Deception

eight*

// sometimes, only one person that's missing, and it seems like the whole world is depopulated //

"It's her again."

"I can't believe she even dares step out of her house."

"Can someone just get her into an asylum already? She's clearly insane!"

I can feel their eyes on me, judging me as the noise gets progressively louder. They don't even bother to whisper their words like a secret anymore.

"I'm not crazy!" I shout out to no one in particular. The voices stop and I feel their gazes leave me but suddenly I trip over something. I try to push myself off the ground but a pain shoots up from my ankle. I look up and find unfamiliar eyes looking down on me.

"I'm glad I left you!"

"I'm so happy Georgia finally agreed to leave you!" There are suddenly more people surrounding me, their gazes piercing into me. I look at all the different faces and let out a breath of relief when I recognize two people.

"Georgia! Jake! Save me." I say as I reach towards them, my hands stretching in order to grab them but they're too far. I wait for them to come closer but they don't move a single muscle. Their bodies are unmoving, their mouths not making sounds.

"Jake-" I get cut off when I feel an agonizing pain on my lower back, then on my arm, my abdominal, my thighs, everything hurts. Suddenly it hits me, it hurts because they're kicking me.

"Shut up!"

"Yeah, even your voice is annoying."

The kicks continue and I cannot do anything to stop them, I curl up into a ball as I start to taste blood when I receive a blow to my face. I hug my knees closer to my chest as they laugh.

"Please be a dream. Please be a dream....." I start to chant but nothing changes. The kicking comes to a stop after a while until a pair of arms pick me up as more laughter comes alive around me. I can feel the ache in my muscles where I know bruises must have formed.

"You're nothing to us. You were only a toy for us to kill time, did you think we actually cared? Did you actually think that 'promise' meant something, Cassidy?" I whimper as tears begin to fall.

"Aww, is little Cassidy crying?" I feel someone's palm against my cheek and on instinct, I flinch away.

"Cassidy?"

"Cassidy!" They begin to chant mockingly and the grip on my shoulders gets tighter. It's starting to hurt and I can feel the tears streaming down my face like an endless waterfall.

"Cassidy?"

"Cassidy!"

"Cassidy, wake up!" I jump awake and immediately start backing away from whoever that was holding me. I open my eyes but my vision is foggy from the tears. I don't realize my shaking body until I feel arms embrace me tightly.

"Shhhh. It's okay. It's just a dream, everything's okay now." The person slowly rocks me back in forth and I struggle to breathe with the lump in my throat. I can hear my heart beating rapidly as I pant breathlessly. I close my eyes and I'm not sure how long I stay in that position as I slowly slip into unconsciousness.

I assume it's hours later when I flutter my eyes open to find myself in my room alone, with a note on my bedside table.

Your dad and I have gone to a meeting in New York, we'll be back soon. Kristiana went out to get some groceries but she should be back when you are awake. Take care and I'll miss you.