Mind Games

Chapter 50 - Cassie

The sight of the house, where her grandparents once lived, made her feel nauseous.

She stopped short, watching the paramedics as they shut the ambulance.

Her grandfather was in there. So was her friend. The one she called for help.

Guilt nibbled at her. If it wasn't for her, Ned would be just about waking up now. Not trapped forever in a deadly slumber.

A loud wail made her turn.

For the first time, she noticed the man and woman standing beside the ambulance. Ned's parents.

She couldn't bring herself to go up to them.

She turned away.

Ryan wouldn't be here. If he was, he would be with them.

She looked back at the street, wondering where could he be?

Was he hurt?

Was he dead?

She tried to think logically.

The closest house to them was the old woman's. Surely he would go there first?

With one last look at the ambulance, she headed to the old woman's house.

Her senses started prickling as soon as she saw the front door open.

The cops were still at her grandparent's house. She could call them here. Get them to check.

But she had to know herself.

Despite her better judgement, she stepped in.

The hallway was still dark.

She walked in gingerly and looked into the living room.

One of the cushions from the couch had fallen on to the floor, but otherwise there were no signs of struggle.

She walked in further, wondering if she should call out, but yet afraid to.

Apart from the faint sound of the ambulance driving away, the house was thick with silence.

The faint morning light didn't penetrate the room enough for her to notice the body that hung lifelessly ten feet away from her.

She looked up at the dark stairs uncertainly.

The more logical part of her told her to go call the cops.

Sure, nothing seemed wrong, but wasn't the fact that the old woman's door was left open enough to be a cause for worry?

She knew she should call the cops, but a part of her was too tired to deal with their questions and procedures at this point.

She was worried sick about Ryan. All she wanted to know was if he was okay. Or hurt. Or dead.

A little thud from upstairs snapped her away from her thoughts.

Someone was up there. Someone could be hurt. She had to check!

Not letting herself think twice, she ran up the stairs.

She paused at the top. Straining her ears for the sound.

Thud.

To her right.

She walked to the end of the corridor, her heart pounding.

The sound seemed to be coming from a closet.

She could feel her hands shaking.

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself and yanked it open.

Ryan's lifeless eyes stared back at her in the gloom. His t-shirt soaked with blood, where the kitchen knife dug into his chest.

She screamed and backed away, her fingernails digging into her palms.

No! Not Ryan!

Who would do this to him?

Was it the old woman?

Where was the old woman?

Would she stab her too?

Cassie looked around frantically in the gloom.

She had to get away from here!

She ran towards the stairs, her head spinning. She could feel Ryan's dead gaze on her, watching as she abandoned him once again.

Her vision doubled as she ran down the stairs.

And then she tripped.

Back in the corridor, the security camera stopped projecting the dead boy, and he flickered away from the closet.

Slowly, the remote controlled front door swung shut.

From the sound system that the old woman's son had installed last year, a low chuckle resonated through the house.