Spider.

Chapter 10: Dear diary

Caspar bent and shoved his arm underneath the mattress of the bed. He pulled out a leather bound book. There were corners of loose pages sticking out and the book itself looked worn out and old. He placed it on the bed and sat on his knees, directly in front of me. "I've said it before and I know you're tired of hearing it. Amelia is alive and she needs me. The proof is in that book."
"Show it to me then" my voice was bored yet somehow impatient.
"I will, you need to take it with you, the doctors said I'm not allowed to have any outside items in here" he whispered. As if the guards could hear us through the brick walls. I looked around the bland room once more, wishing I'd just left when I had the chance. 
"How did you even get it in here then?"
"That's not important. I just need to ask you one thing before I show the book to you."
"What?"
"I need your help" he was still whispering. There was desperation in his voice and I wanted to reach out and smooth the creases on his forehead.
"I need you to find Amelia"
I froze. My breathing stopped completely. A sudden pain surfaced in the depth of my chest, like a knife being twisted and turned. "She didn't run away, Kat. I know that's what everyone's saying. And that's what the police think". The police had theorized that Amelia had run away after she found out that her dad was not actually her biological father. "I know she would never run away. She loved her father. And she would never leave me". I winced at the last part. Amelia wasn't even here but she still had Caspar wrapped around her finger. I took a deep breath. He was getting on my nerves. "If the proof is in the book, why didn't  you show it to the police?" I asked. "It is not just a book. It is Amelia's diary. She would never forgive me if I showed it to anyone." I stood up abruptly. "You're unbelievable you know that! You say you love her and you'll do anything for her, but you kept the one thing that might help find her a secret? If I was her, I wouldn't care if you showed my diary to the police. Hell I wouldn't care if you showed it to the whole world if it meant finding me!" "But you're not her" he said quietly. A dull smile formed on my face. How could I even think that Caspar could go this long without reminding me that he didn't love me? "I know I'm not" I said. His eyes turned hard when I stood up. "Don't leave just because of your jealousy" he said plainly. I shut my eyes as if not seeing him could make his razor sharp words disappear. I only got as far as three small steps when Caspar grabbed my wrist. This time I didn't feel like letting him hold it. This time I wanted to run. He spun me around and pushed me until I stumbled against the wall. I couldn't stop him, it was as though I couldn't get my hands to work. Mrs. Kendall said she was right outside. If I screamed would she hear me? What would she make of seeing her son this way again? I opened my mouth in an attempt to shout causing Caspar to tighten his grip on my arms.  

"You have to find her" he hissed with a voice like poison. "I'm not your slave" I choked and tried to shove him off but my words only made him crazier. He lifted a cold hand and seized my throat, cutting off my air supply. My breathing was nothing but short, frantic gasps. I clawed at his fingers but I was no match for his steel grip. I squirmed, all the while wondering how things had gotten this far out of hand. He pulled me towards him, then slammed me against the wall until black spots clouded my vision. It was the sound of my skull against the wall that led to the guards and Mrs. Kendall bursting through the doors.

                              ***
The drive home was silent. My head still spun, but a quick visit to Cullenhill's infirmary ruled out a concussion. I tried not to look a the growing bruises on my arms until I was home. I considered calling Simon but I didn't want him to worry. He and Caspar had been friends the longest and I knew even though he hid it well, Caspar's steady decline was hard on him. My phoned chimed and I found exactly 34 new texts from my mother. She had sent pictures of her and dad sipping pink drinks, along with detailed explanations of the places they'd visited that day. I smiled, happy that I convinced them not to cancel their trip to stay with me. They certainly would not have reacted well to my run-in with Cas today. The though seemed to trigger pain on my arms again.