyond her. The room was dark. It seemed empty. But he could still hear the laughter. Faint but malignant.

"What's happening?" He demanded. "Where are your grandparents?"

Cassie sobbed but didn't move from the doorway. "My grand dad. I think he got a heart attack. We can't call 911. Calls aren't going through."

Ned and Ryan exchanged confused glances.

"I thought you said Amy..." Ryan began.

"She caused it." Cassie blurted, tears flowing down her face. "Please, you have to get help."

Ned fumbled his phone out. No network.

"She's blocked the network." Ryan said softly. His gaze was trained into the darkness of the house.

Ned looked around, desperately. "I'll try the neighbours. Cassie, you should get out of here."

She shook her head. "My grand dad is in there. My grand mom is with him. And Amy is in there with them."

Ned's brain whirled with questions. Now he could hear a faint voice from within the house. Mocking. Evil.

"She took over remote control of the music system speakers." Cassie said desperately. "She projected herself out of the security camera in the hallway."

"She's not restricted to phones anymore." Ryan said, dreamily.

Ned gave him a concerned look. He looked like he was in a trance. It wasn't safe to leave him around Amy.

Ned nudged him sharply. "You go get help. I'll stay here."

Ryan blinked as if he was coming out of a daze then turned around.

"Where do you think you are going, young man?"

Ryan jumped at the silky sarcastic voice coming from his phone.

Instinctively he dropped it and moved away.

Goosebumps crawled over his flesh as an image of a woman projected out of his camera lens.

She was Cassie's mom. Dressed in a business suit. Her face was stretched into an evil smile.

Behind him, he heard Cassie wearily say, "I logged in from my mom's account."

Ryan was standing beside him, frozen.

Ned shoved him.

"Snap out of it, buddy." He said urgently. "She's just a hologram. She can't follow you."

Ryan nodded silently.

"Go get help." Ned yelled at him.

Still in a trance, Ryan backed down the drive. Then he turned and ran.

Few feet in front of him, Cassie's mother stood and watched them. A twisted grin on her face.

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