When The Darkness Sets In

Chapter Three

I would love to say it was a bright and sunny day, the birds were chirping and I woke up feeling refreshed and excited for the day ahead but that would be a complete lie. The day was dull and the rain poured heavily down on the earth. Not to mention I woke up tired and felt drained. What a great birthday this has been so far! Note the sarcasm.

I lazily get out of bed and open my bathroom door. Shutting it behind me I take a deep breath and rub my temples. I have a splitting headache. I undress myself and hop in the shower. Enjoying the hot water, I lean against the shower door and close my eyes. I haven't gotten any sleep. The only thing that I did last night was toss and turn in bed. I'm pretty sure the monster under my bed hates me for not letting him sleep last night.

I open my eyes slowly and take a deep breath, feeling slightly nauseous. I squint my eyes and freeze. The steamy shower door outlines a dark figure standing on the outside of it. My mind tells me it's grandma but when a huge blood stained hand is placed against the shower door and sharp claws clink against the glass. I swallow down a scream and clutch my necklace.

"Kass are you almost done?" Grandma knocks on the door. The black figure suddenly disappears and there isn't any trace of blood on the glass. I turn off the shower and get out quickly. Wrapping the towel around myself I stare at the door. Am I so tired that I started to hallucinate? "Kass?" I snap my head to the door and mumble,"Yes grandma I'm done." I open the door and look to see her standing there with the biggest smile on her face. "Happy birthday my dear", she says and kisses my wet forehead. "Get dressed and come downstairs."

After dressing in a white fluffy sweater and black jeans, I braid my hair into two Dutch braids and grab my black Nike shoes. I put on my rainbow socks and then the shoes and race downstairs. I walk into the kitchen and see that Grandma holds a stack of pancakes, covered in cream, berries and chocolate. A small candle is placed on top and I smile at the effort she has made. She places the pancakes on the black marble countertop and I lean against it. "Make a wish sweetie." I close my eyes and make a silent wish. I blow out the candle and Grandma claps just like how a mother would clap for their child's birthday. She feeds me a piece of pancake and then lets me finish the rest.

"So how was your adventure last night?"

Terrifying. Horrific. Traumatic.

"It was great Grandma." I give her a smile and she returns it. A question buzzes in my mind so I decide to ask her. "Hey grandma, do you perhaps know anyone by the name of Cassidy Jefferson?" She tenses up instantly and her breath hitches in her throat. She definitely knows something. "Where did you hear that name?" Her face begins to pale and her eyes hold fear. What is she so scared of? I debate whether I should tell her the truth. She comes to my seat and grabs my hand. "Kass I need you to tell me the truth. Where did you hear that name?" Her voice is shaky and she seems so worried and scared. "We found a cabin in the forest and there was a frame. It had the name Cassidy and Kassandra Jefferson. The woman held a baby that looked similar to  me." She looks at me in horror and takes a few steps back. She paces around the kitchen and mumbles incoherent words. "Grandma what's wrong?" She looks at me with wide eyes and ask, "Did you see anything last night? Anything unusual?" I contemplate whether I should tell her but she's already so worried. Lying would put her at ease. I shake my head and she stares at me to see if I'm lying. She sighs in relief and place her hand on her chest. "Cassidy Jefferson was a friend of mines."

"Who was the baby in the photo?" She smiles at me, "Her granddaughter." Well that makes no sense at all. "So you two were like best friends that has granddaughters that had the same name and looked similar?"

"I guess you could say that."

I stare at her skeptically and decide not to push the topic further. I hear a honk and I know it's Jane. I run to the living room and grab my backpack. Slinging it over my arm I kiss grandma's cheek and exist the house. I run quickly to Jane's car and get in. I wipe away the little raindrops that's on me and turn to Jane. She looks as if she hasn't slept either. "Hey." She turns to me and smiles before starting the car. The ride to school is unsurprisingly silent. I'm pretty sure Jane is also traumatized from last night. She parks in her normal parking spot and I stare at Wester Hills High. The tall brown building stands before us and we both get out of the car.

"Let's go Kass."