Cremated Chains.

Chapter Eleven: A Better Person.

I love your fire, but we wouldn't want you to get burnt.

Clearly, the lesson hasn't been learnt.

The sheet of paper had been crumbled and tossed into her locker, its wrinkled state showcasing his anger towards her defiance while also emphasizing the impending doom. Normally she would have been scared by the subtle threat, but Cassidy now knew the pattern of his game.

A note from him, while sardonic, would usually be planted to weaken her mentally. Unfortunately for them, Cassidy refused to fall into turmoil due to a simple threat.

The fire incident was her weakest yet strongest point during the k********g. While the predicament cost her mental, physical and emotional scars, it also strengthened her resolve. She presumed that the worst was over and there wasn't much to fear, and that was enough for Cassidy to continue facing her kidnapper.

Not many were aware of the incident, most people being oblivious to the horizontal scar on her abdomen and burn marks covered by sleeves. Only a handful of people were informed of what had transpired that day, yet only two of them were in St Briston.

Regardless of how many times she explained the situation not many understood why she chose to rebel against him, all except Alexandra, who knew her younger sister was too stubborn to bow down to their father's murderer.

"Cass."

Valerie's voice made the skater toss the note into her locker and replace it with a notebook, pretending like she hadn't just spent a minute staring at a crumpled sheet of paper. While the blonde was sceptical of what the note said, she simply led the brunette skater away from their lockers, pretending not to notice Cassidy's contemplative frown as she spoke.

"So, I was thinking we could hang out for the weekend, you know, something small at my house this Saturday."

The suggestion was paired with raised eyebrows and a playful smirk as they reached the rest of the group, awaiting everyone else's replies.

"We're in."

Cameron and Timothy leaned against their lockers as they played some video game on their phone, none bothering to look up as they twiddled their thumbs but replied positively nonetheless.

Raina and Cassidy seemed more hesitant about the preposition, each of them dwelling on different drawbacks.

While the Arab artist mulled over whether or not her parents would allow her to be there in the presence of males, Cassidy hesitated for a different reason. Edith and Alexandra had been persistently pleading for her to get out of the house more often and would love the idea of an afternoon with friends, but it was someone else's approval that made her halter.

It was ignoramus of her to think that he wouldn't catch up to her in a new city, but it was also foolish to let him run her life yet again. The Carlones moved to a new city for a change of pace and a bit of freedom, not to be thrown into the same situation.

Her new start wasn't what she expected it to be, but Cassidy refused to let his ruckus dwindle her prowess. She had made new friends, established a good position at school, and even skated in public again.

Cassidy had become better than she was throughout the past year, and she refused to let that all be for nothing simply because of his return. The brunette's head snapped towards Valerie and Raina as she smiled and muttered out a response.

"I can come."

The answer elicited a grin from the two of them as the blonde Hawaiian's gaze flicked to Raina, attempting to force her out of the protective shell she hid under.

"Look, Raina, I know some terrible things have happened to you, but you were gone all summer and it's been a week yet we haven't hung out even once."

"After-school doesn't count."

Cassidy was quick to add to Valerie's statement and diminish Raina's retort, causing the Arab to send them a playful glare.

"It'll be good for you, time with friends to just forget about everything."

This time it was Cameron who egged her on as he finished his game, expectantly waiting on Raina's response.

"When does it start?"

Valerie squealed as Cassidy simply smiled, aware that the Hijabi artist probably gave in due to peer pressure.

Regardless of her reasons, the group seemed to be content as Cameron abutted from his locker and hooked his arm around the two blondes, leading them down the hallway as they casually talked. That left the brunette girls walking alongside Valerie as they too discussed the weekend's plans.

"Where does Val live?"

Raina paused for a moment, thinking about her reply.

"You live in compound sixteen, right?"

The question wasn't what Cassidy expected, but she nodded nonetheless.

"Well, the Hensons live far from there, but my house is close to school. I could send you my address and we could go together."

Cassidy appreciated the artist's suggestion and nodded in thanks, fetching out her phone to swap it with Raina's. They quickly added their numbers and socials as the group reached the school's reception.

By the time they were done swapping contacts Cameron's driver had arrived, thus the curly-haired boy bid them goodbye with a promise to see them the next day.

For a moment the four of them seemed to be a little awkward as the brunettes and blondes stuck with themselves, and it wasn't until Valerie and Raina talked to each other that Cassidy finally turned towards Timothy, giving him a tight smile.

She didn't notice it at first, but his sky blue eyes looked very familiar, however, Cassidy couldn't remember from where. At first, she contemplated questioning if she knew him from somewhere, but the skater ended up deciding against it. Instead, she tried to talk about something they had in common.

"So, do you and Valerie have practice today?"

Cassidy pretended not to notice Valerie's side glance as she awaited his reply.

"She doesn't, but the coach thought the team needs more time on the field."

The brunette skater didn't really know how to respond to that. Cassidy occasionally played netball and was on the team with Raina and Valerie (granted she wasn't as good as either of them), but she didn't really know much about football.

Thankfully, the blonde boy's brother happened to arrive just as she attempted to reply. They bid each other goodbye as Cassidy turned back towards her two friends, joining in on their conversation just as the trio headed out to the parking lot.

They continued talking about the timing and details of Valerie's plans until Alexandra made her appearance. Pop music lightly echoed through the parking lot as the Cadillac stopped in front of them, one of the windows rolling down to showcase Alex's smiling face.

"Bye Cass!"

The goodbye rang over the parking lot as Cassidy entered her sister's car, plush cream seats pressing into her back as she took her place in the passenger seat of the Cadillac.

A sigh escaped her lips as the skater contemplated her plans for the day, subconsciously placing her belongings in their respective places. While her bag was haphazardly strewn across the back seat, her lunch bag and bottle were placed at the front with her to ensure no leaks.

Alexandra had been gifted the car from their father almost two years ago, but she insisted on having it in pristine condition, shrieking at a single stain.

Cassidy supposed after their father's murder the car took up a greater space of Alex's heart than before, marking itself as the last gift she received from their father. It was unfortunate how Antonin passed away a few weeks before her birthday, but that wasn't the only reason why Alex insisted on keeping her car squeaky clean.

After his death, their family suffered a loss financially as well, his position as a neurologist being the main reason behind their luxury. That meant the chestnut-eyed dancer could only get away with minor dents or scratches. The Carlones still lived the same way with Edith's income as a psychiatrist, but money wasn't thrown around as aimlessly as before.

As they exited the parking lot Cassidy gnawed on her bottom lip and glanced at her sister, a habit she was often reprimanded for.

"I'm attending a party tomorrow, it's at Valerie's house and starts at two. Will that be okay?"

Alexandra seemed to light up at the question, replying excitedly as she switched her gaze between the road and her sister.

"Of course! You've become a hermit with all the time you spend at home. I was contemplating pushing you out of the house when mum left for work."

The sisters giggled at her words, comfortably settling into a conversation about outfits and make-up for the party, their tastes clashing but the conversation flowing smoothly nonetheless.

"What about that pretty red knee-length dress you wore last year on Tanya's birthday? You could pair it with my pumps."

Cassidy looked horrified at the preposition, playfully glaring at her sister's mention of pumps.

"I am not wearing those monstrosities you call shoes."

The brunette dancer pouted at Cassidy's reply, briefly glancing at the teen from her peripheral vision while speaking.

"They're pretty and will positively make you stand out."

"While also positively giving me blisters on my heels. No thank you."

Alexandra's light brown strands flew over her shoulder as her brown eyes met Cassidy's deep blue, giggling at her overdramatic reply before turning back to the road, a response already formed.

"Fine, but I'm doing your hair-" she paused and swerved the car towards the right, putting it into parking before raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"Now get out, your shrink awaits!"

The Carlone house was coincidentally smack in the centre of the community, which allowed Alexandra to rotate from their house, Cassidy's school, her college, Dr Williams' clinic, and the hospital Mrs Carlone worked at with ease. Forming a circle of sorts as she bounced between each location.

That ensured Cassidy didn't have a lot of time to stall, much less come up with a greeting to make things better with her therapist.

She couldn't help but feel terrified of facing Lucinda as Cassidy recalled the last session, flinching as she remembered her impudent words. It was wrong of her to say such things, but the brunette skater couldn't do much except bid Alexandra goodbye and exit the Cadillac with a heavy heart.

Much like the previous time, the colourful posters strewn across doctor Williams' office were visible as Cassidy began her walk towards the older woman, her gait slightly off as she nervously contemplated Lucinda's words.

"Cassidy Carlone."

Her voice was clear and stern as she looked down at the receptionist, receiving a nod and a gesture towards the oak door with a rectangle window.

Lucinda surprisingly didn't react as Cassidy knocked on her door and walked in, taking a seat on the same armchair as before. This time the teen paused as she mulled over her words, deciding to start with an apology.

"I'm sorry doctor Williams, my father is a sensitive topic for me and I got defensive."

The redhead seemed to be taking it quite well as she simply leaned back in her seat and stared at Cassidy with a smile, one that showcased no hint of anger or malice.

"It's alright. After all, who could understand that better than me?"

Cassidy grinned at the reply, sighing in relief as she too leaned back in her seat. Satisfied with her reaction Lucinda straightened up and looked through Cassidy's files, briefly writing a few things before turning back towards the teenager.

"So, your mother told me about the fire memory-dream, I want to discuss something related to that, Cassidy."

"Sure."

Cassidy lounged in her chair and gazed around the room as Lucinda went about taking out her checkboard, files and other necessities for the session, only turning back towards her when the older woman began speaking.

"I would like to know what triggered this dream. Usually, it's something that reminds you of the incident, and you've steered clear from fire ever since your return."

Tell her. Tell her how he's returned.

She chose to ignore the voice and reply with a lie, one that she clearly hadn't thought through.

"A friend of mine posted about a night with her family at a bonfire, the video she sent me triggered the dream since I watched it before going to bed."

A sceptical look was sent her way as Lucinda wrote something down on her notepad, glancing up with a sigh.

"Cassidy, you know I can't help you if you lie."

Change it up, science experiment with fire. It's a half-truth.

"My friends and I stayed back after school yesterday to work on a science project-" she looked up to make sure Lucinda was listening while also playing the role of hesitance.

"-Cameron thought it was a good idea to show me the fire experiment they conducted for last year's science fair, the one where you apply some liquid on your palms and another person lights them up. You're not supposed to burn, but he got a little burnt near his wrist and that reminded me of the incident."

The tale itself was true, Cameron had gotten a burn from the experiment, but it hadn't triggered her dream, the note had. However, Lucinda didn't have to know that yet.

Cassidy knew for a fact her kidnapper would be keeping watch on her therapy sessions, and would go to any limit to ensure she didn't snitch, so she had to play her cards at the right moment.

Until then, the notes would be solely her burden.

Lucinda smiled as she bought the white lie, pouring each of them a cup of ginger tea and continuing with her questions, this time with a bit of hesitance.

"I know it's a very sensitive topic for you, but I would like to discuss any nightmares related to your father's death."

Cassidy knew she would have to discuss the topic, but had refrained from doing so even though it had been nearly a month since her return. It was weird to have Lucinda bring up her father after their last session, but Cassidy knew the time to dwindle was over, and she would have to talk about it at some point.

"In return, I shall tell you about my daughter, kind of like trading war stories."

The brunette nodded in acknowledgement, taking a sip of her tea before she let her tongue run free.

"I have this recurring nightmare, one that I should've discussed a while back."

She paused, letting out a puff of air.

"When I was in captivity, I would have a nightmare of my father and Dory standing in front of me, both of them exactly how they looked the second they died. Dad would let Dory drop from his arms and she hissed at me. Then-" another pause, another gust of air released.

"-Then he yelled at me, screaming that I did that to them, that I knew it would happen, that it was my fault. And when I replied saying it wasn't my fault, he would yell louder, telling me I'm the worst child he could ask for."

Her blue eyes met green as Cassidy glanced at Lucinda, the latter smiling as she urged Cassidy to continue with occasional nods or squeezes on her shoulder.

"You know how Dory died, and I'm sorry but I'm not ready to talk about my father's death yet."

Lucinda simply nodded, content with the reply.

"I understand. Do you still get this nightmare?"

She nodded, tucking stray brown strands of hair behind her ear.

"It used to be at least three or four times a week, but after I came back it only happened twice. Ever since school started my mind's diverted to other things."

The first time she had the nightmare after her release was the day they moved, and then the night she read the first note. Regardless of the notes that would show up in her locker, school had admittedly been an amazing distraction from her past and present traumas, allowing Cassidy to forget everything and focus on her friends and education.

"Have you made any friends?"

She smiled as Lucinda finished her question, making Cassidy think of Valerie's rapid topic changers, Cameron's corny and jokes, Raina's cute doodles and Timothy's constant talks to sports. They all unknowingly made her stay at St Briston better than it would have been alone.

"Well, they're a handful, but they're great. I'm meeting them tomorrow."

Lucinda nodded at the reply, stating how that was a great improvement.

The therapy session continued as they traded stories of their past and present, evading topics Cassidy wasn't ready to talk about yet. In the end, Cassidy left the room in a better mood than the one she had arrived with.

It was weird to think about it, but she was finally beginning to accept her past.