False Reality | Book Three

Chapter I

A/N

That's the theme song for this book up there! :))))

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"Cassie! Wake up! Come on! Two more weeks!" My aunt's voice carries throughout my room and right into my ears. I groan, rolling over. My eyes shut on their own accord, but snap open as soon as black eyes peer into my own. I startle in my blankets, resulting in me falling onto the floor in a clumsy crash. The early morning sun of April shines perfectly through the slits in my curtains, showing the top of my loyal pine tree Chris. I rub my head for a moment before yawning and running a hand through my newly dyed hair. A soft knock on the door has me staring into the eyes of my Uncle Ricky. His eyes widen as they look at me on the floor before a soft smile coats his face.

"Hello Cassio," he greets. "Jan made me come in and check on you. Make sure you were up and all...with the sleeping problems," his eyes tilt up to mine. My eyes wide for a fraction of a second before I shrug and rub my fingers through my hair, something I picked up. It's a newly developed habit. I never used to run my greasy fingers through my hair, but now I constantly do it.

"Oh, yeah," I rub at my eyes. "I'm up. Just wish I wasn't."

Uncle Ricky laughs. I've been living with him for about a year, ever since my parents passed away, and he's just now getting used to having my evil sister Ravenna and I living with him. He adjusted rather well, considering the only girl he ever lived with before was his mother and my Aunt Janice when they got married. I'm proud of him, actually. He makes many moves to grow closer to Ravenna and me, and I've found myself growing pretty attached to him. Especially since he usually talks to me about my...nightmares. Or more so night terrors.

I can never remember what happens in them, but I was told there are nights when I scream in my sleep and the only way out of it is to ride it out. The nightmares on the other hand...Uncle Ricky usually shakes me awake with sleep in his eyes. I remember one night vividly. I woke up gasping in his arms, and he was just there. His hands wrapped around me and held me to him as I sniffled in his shirt. I love Uncle Ricky.

"Yeah, I'm there with you," he rubs at his back. "Anyway, breakfast is ready."

"Right," I nod before grabbing a pair of dirty jeans from the ground. Uncle Ricky notices this, but he doesn't scold me as Aunt Janice would. He instead sends me a secret smile and stands up.

"Rightio. See you downstairs in a second," he waves before closing my door. I hear his footsteps walking down the hall and I sigh before collapsing on my window alcove. I stare out my window for a moment, looking away as the raven perched on the dead trees in the woods screeches loudly. Doesn't that thing ever go away? It's been a full month since that damn raven appeared on that tree branch, and with it came the feeling of dread. Ravens have always been the symbol of death, and now there it was, perched in my backyard at all times. Just my luck.

I appear downstairs with raccoon eyes and a burning in my stomach that I recognize as hunger. Luckily, Aunt Janice is humming as she makes a perfect breakfast with eggs and corresponding toast. I plop down at the table with my stomach growling. Aunt Janice turns around at the noise of my chair.

"Hey, Cass!" She grins. I never understood how this woman could be so cheerful in the morning. I look like death, Uncle Ricky looks like he's seen a ghost, and Ravenna just sulks on top of the countertops as she cries about some shoe she cannot buy.

"Morning," I chirp way too excitedly. My mind begs me to go back to bed, but my mind also fights to stay awake. I have two more weeks of school left, there is no way I'm going to give up now. Suddenly, I feel a hand on my arm, but when I turn to look, there is nothing there. I awkwardly pull away and look around to make sure no one noticed my odd jerk. Luckily no one had.