The Oracle

Chapter 19

Justin woke from his phone's loud buzzing. He sleepily reached over to his bedside table and waited for his eyes to adjust to the artificial light.

Once the call was over, Justin noticed that his hand was sweaty. He clumsily put his phone back and just sat. Justin, wake up. He shook his head and got out of bed, picking up the first pair of pants he could get his hands on.

"Mum," he whispered-yelled as he stood near his parent's room. "Mum." He spoke a bit louder that time. It was Riley who saw him first.

'Justin, what's wrong?" She stifled a yawn.

'I gotta go to Cassie's house." His ran his fingers through his mop of hair.

"Can't you wait till tomorrow? It's still dark outside."

"I can't. Her Dad called me. I need to go there now."

"Oh okay," Riley said, concern edging her voice. "I'll drop you off."

The car ride was a nightmare. Justin didn't realise how long the trip would be. His Mum kept babbling on about... well, Justin couldn't tell. His mind was off somewhere else; fear pulsating through him. "Just call when you want to be picked up." Riley's words were a pierce in his void of silent fear.

"Uh, okay. Thanks." He forced himself into the Newton's house.

Once he knocked on the door, Mr Newton opened up. He looked like a mess. His current state was even scarier to Justin than when they first met. Beside the disheveled look that he had going on, Justin found his eyes the most frightening. Both eyes were raw; from what seemed like crying. "Justin," Ned Newton finally spoke after a good while. "Thank you for coming." He stepped back, letting Justin walk in. Justin scanned the house, and his eyes fell on Cassie's room. The door was shut. The eerie silence was driving Justin crazy. Just say something, he thought and wanted so desperately.

"Mr Newton," Justin wanted to sound brave. Actually, brave isn't the word. He wanted his thoughts of death and doubt to stop plaguing him. He didn't even care if he was brave in that moment. Little did he know, of how how courageous he was. "Is everything alright?" Wrong question. He already knew that answer. "Where's Cassie?"

Ned seemed to have controlled his breathing. Minutes ago, he was panting. "I'm sorry to have called you here at such a late hour." Mr Newton was so short, instead of walking, he waddled. Once he reached Justin, only a few meters from Cassie's door, he looked into his grey eyes. "You know, don't you? Just like she did...." Justin's breath caught in his throat. He suddenly felt very hot and nauseated. All thoughts were exterminated as Ned placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry..." he murmured. His eyes fell to the floor, but Ned couldn't recognize the tiles. Not once his vision was blurred. "How cruel of me to call you here."

"No," was all Justin could manage.

"I just...."

Tears.

"Wanted someone"

Silence.

"That cared about her.."

Wheezing.

"As much as me."

The tears and shouts were muffled by Justin's shirt. He held him close. Funny, how this would have been awkward if it weren't for such the traumatic situation.

Justin thought he would cry. He wanted to. But he remembered how he felt when Cassie broke down in front of him. It was the same thing. For moments they just stayed like that. The comfort of another was enough to numb the pain. Just for a second. Then they pulled apart.

"Do you know... how it happened?'

Ned shook his head as he wiped his tears with the back of his hand. "I just came home from work. And found her in the lounge room. I'm going to look into though."

Justin nodded, his eyes trailing back to her door. "Is she.." He turned his head to Cassie's room.

Mr Newton nodded. "I don't know if you want to go in there... if not, I'll call the ambulance."

The ambulance. "You haven't called them?" Justin didn't intend for it to come out so harshly. "I mean, they could have revived her-"

"She was cold by the time I got home. No pulse either." Justin knew he would say that. It was worth the try, though.

Justin walked to the door; each step slower than the last. He physically would have been sick if he went any faster. As he stood face-to-face with the door, his heart was beating out of his chest. He turned the knob, and walked inside. He closed the door behind him. On the bed, the girl with the purple streaks is her hair, laid; dead. Everything slowed down as Justin walked towards her. It's not her. Justin imagined this before. But each time, Cassie looked as though she were sleeping. She looked far from it. Justin knew how it felt to sleep beside her. And that was not what he was feeling now. When she was sleeping, her chest slowly rose up and down. Blood pulsating through her veins. Life was in her. Now, she laid still and stiff. Her complexation was even paler than usual and her blue eyes stared up at the ceiling. Her room seemed to be even smaller than usual. Justin opened his mouth, sucking in air. Once he calmed down, he felt the urge to check her pulse. He resisted. Instead, he focused on her hair and how lifeless the streaks seemed. Instinctively, his hands went to his hair. He wanted more than ever to feel her run her fingers through his hair.

When at last, he couldn't look any longer, he backed away until he felt the wall. He slid down the wall, and started to cry.