You're Mine

Chapter Seventeen: You Choose

I step on the porch trying to avoid the rotten areas from where the weather has had its way with the wood. I put my hand on the doorknob and slowly twist it. The door opens with a loud creeeeaaak disturbing the silence of everything. I hold my breath as I listen for anything, but it seems even nature has gone quiet for this. I take a step inside just as a voice says, "Ah, the main event has finally arrived."

"I'm here!" I yell out which makes my voice echo in the empty hallway. I look and see speakers have been installed that wasn't previously there. So he's been here for a while to be this prepared. I think before the door slams shut behind me.

"Good, it seems you can be brave after all or is it because you want to try and actually protect someone this time?" He asks me. His voice comes through different speakers, so I can't tell where he is.

I grit my teeth as I ask, "Are you going to show yourself, or are you going to hide in the dark again like the real coward?"

He harshly chuckles. "Someone is feisty today. Maybe I should have hurt someone you cared about sooner, so this girl could come out instead of that pathetic one you've been." He coldly tells me.

"Did you just bring me here to insult me?" I yell out. "I thought you were supposed to be this big bad guy, not someone who can't face a girl," I add.

"Oh, my darling Cassandra, don't you know the first thing about a killer? We're psychos!" He gleefully says which is followed by a small laugh.

I slightly move in the hallway, so I can see partly in the living room. It's dimly lit from the afternoon sun shining in. "Psychos, huh? You killing a few people makes you one now?" I ask him as I continue moving.

"Anyone can be a killer if you have the guts for it. But to be a true killer, a true psychopath, you have to know your prey. You have to know what makes them, and what they care about," He tells me.

"Sounds like you're just a stalker then," I reply as I enter the living room. I stay close to the wall.

"Do you know what else you have to know?" He asks me. You can tell he's smiling from how excited his voice is getting.

"What else do you have to know?" I ask him as I hear the floorboard creak in the next room.

"You have to know what breaks them." He tells me before the speakers blast out Ash and Kara screaming in pain.

My eyes widen in shock as I look at the speaker in horror. No, no, no! They were at her house. They were safe! My mind is racing with questions as I hear them scream again. "Let them go! They have no part in this!" I command despite my voice faltering.

"No," He laughs out. "They have quite the part to play in this. Because you see my dear, you're going to have to choose one. There are eleven rooms in this house and three floors, well, four if you count the attic. I'll give you five minutes to make your decision so tick tock Cassandra," He purrs out.

With that said, I bolt to the next room where I don't see anybody. Okay, five minutes only, so I can clear the bottom floor and the next one. I think as I run back to the hallway. I know the living room and sitting area are both clear so that leaves four rooms left. I dash to the dining room and where I only find dust covering broken furniture. I quickly move on to the kitchen where I come upon the same thing. "Ugh!" I groan out as I move on to the bathroom. The door is locked. "Guys can either of you hear me!" I shout out to them.

"Cassie?" I hear Kara croak out over the speakers, but I heard nothing behind the bathroom door. I move on from it. "Do you see anything that can help me find you?" I say as I run to the playroom.

"No, everything is dark here. I think they have me blindfolded," She tells me. "I can't move either," She adds as her voice cracks.

"Cas, I'm in the same predicament. I can't see anything, and I hear all our voices echoing," Ash hoarsely tells me.

"I'm going to find you guys okay!" I call out as I head to the stairs. The dust stirs up as I run my hand on the frail railing. They both look like they're going to cave. "Can either of you hear me now?" I call out.

"No," They tell me in unison which makes me groan in frustration as the speakers echo it.

I burst open the first door on my right. I look around the room and check the closet. Where are they? I need to find them. I think as I race to the next room only to find the same results.

"You're coming up on three minutes, Cassandra. Perhaps you need more motivation?" The killer questions me. "So I'm going to up the stakes, you have two minutes to choose out of three people now, one of them and now your brother. However, you have to choose which one dies now," He tells me.

"None of them! I'm not going to choose between three people that I care about!" I cry out. "I'll choose myself before I ever put them on the chopping block!" I yell as I enter the next room that also comes up empty.

"If you don't choose one, I'll either kill two, or I'll kill all three of them. It's all the same to me. You'll be the one going to your grave with the guilt of knowing that you could have saved them. So what's it going to be my dear?" He asks me.