Love And War-Theo Raeken

part 4- voices

CASS POV
I woke up first, Theo still curled up in a ball. I got up and smiled down at him. He looked tranquil as he slept, the previous day's trauma seemingly leaving him. I got out of bed to prepare for the day but stopped almost immediately as I quickly began to pace around the room as I grew anxious. My blood pressure had started to raise abruptly, it caught me off guard. I started to hear them. Voices. Someone was in danger and I couldnt figure out why, where they were, who they were or how to stop the voices from echoing loudly in my head. Pounding away, tearing apart my sanity, as my breathing quickened Theo stirred and became alert as he immediately noticed my frantic state.

He takes a few seconds to adjust to the sudden reality before hushing me and pulling me close into his chest. He told me to try and match his breathing, calming my own. I looked down to see my nails digging into the palm of my hand in fists, my skin red and bloody. I go to the bathroom to rinse my face and my hands. I leant against the sink and stared long and hard into the mirror, my palms grew sweaty as they gripped tightly around the rim of the sink and my vision turned blurry.

The disorientating feeling grew as the sounds of screaming and crying echoed in my ears yet again. I closed my eyes in an attempt to block it out but instead I see an image. Its faint and hardly visible but it was the field at the high school. I open my eyes and feel a wave or dizziness hit me hard, I stumble and feel strong arms wrap their way around my waist and catch my inevitable fall. Theo. Looking down at me in such shock and worry. I smile up at him reassuringly and the wave passes and I return to normal.

I sit back down for a few moments to gather my thoughts, Theo is stroking my hair comforting me as i think. He kisses my forehead and plays with the string of my joggers. He breaks the surprisingly peaceful silence.
"Cass I need to talk to you..."
"Mhm?" I replied not really paying as much attention as i should.
"I think we should be together, I like you and I'd like to keep protecting you"

I was listening now and was shocked by this proposal but had been waiting for Theo to make a move for a while now. I cleared my throat before responding.
"I'd like that" i say softly

Theo just nodded and kissed my forehead. He didnt know that I was so happy inside, I had butterflies. Moments later i stood up abruptly and announced to Theo
"I think we should go to the field at the school"
"But it's our time off, why?"
"I just... I just know okay? Trust me I have a feeling we need to be there"
"Alright give me a moment"

Theo made a fuss of putting his jacket on and moping until we stood by the door. It made me giggle and distract from the smell downstairs which telling by his face, Theo noticed too. We saw my mom shuffling around with a microwaveable meal and throwing away empty bottles of beer before grabbing a fresh one from the refrigerator and bringing it to her lips, downing half of it in a single gulp. I roll my eyes and let Theo walk outside first so that I could slam the door heavily on my way out.
She angered me like no one else could.

As we began to walk I heard them again, at first subtly whispering things.
"Do you hear that?" I asked Theo
"Hear what?" He replied
"Whispering?"I asked
"No? Is everything okay?" His tone raising in concern
"Yep I'm fine" I replied making sure I raised my pitch cheerfully in order to reassure him.

As we got closer to the school they got louder, I heard someone familiar screaming but I couldnt figure out who. Then it started saying things. "She will die, she doesnt have long"
It got louder and louder until it became unbearable and I collapsed to the ground, I threw my hands to my ears covering them.
"make it stop, please make it stop"

Tears began to fill my eyes but I wiped them away and ran towards the school. We ran through the gates, through the doors and changing rooms before entering the field where scott and stiles were playing Lacrosse against liam and Hayden. Kira and Malia sat cheering on their boys in the stands. Lydia had been at Eichen house for days by now.

My breathing slowed as I realised nothing seemed wrong. Scott and Stiles came to sit down and rest, liam following closely behind them backs facing the grounds. Hayden stayed on the pitch to stretch. Theo tapped my shoulder and told me he was going to talk to the group. I nodded and stayed waiting by the sides of the stands by myself to think.

Minutes later I raise my head to see a figure walking onto the field. It had a large coat on, large boots and a mask, and eye holes to see out of yet ones that no one could see in to. It walked slowly onto the field, heading towards Hayden. It got closer and closer and no one had noticed yet. As it neared her I shouted.
"HAYDEN RUN!"
she turned around startled, the group immediately stopped talking and turned to see the commotion. Hayden made an effort to move but it was far too late.

A large metal blade had made it's way through her torso. She screamed in pain and it echoed in my head, and it was a familiar scream, one that I heard in the bathroom that morning. There was still another scream that I hadn't heard yet.

Hayden collapsed to the ground. Almost at the same time, everyone ran over to her side. Liam arriving first and picking up her body to rest on his lap. He began to cry, tears streaking down his face now in a panic.
"Someone do something, now!" He looked frantically at everyone crowded around them, pleading with his eyes for someone to do something. Scott knelt beside Hayden and grabbed her wrist in order to take some of her pain, giving her more time but not really doing much. She was conscious, eyes darting round at everyones faces almost as if taking them in for the last time, then she looked at me, smiling at me. I knelt beside her where scott just was and grasped her hand tightly, finally allowing the emotions to fall from my eyes.

"I'm sorry I'm so sorry, I couldnt protect you" I mutter between sobs
She smiles as if telling me it's okay. She turns her head slightly towards Liam and she says.
"Liam... I l-love you okay? Stay.... safe and protect th-the others for m-me"
He nods and she smiles as her breathing turns from rapid half breaths to still nothingness. Her chest didnt rise again.

At this liam turned into a wreck of sobs as the realisation that his love died in his arms set in. Everyone else present began to turn to sobs including me as I buried my face into the crook of Theos neck as I cried. He stroked my back to calm me. Finally I heard it. The scream, but it wasnt in my head this time. Everyone heard it. It was Liam. He shrieked so loudly in emotional pain as he shook Haydens lifeless body, his hand still placed on her stomach to stop the bleeding. His hand was bloodied just like her shirt.

After a while of grieving, scott pulled Liam away from her body and called the sheriff to take her away and examine the crime scene. Then it hit me, not only did I know that someone was going to die, but I also knew where. The more horrifying part is that through the grief no one has actually stopped to wonder, what that thing was that killed her and why it went for her. Theo slept over again to protect me that night and I discussed this subject with him. He seemed suspicious, like he knew something but didnt want to mention it. His answers were blunt and hinted that he was clueless but I didnt trust that.

We settled, Theo being the big spoon he did so quickly, me on the other hand found it tough and didnt sleep until the early hours of the morning, there was one thought in my mind, were any of us safe?