Tainted

Chapter 2

Chapter 2
Cassie's P.O.V.

As school opened back up from Memorial Day weekend, my aunt said that it was fine to stay at home this week. She called the school to let them know of my absence. Living in a small town though, everybody would know by now of what  happened last night. News spreads like wildfire in this town. Groggily, I staggered out of my bed and inched back the curtains. The rain had finally gone away, and it was 7 in the morning. Nice and sunny. I grimaced and tugged the curtains back together.

I left them cracked ever so slightly, so the light wouldn't overwhelm me and would barely fill the room. I remembered that I was in halfway dried clothes. Walking over to my dresser I pulled out a comfortable pair of pajamas and climbed back into my bed. Soon after, I was pulled back into a familiar darkness.

When I awoke again, the sun was setting, bringing in small shades of pink and orange into my room. I glance at my bedside clock, 5:38 pm. I got back out of bed and went into the bathroom to brush my teeth. After that, I set my mind to grab something to eat from the kitchen.

My aunt left a note on the fridge, "I'll be back soon. Grabbing dinner from Izzali's." A little Italian cafe a few blocks away from my dads house. I continued to read the note, "Call me if you need anything while i am out. I am picking your Dad up on the way back home as well." I shuffled over to the kitchen cabinets to grab three mugs for hot tea. I took out the teapot, filled it with water. Filling it with enough for three, I sat it on the stove top to heat up.

I went back upstairs and sat down on my bed and put my AirPods on their charger on the window sill. As I waited for the water to boil, I scrolled through my recent photos on my phone. Just as I was starting to go through my Facebook page, I heard the Steam blowing from the teapot. Sighing, I sat my phone down on the bed and got up to go back downstairs. When I reach my doorway, I heard a small thunk come from down stairs. Quietly opening my door to peek into the hallway, I heard another quiet thunk.

I crept quietly over to the top of the stairs.

I wasn't going to be stupid and yell down, 'Hello? Is anybody there?,' Like they do in movies. I slowly went down each step. The quiet thunks continued. As I cautiously made my way to the kitchen, I held my hand against the wall for support. The thunking stopped. Looking around, I saw nothing. Everything was the way I left it. Except, for the tea box in the floor. I know I didn't get that out.

"Casey? Casey! Jeez, why haven't you called me back? I've called at least four times." I spun around quickly to see my now dead boyfriend looking back at me, confused. I remained froze. No, that can't be. It's just my imagination.

Cameron can't be alive, he died in the crash. He died with Lizzie, and with Jake. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. 'You're still tired. You're just imagining him here. He's always here.' I thought to myself. "Casey. Hello." My eyes shot back open. He was staring right into my eyes. Inches away from me. "No, it-it can't be. Your dead. You aren't really here Cameron. There's no way," I whisper, drifting off from my sentence.

"What? Casey, no, I'm alive, see?" He kicks his foot out to the box of tea bags that were lying on the floor. But, it didn't move. His foot went right through it. "I-I knew it. I knew you couldn't actually be here. I'm just imagining you. That's it. I just need more sleep." I whisper. Slowly backing into the kitchen. "What? No, I-I can't be dead. We were just at the party last night." He says to me, as I kept backing away from him. "I called you when we left to see if you were still up,"

"Casey?"

He says my name with a concerned tone of voice. He walks towards me and placed his hand on my cheek.

It was ice cold and tingled. Surely enough, it didn't stay there, within seconds it went through me. "What happened Casey? Please tell me. I don't know what's happening. I'm starting to freak out." I take another panicked look at him and run through him, up to my room. I hurried into my bed, under the covers, and hoped he would go away. That I would stop it. "Casey!! Wait!!"

It was silent for a few seconds.

"Please,"

I lifted up my head from under my covers. Cameron stood by my door. I freaked out and cursed. I ran past him back down the stairs and grabbed my keys off the counter. As soon as I was outside, I jumped into my car and drove to the cliffs. When I was safely at the bottom of the cliffs, I walked over to the rock that still had pieces of metal around it and cried.

"Casey?"

No, not again. I kept my head down. I knew who it was and I couldn't bear to see her again, even if she is dead. First Cameron. Now Lizzie. I ignored her cold touch and kept crying. "Casey, I know that I'm dead. Please talk to me, even if you can't hear me." I lifted my head. I sniffled and looked up at the dimming sky.

"Liz, I can hear you. I-I don't know why, but I can. I can hear you and see you, and its terrifying. You're dead and I had no one to talk to last night after I found out. But now your here, and-and I just don't know anymore. I just saw Cameron in my house and he scared the shit out of me. He didn't know he died until he tried to kick a the tea box he knocked over. Then he tried to touch me, to comfort me. I- I freaked. I drove down here. And now here you are. I don't know if I'm just losing my mind or if this is all real."

I look up at Liz who has a look of understanding on her face.

"Casey?! Casey! What are you doing down there!! Stay right there!! I'll come get you!!" I looked up at the edge of the cliff and saw my aunt and dad starring down at me. Then my dad disappeared from the edge of the cliff. I turned to Lizzie.

"I don't care if you are real right now or not, but please come home with me. I don't know what to do. I'm lost and confused and scared." She gave me a sincere look. "Of course I will."

"Thank you," I whisper to her.

"Casey? Who are you talking to?" My dad asked as he walked up behind me. I jumped from the power of his voice. "Just Lizzie." He pulled me close to him in a giant hug. "Sweetie, you know Lizzie is gone." I looked up at him. "I know." As I said that, I looked up to the spot where Liz was still standing. I smiled small at her and walked towards the car when dad pulled me by the elbow. "Come on, let's get you home." Just then I remembered the encounter with Cameron.

I froze up and stayed still. What was I going to do about him? Dad picked me up seeing that I wouldn't go any further. He put me inside the car and sat beside me in the back seat with my aunt driving upfront. When we got back in the house, I didn't find Cameron lurking about. I went into the bathroom and took a hot steaming shower.

When I was done and fully dressed I went into my room. "Lizzie? Are you here?" I whispered as I crept into my bedroom. "Casey? I'm in your closet." I jumped when I heard Lizzie's voice come from behind me. I opened up the closet door and there she was, looking at my clothes. "I remember when you wore this shirt on our first day of high school." She said picking up the hideous pink tie-dye shirt I wore Freshman year.

I started to tear up. I sat down on the bed and frowned. She walked towards me and sat on the bed next to me. "Didn't I tell you to throw that hideous thing away last year?" I laughed at the thought of Junior year when she was staying the night going through my closet.

I suddenly became curious. "What happened yesterday? I mean, you told me you were headed back here from the party yesterday with Cameron and Jake." I looked at her ghostly eyes. "Well, I don't remember a lot. All I remember is Jake yelling something, swerving, and crashing through the guard rail. But that's about it."

She looked over to my desk where I kept our pictures and notes from each school year. She sighed and looked back at me. "You should rest, you've had a rough day. I'll stay right beside you, I promise."