Mind Games

Chapter 33 - Cassie

Cassie leapt to her feet as Amy's evil laughter echoed in the darkness.

She heard a yell and her heart twisted when she realised it was Ned. She heard a series of bumps and a loud crack.

"Ned!" She called out, shakily. Hoping she would hear his reassuring voice call out, saying he was okay. But knowing there would be no reply.

Sorrow ripped through her, even as her mind tried to deny what her heart already knew.

"Cassie, what is happening?" Her grandmother's voice whispered in the darkness.

"We have to leave, grandma." Cassie was surprised by how calm she sounded. Being in the house was too dangerous. In the street Amy could control the streetlights. Nothing else. They would be safer than here.

She reached out for her grandmother, helping her to her feet.

"Whatever you see, whatever you hear, ignore it." She said softly. "Just keep going. Okay, grandma?"

"Okay, Cassie." She could hear the tremble in her grandmother's voice and anger flared in her. She would not let Amy take anyone else from her.

She lead her grandmother slowly in the dark. She was worried about the stairs. She dreaded finding Ned.

She took a deep breath, trying to clear her thoughts. She had to focus on one thing - getting out of this house.

There was complete silence. Not a sign of Amy. Did she leave?

She lead her grandmother steadily to the stairs.

"Careful, grandma." She whispered. She felt her grandmother squeeze her hand tighter.

She tried to remember how many steps were there. Fifteen? Twenty? Surely no more than that. 

She started counting as she climbed down each step, waiting for her grandmother to follow.

"Fifteen... sixteen... seventeen..."

Abruptly all the lights came on.

She blinked in the sudden brightness.

A shrill shriek shot out of her grandmother. She followed her gaze to the foot of the stairs.

There, crumpled at an unnatural angle was Ned.

Cassie fought to stop the scream building in her throat.

Though she had guessed as much, seeing Ned lying there broken in front of her was too much to bear.

"We have to go." She said aloud, almost to herself. "We have to go... we have to go..."

She tugged on her grandmother's hand, rushing past the shell of the boy who was once her friend.

She could feel her grandmother's hand, cold and frail.

She could feel her sanity on the verge of cracking.

"We have to go..." she kept repeating to herself.

"Tsk tsk... not a care for your friend." Her mother's voice mocked her. "He was in love with you, you know."

"Ignore... ignore... ignore..." Cassie chanted loudly as she lead her grandmother to the door.

"How would you know? Your mind was on Ryan" Amy laughed. "Such a tragedy, really. But so much fun!"

Cassie tried to remember if the doors were connected to an AI system. She didn't think so. She always saw her grandparents manually using them.

With Amy's taunting laughter in her ears, she yanked the door open, relief flooding through her.

And came face to face with her mother.