Caged

20

Possibility of homicide.

It wasn't possible. How was that even possible?

Cause of death remains undetermined.

The medical professionals had certified the cause. I remembered them speaking to my family too vividly. I remembered seeing her body myself at the hospital a few days after it all had happened.

This wasn't possible. There was no way.

Case closed as respect to the family's wishes.

I didn't understand.

I could feel my heart jumping inside my chest, the palpations the only sensation I was capable of feeling right now. I didn't like it at all.

I squeezed my eyes shut, willing myself to take deep breaths. When it didn't work, I shot up off the couch and my body swayed momentarily as my vision blurred with black spots. I allowed myself a few more seconds to steady myself, and then I began pacing.

This had to be a joke. Some sick joke. Someone had something against us, so they dropped this fake file on our doorsteps before they ran off.

It would have been easier to believe that than to believe what the ink said.

When I felt stable enough, I grabbed the file again and my eyes scanned the papers again. The words jumped out from the page.

Homicide. Inconclusive. Undetermined.

My throat closed up as I recalled any information stored somewhere in my mind so I could decide what this could mean.

Homicide was murder.

They were saying that there was a possibility that–

My mind shut off; it refused to go down that direction. It didn't make any sense. I didn't want it to make any sense. The possibilities were too terrifying.

I pinched my eyes shut again, gripping the file in my hand so tightly, my fingers began to ache.

Someone was messing with us.

That was the conclusion I would've come to if I hadn't seen the note attached to the back of the file.

"Tomorrow."

***

"Will you skip with me?"

Sebastian smiled at me as he leaned against the locker next to mine, his arms crossed across his chest.

"No thanks, I wanna live to see another day," I mumbled back, jerking my head forward so my hair shielded my face.

He raised an eyebrow in question, pushing himself off the wall to fall into step beside me. "You don't trust me?"

Like it had been all day, my mind wandered again to the night before and I didn't respond.

The anxiety was making me feel sick. I hadn't slept all night. Even now, at school, my attention turned to the time every minute as I counted down the seconds until school ended. I thought I was going to throw up.

The hallways cleared as the bell rang, but we both had a free period. Sebastian threw an arm around my neck, swinging me into his side as we walked. He led me to the courtyard and we sat down at a table.

"Izzy," he sung out, and I glanced at him. He raised his eyebrows at me. "I asked you something."

"Huh?"

He furrowed his brows. "What's going on with you? You've been like this all day."

I swallowed hard, and shook my head. "Nothing, sorry. I was just thinking of something."