Chasing Casey

Chapter Twenty One

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Dedication: Vaepour for the amazing cover! Thank you!

Recap:

"But then..." she whispered, her face pale. "I heard a creak. I woke up and there was someone standing over me..." Her voice broke as more tears fell down her face. "Sadie..."

I cocked my head to the side, my heart beginning to race.

"They had a pillow. They were trying to suffocate me."

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Marissa was completely traumatised. She didn't attend school for a week, she stopped eating, she couldn't sleep and it was my fault.

I should have known better than to get close to someone and let them into my messed up life. I should have known it would be dangerous.

Confusion.

Marissa was scared, I was confused. Someone is in my house of a night - watching me. Whether they're protecting me or wanting to get me, I'm not sure. But the facts are there, it's not just in my mind anymore.

It could be Casey...

I now sleep with my light on. It's extremely irritating, but it's the only way I feel safe.

It's scary, thinking that someone is there. It's even scarier that I know it isn't just paranoia. It's true. And the truth is terrifying.

At first, Marissa didn't want to hang out with me. She didn't want to talk, she didn't even want to be near me. But a few weeks have gone by and she's becoming more and more like her old self.

I think she's realising it wasn't really my fault. I wasn't one holding the pillow over her head. It's just a part of the baggage, that plagues my life.

"How are things with Marissa?" Isaac asked as he had a sip of his coffee.

I heaved a sigh. "Better. It's going to take a while to move past this."

"She's sure she wasn't just dreaming?" he asked, furrowing his brows. His eyes had dark circles underneath them, much like my own. "She sounds like she was quite sleep deprived."

I shrugged. "I don't think she was sleeping. Someone attacked me in my own bedroom - I still have the marks on my body. There's something going on, I just don't know what."

"You don't think..." he trailed off, hardly daring to say the words, a slightly tortured look on his face.

"Casey?" I finished for him, wrapping my coat tighter around me. "I don't know. It's impossible, you said so yourself."

"Nothing's impossible," he muttered. "I'm beginning to really believe that."

I was silent for a moment, before glancing up at him.

"Me too."

***

"You sure you want to go?"

"Yeah."

"You sure you want me to go?"

"Yeah."

"Because-"

"Sadie," Marissa said softly, reaching over and squeezing my hand. "I've been a terrible friend the past few weeks. I was frightened and took my fear out on you. I know it wasn't you and you didn't have anything to do with it. I'm just scared to close my eyes, and that's not your fault. I'm sorry for making you feel like it was."