𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐋𝐔𝐒𝐓

[12]: Family Reunion

"Uncle Ross, where are we going?" I giggled playfully, my feet swinging back and forth from the passenger's seat.

"We're going somewhere very exciting." 

Cassie groaned, tossing and turning in her hospital bed. She had yet to awake.

"Uncle Ross, where are we going now?" I asked again, slightly uncomfortable by his grip on my wrist.

"To the basement. I've got some presents to show you,"

"Cassidy, are you awake?" No.

"Uncle Ross, where are the presents? It looks horrible down here,"

"Cassidy?" Cassie awoke to bodies stood all around the room, all facing her. They were all policemen, apart from a nurse who watched her closely from the side. She wondered where her parents were. She couldn't even process the thought of seeing them again.

Cassie shrunk back, afraid the police were there to arrest her. They probably knew about Officer Martin and the others. They were here to lock her up. She began to panic. She was overwhelmed by the number of people in the room. There were more people in that room than she'd seen for ten years.

Before any one of them could speak, somebody came bursting through the door. It was a man, maybe in his twenties. Cassie sat still, despite the people eyeing her and urging her to say something.

"Cassie.." The man stammered. He was out of breath and his face was stained with tears.

"Luke?"

The man nodded exhaustedly, but his face was plastered in a radiant smile. She opened her arms wide and he basically collapsed into her embrace. She sobbed uncontrollably into the shoulder of the man she hardly recognized - he was so tall now. But no, how could she think about his height when he was there in her arms?

"Lukey.." She whimpered, gripping his grey hoodie in her fists. It was like she was eight again, young and pure. It was like she was still four feet tall, her mind filled with no worries but who she was going to play with at recess. Cassie shook her head - all the wishing in the world wouldn't bring back that little girl. You see, young Cassidy Marie Evans was still missing, it was someone else who had returned. The broken, empty shell of what once was a young tot filled with nothing but life and joy. This was Cassie, Angelface, Babe, Whore, Bitch, Wench, Useless... Uncle Ross's arm candy he took nowhere but his bed.

"I'm here... I'm here," Luke soothed, erasing her worries with a single whisper. Her big brother, her best friend she hadn't seen in years. It was perfect...but where's Mom and Dad?

"Luke." Came a stern voice from somewhere in the room. Reluctantly, he painfully released the girl. She whimpered at the loss of contact and tried to pull him back, but whoever said his name really didn't want him to go back.

Cassie saw it was a man in a uniform, a man she recognized but couldn't put her finger on where she'd seen him. It had been ten years, after all. But, after a minute, her eyes caught the gold badge resting on his uniform - Sheriff Kennedy.

He gently began to ask her questions she wasn't prepared for. They got more complex and difficult to answer as they went on.

Do you remember me?

"Yes."

How did you go missing?

"I was driven away."

By who?

"..."

Cassie?

"My Uncle... Ross Evans."

The room fell silent - more silent than it already was. Luke's fists clenched so tight he was on the brink of drawing blood. The Sherrif was the first to speak, "It was your Uncle?" He thought back to all the times he interviewed Ross Evans, the strange, erratic uncle. Oh, how Kennedy suspected him early days... if he had just taken the time to search him. How was it even possible?

"Yes," Cassie confirmed, a wave of sickness washing over her from talking about him. The Sheriff, along with all the others, looked both confused and shocked.

"Alright, Sweetie. That's all we need to know. You get some rest now, and I'll be back in the morning with a few more questions," Sheriff Kennedy and the others packed up their things and scurried away as fast as they could. Luke sat down on the end of the hospital bed.

"Where's Mom and D-"

Luke held her hand in his, "Don't worry about that for now, just get some rest, alright?" His brows furrowed and he gave her hand a light squeeze.

Cassie was too tired to ask any more questions, "Alright."

"I am so glad that you're back, Cass," He mumbled, leaning over and giving her a light kiss on her forehead. He may have seemed cool and collected, but on the inside, he felt sick to his stomach.

Uncle fucking Ross. He felt like he couldn't breathe. The number of times that man gave him his condolences. The number of times he acted as if he was just as clueless and heartbroken as the rest of them.

If only he was still alive. If he was he wouldn't have been for much longer.

...

The dog's tail rested on the ground. He dared not to move, but to sit quietly and observe the brute. The brute made no attempt to harm the dog as he collapsed into his chair with a huff. It was deadly silent and the atmosphere was tense. 

To dare to rise, the dog pondered. So he did, slowly but surely making his way over to the brute. The clicking of his claws against the stone did not disturb his state of mind, as the man continued to stare blankly at a wall.

A dull whine escaped the dog's snout, begging to be comforted. It was a bold move that resulted in nothing, so he did it again and again until the brute grumbled. "Don't you shut up?" 

Apparently not. Whimper after whimper came from the distressed animal, and they didn't stop until calloused fingers hesitantly brushed over the top of his head. Kyle leaned into the touch.

The very act of kindness surprised Marilyn. Since when did he care for the wellbeing of such a dastardly creature? But maybe, he was in need of comfort as much as the dog was, a shameful thing he'd never say out loud. 

He better learn to be kind to Kyle, because it was just the two of them now.

...

hi sisters it me! idk what this is i'm fucking up this story oops

also thx 4 1k reads sisters, love u the most