Rid the People

Chapter 9

The world spinning in slow motion is a myth. Sometimes it could happen at the strangest of times, or what would appear to be the scariest, but it never happened with something painful. This was fast and chaotic. This happened right when it was least expected, spinning so wild Cassidy couldn't feel her feet on the ground any more.

Cassidy ran over to where Dan was crumpled on the ground. He was sobbing loudly, cupping his face with his hands as tears escaped the bottom of his chin.

Cassidy wrapped her arms around his shoulders, holding as tight as she could with the little energy she had left. She was desperate to console him, to make him stop crying so painfully, but his body only trembled more.

"It's Jane, it's Jane." He cried against his hands, his voice muffled against them.

Cassidy had no idea who Jane was, but she squeezed him harder, convinced at one point she was hurting him, but knowing in that moment he couldn't feel it.

He rocked back and forth, using one hand to tightly grip her arm. "I can tell it's her, I can see her."

"It's ok," Cassidy whispered. It wasn't ok. She didn't know what else to say to comfort him, to elevate any pain he was feeling. The strangeness of hugging a near-enough stranger so tight was unfamiliar, but she didn't care. She knew him enough to know he was hurting, and he helped her all the same.

"Mate, we don't know for sure," Tobias said, attempting to reassure him, standing closely as he hesitated to place a hand on his shoulder.

This only rattled Dan more. He removed his hand from his face which was red and blotchy, sticky with tears. "You don't know shit! That's her!" His wavering lips made it difficult for him to speak. He was spluttering against his words.

Cassidy proceeded to hug him. She was scared that if she loosened her grip he would be hurting more.

"Esme, help me dump the bodies," Tobias said.

"I'll help," Lizzie interjected, her voice frail amidst Dan's weeping.

The three of them walked off, leaving Cassidy with Dan on the grass, trying to ignore the hand of a dead straggler that lay limp by her thigh. She focused only on the wellbeing of her newly formed friend - they had to be friends by now, right? Cassidy wouldn't be sitting here like this if they weren't.

"I'm sorry," Dan said, wiping away the tears from his eyes. She hadn't seen him shake so much.

"Don't be sorry, please."

He shook his head frantically, choking on his words. "She's like a sister to me."

This was hurting him more than Cassidy initially realised. She studied the use of present tense, picking her next words carefully. "Which means she never liked to see you sad."

Dan peered at Cassidy, his lips drawn together. He was suppressing his cries, his chest spasm with the need to bellow out once more. His grip on Cassidy faltered, and he readjusted himself so she was no longer wrapping him up, her arm falling limp by his side. "I can't see her," he said. "I don't want to see her like that."

Cassidy nodded thoughtfully. "We don't have too."

He nodded his head back at her, unexpectedly whimpering. She went to console him again but thought better of it, bowing her head as she heard him cry out once again. This time she allowed him to let it out, to compose himself when he was ready, not when he was suppose to be.

Cassidy watched as the others were dragging the bodies to the bush they came from, bridging up the gap behind the trees. It was a slow process; they were all slumped, tired from what had just happened. Cassidy could smell the scent of death in the air, something she was growing familiar with, but not accustomed too. Her stomach lurched with the need to vomit but she kept it down, holding a fist to her mouth instead.