Prophecy | The Umbrella Academy |

Chapter Ten- Near Death

My First Near Death Experience

Cassandra had retreated to her room for some peace and quiet. It seemed silly to her that after all those years of being on her own, now her siblings were here, she would prefer to be on her own. Of course she loved her siblings dearly but she needed a break from Diego and Luther's bickering and no matter how much she loved Klaus, only a qualified professional could help with whatever was going on inside his head.

As Cassandra lay on her back on her bed she wished Vanya were here. Her and Allison had never really connected, they were just so different. They had only grew further apart after Allison was catapulted into fame. Vanya was the only down to earth one who wasn't high off their tits or thought they're a hero or just generally better than everyone else.

For a moment, Cassandra thought she had drifted off to sleep and was having another nightmare. But as she slowly sat up on her bed she realised that the gunfire she could hear wasn't just inside her head. It was real and coming from the hallway.

Cassandra pressed her ear to the door, trying to determine if there was actually someone in the house who had decided it was a good idea to open fire or if she was going insane. She had to admit that, although her siblings were weird, they weren't that weird.

Slowly, Cassandra opened the door and peered out, keeping low so she wasn't as much of a target. But the sight she was met with was just so bizarre that without being aware she straightened up and opened the door fully. Diego was out in the hallway engaged in a fight with two other people, both wearing comically large masks, one of a bear and one of a rabbit.

"What the-?" Cassandra muttered under her breath. It wasn't as quiet as she'd hoped as she'd managed to catch the attention of the rabbit, who turned her gun on Cassandra and opened fire.

"Jesus!" Cassandra shouted, ducking and running along the length of the hallway in the opposite direction to where the bullets were being fired from.

"Cassie! For fuck's sake- Get out!"

"What do you think I'm trying to do, Diego?" Cassandra snapped back as she ducked into the open bathroom door. The floor was wet and the bath water was still draining away but there was no one in there.

After a while of silence, Cassandra poked her head around the bathroom door to check if the coast was clear. As soon as her head came into few, the rabbit opened fire again. Cassandra ducked back inside, cursing under her breath as the bullets tore through the wooden door frame and sent sparks off the bath. The sink shattered and sent shards of porcelain all over the floor. Cassandra threw her arms around her face and winced as she felt a sharp sting across her forearm.

"Cassie!" She heard Diego call out, accompanied by the dull thud as his fist collided with the rabbit's head. For a brief second, she was disabled. Cassandra saw Diego's hand extend into the bathroom. She didn't hesitate to grab it.

Diego pulled her down the corridor. The gunfire had resumed but it was too late to seek shelter now. Somehow they made it to the end of the corridor without dying or obtaining too many substantial wounds. Diego waited at the bottom of the stairs as Cassandra ran up them first. He stayed close behind her, putting himself between her and the downpour of bullets.

Cassandra ran along the landing. It would take too long to run all the way down the stairs. Those two psychos would catch up. She'd never make it out. The same thought seemed to cross Diego's mind as he caught hold of Cassandra's wrist and gestured to the sitting room on the floor below them.

"What?" Cassandra exclaimed. "No! That's crazy!" She shouted but Diego had already made up his mind as he jumped over the railing and landed harshly on the floor below, scrambling to his feet and running into the sitting room.

"Oh for Christ's sake!" Cassandra proclaimed as she realised she had no other choice but to follow Diego. Cassandra felt the force of air brush past her skin as a torrent of bullets somehow avoided her as she jumped over the banister and collided brutally with the hardwood floors.

"Why couldn't we have carpets?" Cassandra grumbled as she hauled herself up, trying to ignore the pain from all the bruises she had definitely received, "Or at least a rug."

Cassandra barrelled behind a couch and almost fell over Diego. He motioned to her to be silent, placing a finger over his lips. He didn't have to tell her twice. Cassandra coward behind the couch, her breathing was rapid and shaking. It was all she could hear. Was she breathing too loud? Would they hear her? How loud is breathing supposed to be normally? She could hear their footsteps as they entered the room. Cassandra stared dead ahead, not daring to move a single muscle. The bar in front of her started to fade. Everything was going hazy.

'Oh God, not now.' She thought as her sight began to fade away into a vision.

Cassandra expected to be outside, in a world of total destruction, but she was still at home. She wasn't in the sitting room this time, she was upstairs, in the landing, by all the paintings. Mom was sat there, alone, staring up at them without moving. Cassandra moved closer to her and sat down beside her. She expected Mom to look at her and smile and ask her if she wanted cookies like she usually did but Mom was motionless. Cassandra peered at her. Her face was sunken. She didn't know if that was even possible but Mom looked drained. Cassandra, instinctively, took her by the hand. It was then that she noticed why Mom was unresponsive. Someone had cut along the length of her forearm. Her wires stood out like veins. They had been severed and Mom was gone.

"Mom!" Cassandra whispered in panic. She clasped her hand across her mouth as she realised she had come back from the vision. The footsteps had stopped. There was no way they hadn't heard her.

"Oh, shit. Mom." Diego whispered too and poked his around the side of the couch. They must have seen him as they opened fire on the couch. Cassandra cowered, bringing her knees up to her chin and squeezing her eyes shut tightly as she waited, either for the shooting to stop or to die.

When Cassandra next opened her eyes, she was back downstairs, in her room. She sat up on the bed and narrowed her eyes. What had happened? She got up and, hesitantly, opened the door. The hallway was empty. Slowly, cautiously, Cassandra stepped out into the hallway. She had barely made two steps when the rabbit came barreling down the stairs. Cassandra flinched and pressed herself against the wall instinctively but whoever was behind the mask didn't seem to notice her. The rabbit was limping, a nasty wound on the back of her leg. As the rabbit ran past her, Cassandra moved back into the middle of the hallway. In the distance she could hear the muffled sound of loud music coming through headphones.

Oh shit, Klaus.