Cassandra's Fate

Chapter 2

Cassie looks around in the dark, her striking green eyes giving way to large black pupils as she tries to decipher the odd atmosphere around her...

Strange rustling noises in the distance startle her and drive her to take flight through the pitch black...

She can't see where she's going, she's just functioning on shear panic...

The noises are closing in on her, the distinct sound of animal foot steps and beastly growling...

The monster is gaining on her...closing the distance between them...

Cassie let's out a blood curdling scream as she feels searing pain rip into her back...

The force behind her throws her to the ground, pushing her breath out of her lungs....

Cassie's mind goes blank as the pain slicing through her back overtakes her completely...

Cassie bolted straight up in her bed. She frantically looked around, searching for the danger that she had felt around her.

Her breath returned to her in rushing gasps as she realized that she is safe in her own bed, in her own room, in her own apartment.

River whined desperately at the foot of Cassie's bed, clearly distressed over his person's irratic behavior in her sleep.

"Its okay, Baby Boy." Cassie reassured her dog while patting her thigh to encourage him to come closer to her.

River didn't hesitate to drop his wide body into her lap.

Cassie cuddled his soft fluffy neck tightly, feeling very comforted by his presence.

"Maybe Ben is right," she said while releasing River's neck as she placed her bare feet on the cold hardwood floor of her bedroom. "I probably shouldn't watch scary movies right before bed."

Cassie tried to shake off her latest nightmare. She had been having the most restless sleep of her life for the past several days but had just chalked it up to anxiety before her impending birthday.

As an only child, Cassie's parents had always gone above and beyond to celebrate her on her special day but ever since she lost her father, Cassie's whole world had changed. She felt like she didn't have near as much to celebrate anymore and her birthday was only serving as a reminder of how much she missed him.

Cassie padded into her bathroom, ready to shower off the sweat that had accumulated on her body during her nightmare. River followed as usual.

"No, Creeper, you stay out there. You don't need to be in here while I shower."

River sullenly laid in the floor outside of the bathroom while Cassie shut herself inside and attempted to shake off her nerves and get ready for the day.

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"I don't know, guys, these aren't like normal nightmares. They feel so....real." Cassie tried to explain to Holly and Addison over lunch the next week.

"Its like..." she paused trying to find the words.

"Its like I'm actually in danger, like something is really after me, almost like...stalking me." she continued while nervously fiddling with the delicate gold necklace around her neck.

"That's super creepy, Cass" Addison said, while sneering over the top of her iced lemon water.

"No, its not like tha... I mean, yes, its weird and creepy, but also...like...exciting? Maybe?" She stated sheepishly, suddenly feeling embarrassed by her revelation.

"Ugh, maybe I am just a freak " she sighed dramatically.

"You're not a freak" Holly reassured her. "You're body is changing, its natural"

Addison curled her nose up at Holly like she was an ignorant child.

"Changing? Really? Like she's finally hitting p*berty? C'mon, Holly, Cassie will be 21 in a few days. Of course she's gotten her p*riod." Addison laughed at the rediculous notion.

Cassie looked down at the club sandwhich on her plate, her cheeks flushed red with humiliation.

Holly lightly stroked Cassie's arm in reassuring comfort.

"Wait, are you serious?" Addison asked in utter disbelief. "Cassandra, this is serious. You could have a real medical issue going on. Have you talked to a doctor?"

Cassie shook her head no and without looking up she murmured, "My mother said this is normal for the women in my family."

Cassie swallowed hard, fighting back the fear that, in spite of what her mother had told her, Addison may be right and there might be something seriously wrong with her body.

"She said its common for us to 'completely come into the fulness of our natures and our bodies' when we reached adulthood, which, according to her, would be when I turned 21." Cassie explained further.

"Well, no wonder you are full of anxiety about next week. That's a lot of pressure to put on one measly birthday." Addison chided back.

"I'm sorry, Cass, but sometimes I think your mother is a quack" She added before she forked a bite of her light lunch into her mouth.

Cassie was grateful for the moment of silence that was afforded to her as Addison chewed on her salad, although, she admitted to herself that she didn't totally disagree with her friend's blunt statement.

"It really is ok, Cassie" Holly chimed in with her sweet soothing voice. "Women mature differently and I think you should consider yourself privileged, not disabled."

Cassie placed her hand over the top of Holly's and squeezed lightly. She was grateful for her roommate's supportive and understanding nature.

"How would you know? Are you a late bloomer, too?" Addison teased Holly.

"Something like that." Holly retorted.

"I think you need to go get checked out, Cassie" Addison pushed. "Obviously your hormones are out of whack."

"I'll keep that in mind" Cassie responded then quickly changed the subject...

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"Do you think I'm weird?" Cassie asked Ben as she flitted around her room trying to get ready for her birthday dinner a few days later.

Ben was stretched out on her bed with his hands crossed behind his head, enjoying the sight of his girlfriend trying fruitlessly to find a suitable outfit to wear to her birthday dinner that night. She had just thrown dress number three onto the floor and was running around in her black lacey br* and matching p*nties searching for an alternative garment.

"Of course I do" He smiled at her.

Cassie stopped in her tracks to study his handsome face, trying to decipher how serious he was.

"But that's part of your charm" he added, sitting upright in her bed with a sly smile.

Ben reached out and grabbed her barely covered hips to pull her towards himself. River growled at Ben from the corner of the room.

"I think you should just go like this" he grinned at her and slid his gaze down her mostly unclothed body.

"I'm serious, Ben." she chided while

playfully swatting his chest. "Addison thinks I'm weird and I think she might be right"

"Well I think Addison is a vapid, soul s*cking vampire" Ben replied, wrapping his arms around Cassie's waist and pulling her in for a kiss.

She didn't push him away.

Cassie returned Ben's kiss, her intensity slowly increasing. Ben ran his hands up her mostly b*re back and back down again, his fingertips running over her lacey black p*nties.

Goosebumbs broke out all over her cr*amy fair skin.

To Ben's complete surprise, Cassie pushed him back onto her bed and slowly crawled on top of him. Her mouth found his again and, for a moment he thought she was going to steal his breath right out of his lungs.

Ben pulled away from her kiss and looked into her eyes. He was taken aback by how large her pupils had grown, barely any of the striking green of her iris was showing. Ben's look of surprise caused Cassie to sit up while still straddling his lap.

"What's the matter?" she asked in a voice Ben almost didn't recognize as her own.

"N-nothing..." he stammered while she pushed her small hands into his chest. "You just seem a little different, that's all"

Cassie leaned in close to Ben, her lips barely brushing his. "I'm just hungry..." she said before placing her mouth onto Ben's, her kiss becoming more forcefull and aggressive by the second.

"OWE!" Ben yelped, pulling away from her.

He reached up and touched his bottom lip. He felt something warm and wet. When he examined his finger tips he realized he was bl*eding from her bite.

"I guess so..." he responded under low worried eyebrows.