Timescape, Chapter 7: Dressed For Success

Chapter 7: Dressed For Success

CASSI, 1946

Cassi stood staring at Patricia, who was picking up the phone. Patricia's daughter, Michelle, alternated between gazing at her mother and at Cassi. Her eyes were wide and scared. Cassi suddenly bolted for the door, but it was locked. She couldn't turn the locking mechanism fast enough.

As soon as Cassi started moving, Patricia dropped the phone and ran at her. Before Cassi got the lock unlatched, Patricia had tackled her. They both groaned during the struggle, and Cassi squirmed to get free. Patricia maintained a tight hold on her.

"You will not just come into my house and do whatever you've done with my husband," Patricia said through gritted teeth. "There will be consequences."

"I haven't done anything," Cassi insisted. She had given up on trying to get free and was now not resisting Patricia's attempts to pull her back to the sofa. "I am not here by my own design. In fact, I would rather be anywhere except here."

"Guilt eating at you?" Patricia questioned. "I'm not surprised. My husband is a good man."

The two of them sat on the sofa, staring at each other. Michelle was crying again, and Cassi felt an urge to try to calm her. She knew Patricia would never allow it, so she sat still.

"I'm going to try to make my phone call again," Patricia told Cassi. "If you try to escape again, I'll shoot you myself. You may think that a woman wouldn't know how to use a gun, but I know a little."

"I'm not going anywhere," Cassi promised, although she still had escape on her mind. She looked around the room and realized that the rifle she had almost been shot with was laying at the end of the sofa.

The thought only crossed her mind briefly. She knew that she didn't have it in her to shoot this woman, especially not in front of her daughter. The rifle, though, could still be useful in helping her escape.

Once Patricia had turned her back, focused on her phone call, Cassi silently got up and lifted the rifle slowly. She put a finger to her lips asking Michelle to stay quiet. Michelle complied. Cassi didn't know why Michelle complied, but it didn't matter.

Cassi moved slowly toward where Patricia was on the phone and held the rifle high. She stood on tiptoe to avoid making sounds as she approached her target. She was almost there and had lifted the rifle higher when the silence was broken.

"Mom!" Michelle screamed. Patricia turned around with horror in her eyes. She did not, however, turn around fast enough to avoid being smacked by the butt end of the rifle. A red mark immediately appeared on her face as she fell to the floor. Cassi dropped the rifle and took off running. Michelle started wailing.

"Damn you!" Patricia yelled as she reached for the fallen rifle. Cassi made it to the front door and got it unlocked before Patricia had a good hold on the rifle. As she fired it, Cassi was halfway out the door. She heard the shot, and Michelle's screams became even louder. Cassi wasn't even aware that she had been hit in the shoulder. She would discover later that it was not as bad as it could have been, but would require treatment.

In the house, Patricia had managed to get back to her feet, and ignored Michelle as she ran out to the porch after Cassi. Cassi had never slowed down, and was through the yard before Patricia got to the porch. Patricia fired shots until the rifle was empty, but didn't hit anything except the car in her drive and a couple of trees.

Cassi finally slowed down when she got to the next street over. She was tired and panting, but she stayed alert. It dawned on her once the initial panic was over that there were other houses around. She knew there hadn't been anything except woods around the house when she had entered it with Lizzie, Kevin, and Toby. She didn't understand how it was possible, but this had to be a different area.