tachycardia
Title: tachycardia
Author: twilight_rush
Fandom: Hey Monday; VersaEmerge; All Time Low
Summary: Sierra could've castrated him
Pairing: Cassadee Pope/Rian Dawson; Sierra Kusterbeck/Cassadee Pope
Rated: R
Warning: Blood and violence and femslash
Disclaimer: I am the great pretender. If you’re the above people run far away.
Note: Hey ♥ I kind like this.
I
Puke worthy, vomit inducement, mouth hole, male filth, jerk face.
That was how Sierra described Rian Dawson to her journal. Which was weird, because what does it matter? He was just another dude. She could ignore him. They would graduate from high school soon and she would never have to see him or his bleached teeth again.
She could. She wished.
II
Maybe she was more upset over Cassadee not wanting her than Rian stealing the girl away from Sierra. Though the latter hurt worse.
Sierra and Rian used to be okay buds. He was the one who introduced her to some guys who wanted to start a band, which Sierra was quickly made lead singer of.
Rian soon became a close friend, always helping Sierra out. She was his sister and he her bro. But then Sierra screwed up. She forgot her philosophy of trust no one and told him about Cassadee.
Cassadee was a little girlier than Sierra, but still tough. Sierra met her, fell for her, in the 9th grade. Up until then Sierra didn’t have girls as friends because they all annoyed her and made her want to strangle them with their own extensions, weaves, whatever they had in their hair. Girls never bullied Sierra, but they let it know she could drop dead too.
Cassadee was sort of the other half of Sierra. She didn’t make Sierra want to puke unless it was her heart or sanity, which she did often. She always stood up for her. She liked singing just as much as Sierra did. She was cute, and Sierra liked the curves she could feel whenever she hugged her.
Then one day, toward the end of their junior year, Sierra decided she was going to tell Cassadee everything. She was going to tell her she liked her, and then ask her to be her girlfriend. Sierra combed her hair neatly that day and made sure she smelled like flowers and a rock concert.
III
“Sier-ra! Hey, guess what?”
“They kicked Hayley off the cheerleading squad?”
“Ha, no, not yet.”
“What is it?”
“Mmm, I . . . finally got a . . . boyfriend. I have a boyfriend now.”
” R-really? Uh, who?”
“Rian Dawson.”
IV
Sierra could've castrated him. Her hatred for Rian had made her more bitter than she thought, but she wasn’t so surprised. She was always getting things taken from her. But that was one time, that one person, she wanted most. She told herself to stop feeling jealous, to cry about it and write a twisted love song over it. It could’ve been her band’s introduction to fame.
She couldn’t let it go though. Sierra never let things go.
V
Rian hadn’t spoken to Sierra since the summer of his junior year, so it was beyond odd while on his way to class she sang him a hello and kept walking.
Sierra always was crazy in the head strange, so he ignored it.
Then she showed up at his doorstep later that day. The night was the blackest it could be, and she had the hood of her hoodie covering her head. It was almost like how it used to be: Sierra would show up at his house while his parents were out, and they’d goof off in the basement doing random things. But they didn’t do that anymore, so Rian had to ask, “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Can I come in?” she asked. He stepped aside and let her in. “Did I wake you up?”
“Nah, I was just on the computer,” he said. They went into the kitchen where he leaned against the counter and smiled at her.
“You should’ve come earlier. My parents are out but mom would’ve liked to see you. She said she missed you coming here all the time and being her the daughter she always wanted.”
Sierra kept her mouth shut. Rian coughed and pulled at the hem of his t-shirt awkwardly.
“I gotta talk to you about something if you don’t mind,” she spoke slow and unsure and Rian ate it up.
He missed her.
“Yeah, let’s go in the basement.”
The basement was the same as when Sierra was last in it. CDs lay scattered on the floor and the lumpy red couch sat waiting for them. Sierra sat on the arm of it, and Rian on the cushion beside her.
“So what’s up?” he asked.
“I didn’t tell you this before but that was a really shitty thing you did to me.”
“Ah, that’s cool - wait, huh?” Sierra’s hair covered half her face, but the way Rian’s skin was prickling; he knew she was glaring at him.
“You! You knew I liked Cassadee. I told you and you decided to steal her like - what the hell - it was some dumb teen show with two girls fighting over some guy!” she growled. Her fingers gripped her bare knees, digging red welts in the skin.
Rian shook his head and scoffed. “You’re seriously mad? Sierra, look -“
“I trusted you.”
“I’m sorry, okay? I kind of liked -“
“I’m done with people telling me they’re sorry and then not meaning it.”
“What do you want me to do then!?” Rian yelled, voice bouncing off the walls and leaving them in a dreadful silence.
Sierra’s hands became still. Rian only heard his own breathing.
An odd, sticky sound happened when she opened her mouth, like it was full of thick saliva.
“I want to eat your heart.”
And then Rian was on his back with Sierra digging her knees into his sides. Her hands pulled from her hoodie’s pocket a cold, silver blade. Rian’s brain wasn’t able to register fast enough what was going on before Sierra slammed the blade through skin and flesh, between his ribs, and to where his heart was.
Sierra pulled it back up, drops of red liquid splattering on her face, and slugged it back down. Fire-like pain spread through Rian’s chest, his body. He couldn’t breathe.
“I hate you!”
And she brought it up, down.
Again.
Again.
Again.
She carved a hole in his chest. Her hands were gooey and disgustingly bright red. The rancid smell of blood made her gagged.
His heart was sliced and mashed. Sierra didn’t want to eat it anymore. She never did. She didn’t want anything to do with him any longer. Rian wasn’t worthy of being eaten by her.
Rian’s rotten brown eyes stared up at the ceiling. They were slowly turning blank and black. They went well with the red on his clothes.
Sierra sniffled, her soul light and eyes blurry. She wasn’t sure why she would be crying. Relieved? Rejuvenated? Yeah, something like that.
VI
Never get caught, things go well.
Sierra was as clever as she was cool.
Rian’s death was just one of the growing problems for the city. His band didn’t know whether to quit or keep going. His parents became reclusive. The kids at school talked with fright. The news called his death “horrifying.”
The glow inside Sierra grew and consumed her.
VII
Sierra waited a week and approached Cassadee with open arms and a clear heart.
Sierra was okay with not talking to Rian ever again, but it had bummed her out not being around or speaking to Cassadee. She missed the two o’clock AM phonecalls they always did for reasons and none.
Sierra walked toward her in the hall. She looked so different to her. Cassadee’s jeans were tighter, and her hair was longer with two purple strands in it.
“Cass?” Sierra tittered on the back of her heels, being more reserved than normal.
Cassadee may have said her name. Sierra wasn’t sure. She only knew Cassadee stared at her for a long time before pulling her into a hug. Her chest shook against Sierra’s, her fingers dug into her back.
“Oh, God,” Cassadee muttered.
Sierra held her back and breathed for what felt like the first time.
VIII
It was late afternoon and they were walking to Cassadee’s house.
Sierra’s fingers were intertwined with Cassadee’s, sharing warmth and comfort. Sierra thought if she looked inside Cassadee’s head, the meaning of them holding hands was probably different from hers.
She wondered if Cassadee could ever like the way she liked her.
“I haven’t seen you in forever! I called you all the time and you kind of ignored me,” Cassadee laughed, and Sierra wasn’t sure whether to feel more of guilt or anger.
If she wasn’t with Rian, Sierra wouldn’t have had to stay away.
“I’m sorry,” Sierra said, and it was the only thing to say. “Have you been doing okay?”
“No, but I’m mostly all right, I guess.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Because you have to feel that way.”
“But you’re here, so I feel fine.”
IX
Cassadee still had her posters of old Pop stars and disbanded bands on her walls. Her guitar sat gallantly in its corner as always.
They stopped in the middle of her room, Cassadee facing Sierra. They were the same height yet Sierra felt so much bigger, stronger than her.
Cassadee titled her head in a lazy way that made her bangs cover her left eye.
“Something wrong?” Sierra asked.
“It’s just I’m tired. Rian’s dead and . . . why didn’t you talk to me in forever? Did I do something?”
Sierra wanted to say wasn’t it obvious? but all that came out was, “I’m stupid.” And dumb and dense and I love you.
“Ha, yeah,” Cassadee beamed, and Sierra’s mood spiked up like a sugar rush.
Cassadee was prettier than she used to be. Her face was more rounded. Her limbs weren’t awkward joints. When she smiled Sierra had the idea it would be totally perfect, okay, to kiss her. It’d be fine. Cassadee wouldn’t mind. She wouldn’t care.
So Sierra did.
Sierra’s lips were dry and Cassadee had put on too much lipgloss beforehand, but it was smooth and perfect and Cassadee didn’t push Sierra away and call her a crazy lesbo.
Someone sighed behind Sierra. Low and cold breath drifted over her ear. Electricity spiked through her spine and she pulled away from Cassadee.
“What’s wrong?” Cassadee asked, her lips red.
Sierra looked over her shoulder. Nothing but Cassadee’s closet; the door slightly opened.
She faced her again, laughing. “Mmm, sorry. I thought I heard something, but, uh . . . Cass, I -“
Cassadee didn’t get to hear Sierra’s next words, because her closet door slammed opened and Sierra was sucked in, the door closing promptly.
X
The bleak darkness caused Sierra to blink rapidly, trying to make out the shapes in front of her. Clothes brushed her head and she was sitting on various sneakers and boots.
“S-Sierra?” Cassadee called from the other side, pulling on the door.
“Get me out!” Sierra banged on the door, kicked at it, pulled on the knob, and it never budged. Nasty sweat was beginning to form on her forehead. She tried to steady her breathing, to calm down. She kicked the door one more time.
“Why won’t it open?”
Sierra leaned against the door and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt like a little kid again. She wasn’t afraid of the dark, or of small, cramped places, but she could feel the darkness in there. It was scratching her skin and leaving little red marks. It was glaring at her till she squirmed.
It was looking at her. Something was.
Sierra opened her eyes.
There was no light and yet she saw Rian clearly. He was crouched to her level, leaning toward her. Globs of blood fell from his chest and onto Sierra’s shoes.
“Are you ---? Fuck no, get away from me! Cassadee, open the door!” Sierra shouted and began pushing on the door while Cassadee pulled.
“I’m trying! It’s stuck,” she exclaimed.
Sweat and fat tears gathered on Sierra’s chin as she sobbed, hitting her forehead on the door. Limped against the door, she finally turned back to Rian.
Rian wasn’t smiling or looking angry at her. He peered at Sierra like she had let him down, severely disappointed him.
“That was a shitty thing you did to me,” Rian mumbled.
Sierra coughed, and wiped her drippy nose with her palm. “You’re the one in the closet.”
“Very funny. That’d hurt if I had a heart.”
Sierra smiled, cheeks full and eyes big.
“Oh well.”
XI
“Okay. Bye.” Cassadee threw her cellphone on her bed and went back to her closet door.
“Sierra? My dad’s on his way here and he’ll try to get you out, ‘kay?”
She got no response. She thought she could hear muttering inside.
Cassadee put her ear against the door and knocked. “Are you okay? What’re you doing?”
Cassadee flung herself off the door as someone was repeatedly slammed into it. The hinges were beginning to break; cracks were forming in the wall.
Then the screaming came. A horrible, dry screech that deafened Cassadee and had her tripping backwards with fear in tow. She cried Sierra’s name but couldn’t hear her own voice over Sierra’s screaming.
“Cassadee!” Sierra’s voice was gargled, like she was drowning. Cassadee clawed at the door till she thought her nails would pop off. She kept pulling the doorknob even though she wanted to run and get far away from her room.
It took Cassadee a moment to realize when the screaming and banging had stopped, leaving straight silence.
Cassadee gasped. “Sierra? Sierra, say something! Oh . . .”
She was standing in a puddle of thick blood that leaked from the closet, her entire feet covered in it. Some had splashed onto her ankles like a deep stain. Her stomach revolted painfully, and she backed away to keep herself from vomiting.
The door slowly opened. The blood led to a black hole.
Cassadee won’t ever remember what exactly happened next. Just that when she saw Sierra’s body - It didn’t even look a body anymore - flop out; she collapsed to the ground and passed out.
XII
Joel almost ran into John when the boy stopped abruptly on his skateboard. He veered around him and came to a stop.
“What’s up with you?” he asked. John didn’t say anything. He kept his gaze on the white and gold house in front of them. Joel peeked at it too, and raised a brow.
“What, you plan on buying it?” he chuckled.
John frowned. “No, this is where Cassadee used to live. You remember her; we went to see her and her band perform that one night?”
“Yeah, I know. People at school used to talk about her and that girl who was killed,” Joel said.
“That girl was Sierra. You know, I was driving past here when the ambulance and cops were here that day. I saw Cassadee and she looked so sick and was sobbing, but they wouldn’t let me talk to her. I didn’t find out till later someone had killed Sierra in her closet.
“They said her body was mutilated. Face cut up, heart taken out, and other crazy shit.” John’s face was turning a light green, and Joel was afraid he’d throw up on the lawn. But John shook it off, and continued to talk.
“They thought Cassadee did it, but couldn’t get any proof so they let her off.” John shrugged at Joel, and started to walk.
“So where is she?” Joel asked.
“I don’t know. Her and her family moved out of state. I think one of her old bandmates still talk to her, but he won’t say anything about what’s she doing or where she is. It sucks. She was a cool girl too. I used to hang out with her and Rian sometimes.”
Joel nodded, and looked back at the house. It made him feel like something heavy was sitting in his stomach and he actually started walking a bit faster. Strange.
“Hey, didn’t someone kill Rian too?” he remembered.
“Yeah. They still don’t know who did it, but . . .”
Joel stopped, and stared at John curiously. “But what?”
“Nothing. It’s just . . . the day Rian died, Cassadee had called me earlier saying she wanted to break up with him. She was going to the next day,” John finished.
“How come?”
“She liked Sierra. She wanted to be with her instead,” was all John said before he rolled his skateboard on the ground, hopped on it, and skated away with Joel.
Author: twilight_rush
Fandom: Hey Monday; VersaEmerge; All Time Low
Summary: Sierra could've castrated him
Pairing: Cassadee Pope/Rian Dawson; Sierra Kusterbeck/Cassadee Pope
Rated: R
Warning: Blood and violence and femslash
Disclaimer: I am the great pretender. If you’re the above people run far away.
Note: Hey ♥ I kind like this.
I
Puke worthy, vomit inducement, mouth hole, male filth, jerk face.
That was how Sierra described Rian Dawson to her journal. Which was weird, because what does it matter? He was just another dude. She could ignore him. They would graduate from high school soon and she would never have to see him or his bleached teeth again.
She could. She wished.
II
Maybe she was more upset over Cassadee not wanting her than Rian stealing the girl away from Sierra. Though the latter hurt worse.
Sierra and Rian used to be okay buds. He was the one who introduced her to some guys who wanted to start a band, which Sierra was quickly made lead singer of.
Rian soon became a close friend, always helping Sierra out. She was his sister and he her bro. But then Sierra screwed up. She forgot her philosophy of trust no one and told him about Cassadee.
Cassadee was a little girlier than Sierra, but still tough. Sierra met her, fell for her, in the 9th grade. Up until then Sierra didn’t have girls as friends because they all annoyed her and made her want to strangle them with their own extensions, weaves, whatever they had in their hair. Girls never bullied Sierra, but they let it know she could drop dead too.
Cassadee was sort of the other half of Sierra. She didn’t make Sierra want to puke unless it was her heart or sanity, which she did often. She always stood up for her. She liked singing just as much as Sierra did. She was cute, and Sierra liked the curves she could feel whenever she hugged her.
Then one day, toward the end of their junior year, Sierra decided she was going to tell Cassadee everything. She was going to tell her she liked her, and then ask her to be her girlfriend. Sierra combed her hair neatly that day and made sure she smelled like flowers and a rock concert.
III
“Sier-ra! Hey, guess what?”
“They kicked Hayley off the cheerleading squad?”
“Ha, no, not yet.”
“What is it?”
“Mmm, I . . . finally got a . . . boyfriend. I have a boyfriend now.”
” R-really? Uh, who?”
“Rian Dawson.”
IV
Sierra could've castrated him. Her hatred for Rian had made her more bitter than she thought, but she wasn’t so surprised. She was always getting things taken from her. But that was one time, that one person, she wanted most. She told herself to stop feeling jealous, to cry about it and write a twisted love song over it. It could’ve been her band’s introduction to fame.
She couldn’t let it go though. Sierra never let things go.
V
Rian hadn’t spoken to Sierra since the summer of his junior year, so it was beyond odd while on his way to class she sang him a hello and kept walking.
Sierra always was crazy in the head strange, so he ignored it.
Then she showed up at his doorstep later that day. The night was the blackest it could be, and she had the hood of her hoodie covering her head. It was almost like how it used to be: Sierra would show up at his house while his parents were out, and they’d goof off in the basement doing random things. But they didn’t do that anymore, so Rian had to ask, “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“Can I come in?” she asked. He stepped aside and let her in. “Did I wake you up?”
“Nah, I was just on the computer,” he said. They went into the kitchen where he leaned against the counter and smiled at her.
“You should’ve come earlier. My parents are out but mom would’ve liked to see you. She said she missed you coming here all the time and being her the daughter she always wanted.”
Sierra kept her mouth shut. Rian coughed and pulled at the hem of his t-shirt awkwardly.
“I gotta talk to you about something if you don’t mind,” she spoke slow and unsure and Rian ate it up.
He missed her.
“Yeah, let’s go in the basement.”
The basement was the same as when Sierra was last in it. CDs lay scattered on the floor and the lumpy red couch sat waiting for them. Sierra sat on the arm of it, and Rian on the cushion beside her.
“So what’s up?” he asked.
“I didn’t tell you this before but that was a really shitty thing you did to me.”
“Ah, that’s cool - wait, huh?” Sierra’s hair covered half her face, but the way Rian’s skin was prickling; he knew she was glaring at him.
“You! You knew I liked Cassadee. I told you and you decided to steal her like - what the hell - it was some dumb teen show with two girls fighting over some guy!” she growled. Her fingers gripped her bare knees, digging red welts in the skin.
Rian shook his head and scoffed. “You’re seriously mad? Sierra, look -“
“I trusted you.”
“I’m sorry, okay? I kind of liked -“
“I’m done with people telling me they’re sorry and then not meaning it.”
“What do you want me to do then!?” Rian yelled, voice bouncing off the walls and leaving them in a dreadful silence.
Sierra’s hands became still. Rian only heard his own breathing.
An odd, sticky sound happened when she opened her mouth, like it was full of thick saliva.
“I want to eat your heart.”
And then Rian was on his back with Sierra digging her knees into his sides. Her hands pulled from her hoodie’s pocket a cold, silver blade. Rian’s brain wasn’t able to register fast enough what was going on before Sierra slammed the blade through skin and flesh, between his ribs, and to where his heart was.
Sierra pulled it back up, drops of red liquid splattering on her face, and slugged it back down. Fire-like pain spread through Rian’s chest, his body. He couldn’t breathe.
“I hate you!”
And she brought it up, down.
Again.
Again.
Again.
She carved a hole in his chest. Her hands were gooey and disgustingly bright red. The rancid smell of blood made her gagged.
His heart was sliced and mashed. Sierra didn’t want to eat it anymore. She never did. She didn’t want anything to do with him any longer. Rian wasn’t worthy of being eaten by her.
Rian’s rotten brown eyes stared up at the ceiling. They were slowly turning blank and black. They went well with the red on his clothes.
Sierra sniffled, her soul light and eyes blurry. She wasn’t sure why she would be crying. Relieved? Rejuvenated? Yeah, something like that.
VI
Never get caught, things go well.
Sierra was as clever as she was cool.
Rian’s death was just one of the growing problems for the city. His band didn’t know whether to quit or keep going. His parents became reclusive. The kids at school talked with fright. The news called his death “horrifying.”
The glow inside Sierra grew and consumed her.
VII
Sierra waited a week and approached Cassadee with open arms and a clear heart.
Sierra was okay with not talking to Rian ever again, but it had bummed her out not being around or speaking to Cassadee. She missed the two o’clock AM phonecalls they always did for reasons and none.
Sierra walked toward her in the hall. She looked so different to her. Cassadee’s jeans were tighter, and her hair was longer with two purple strands in it.
“Cass?” Sierra tittered on the back of her heels, being more reserved than normal.
Cassadee may have said her name. Sierra wasn’t sure. She only knew Cassadee stared at her for a long time before pulling her into a hug. Her chest shook against Sierra’s, her fingers dug into her back.
“Oh, God,” Cassadee muttered.
Sierra held her back and breathed for what felt like the first time.
VIII
It was late afternoon and they were walking to Cassadee’s house.
Sierra’s fingers were intertwined with Cassadee’s, sharing warmth and comfort. Sierra thought if she looked inside Cassadee’s head, the meaning of them holding hands was probably different from hers.
She wondered if Cassadee could ever like the way she liked her.
“I haven’t seen you in forever! I called you all the time and you kind of ignored me,” Cassadee laughed, and Sierra wasn’t sure whether to feel more of guilt or anger.
If she wasn’t with Rian, Sierra wouldn’t have had to stay away.
“I’m sorry,” Sierra said, and it was the only thing to say. “Have you been doing okay?”
“No, but I’m mostly all right, I guess.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Why are you apologizing?”
“Because you have to feel that way.”
“But you’re here, so I feel fine.”
IX
Cassadee still had her posters of old Pop stars and disbanded bands on her walls. Her guitar sat gallantly in its corner as always.
They stopped in the middle of her room, Cassadee facing Sierra. They were the same height yet Sierra felt so much bigger, stronger than her.
Cassadee titled her head in a lazy way that made her bangs cover her left eye.
“Something wrong?” Sierra asked.
“It’s just I’m tired. Rian’s dead and . . . why didn’t you talk to me in forever? Did I do something?”
Sierra wanted to say wasn’t it obvious? but all that came out was, “I’m stupid.” And dumb and dense and I love you.
“Ha, yeah,” Cassadee beamed, and Sierra’s mood spiked up like a sugar rush.
Cassadee was prettier than she used to be. Her face was more rounded. Her limbs weren’t awkward joints. When she smiled Sierra had the idea it would be totally perfect, okay, to kiss her. It’d be fine. Cassadee wouldn’t mind. She wouldn’t care.
So Sierra did.
Sierra’s lips were dry and Cassadee had put on too much lipgloss beforehand, but it was smooth and perfect and Cassadee didn’t push Sierra away and call her a crazy lesbo.
Someone sighed behind Sierra. Low and cold breath drifted over her ear. Electricity spiked through her spine and she pulled away from Cassadee.
“What’s wrong?” Cassadee asked, her lips red.
Sierra looked over her shoulder. Nothing but Cassadee’s closet; the door slightly opened.
She faced her again, laughing. “Mmm, sorry. I thought I heard something, but, uh . . . Cass, I -“
Cassadee didn’t get to hear Sierra’s next words, because her closet door slammed opened and Sierra was sucked in, the door closing promptly.
X
The bleak darkness caused Sierra to blink rapidly, trying to make out the shapes in front of her. Clothes brushed her head and she was sitting on various sneakers and boots.
“S-Sierra?” Cassadee called from the other side, pulling on the door.
“Get me out!” Sierra banged on the door, kicked at it, pulled on the knob, and it never budged. Nasty sweat was beginning to form on her forehead. She tried to steady her breathing, to calm down. She kicked the door one more time.
“Why won’t it open?”
Sierra leaned against the door and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt like a little kid again. She wasn’t afraid of the dark, or of small, cramped places, but she could feel the darkness in there. It was scratching her skin and leaving little red marks. It was glaring at her till she squirmed.
It was looking at her. Something was.
Sierra opened her eyes.
There was no light and yet she saw Rian clearly. He was crouched to her level, leaning toward her. Globs of blood fell from his chest and onto Sierra’s shoes.
“Are you ---? Fuck no, get away from me! Cassadee, open the door!” Sierra shouted and began pushing on the door while Cassadee pulled.
“I’m trying! It’s stuck,” she exclaimed.
Sweat and fat tears gathered on Sierra’s chin as she sobbed, hitting her forehead on the door. Limped against the door, she finally turned back to Rian.
Rian wasn’t smiling or looking angry at her. He peered at Sierra like she had let him down, severely disappointed him.
“That was a shitty thing you did to me,” Rian mumbled.
Sierra coughed, and wiped her drippy nose with her palm. “You’re the one in the closet.”
“Very funny. That’d hurt if I had a heart.”
Sierra smiled, cheeks full and eyes big.
“Oh well.”
XI
“Okay. Bye.” Cassadee threw her cellphone on her bed and went back to her closet door.
“Sierra? My dad’s on his way here and he’ll try to get you out, ‘kay?”
She got no response. She thought she could hear muttering inside.
Cassadee put her ear against the door and knocked. “Are you okay? What’re you doing?”
Cassadee flung herself off the door as someone was repeatedly slammed into it. The hinges were beginning to break; cracks were forming in the wall.
Then the screaming came. A horrible, dry screech that deafened Cassadee and had her tripping backwards with fear in tow. She cried Sierra’s name but couldn’t hear her own voice over Sierra’s screaming.
“Cassadee!” Sierra’s voice was gargled, like she was drowning. Cassadee clawed at the door till she thought her nails would pop off. She kept pulling the doorknob even though she wanted to run and get far away from her room.
It took Cassadee a moment to realize when the screaming and banging had stopped, leaving straight silence.
Cassadee gasped. “Sierra? Sierra, say something! Oh . . .”
She was standing in a puddle of thick blood that leaked from the closet, her entire feet covered in it. Some had splashed onto her ankles like a deep stain. Her stomach revolted painfully, and she backed away to keep herself from vomiting.
The door slowly opened. The blood led to a black hole.
Cassadee won’t ever remember what exactly happened next. Just that when she saw Sierra’s body - It didn’t even look a body anymore - flop out; she collapsed to the ground and passed out.
XII
Joel almost ran into John when the boy stopped abruptly on his skateboard. He veered around him and came to a stop.
“What’s up with you?” he asked. John didn’t say anything. He kept his gaze on the white and gold house in front of them. Joel peeked at it too, and raised a brow.
“What, you plan on buying it?” he chuckled.
John frowned. “No, this is where Cassadee used to live. You remember her; we went to see her and her band perform that one night?”
“Yeah, I know. People at school used to talk about her and that girl who was killed,” Joel said.
“That girl was Sierra. You know, I was driving past here when the ambulance and cops were here that day. I saw Cassadee and she looked so sick and was sobbing, but they wouldn’t let me talk to her. I didn’t find out till later someone had killed Sierra in her closet.
“They said her body was mutilated. Face cut up, heart taken out, and other crazy shit.” John’s face was turning a light green, and Joel was afraid he’d throw up on the lawn. But John shook it off, and continued to talk.
“They thought Cassadee did it, but couldn’t get any proof so they let her off.” John shrugged at Joel, and started to walk.
“So where is she?” Joel asked.
“I don’t know. Her and her family moved out of state. I think one of her old bandmates still talk to her, but he won’t say anything about what’s she doing or where she is. It sucks. She was a cool girl too. I used to hang out with her and Rian sometimes.”
Joel nodded, and looked back at the house. It made him feel like something heavy was sitting in his stomach and he actually started walking a bit faster. Strange.
“Hey, didn’t someone kill Rian too?” he remembered.
“Yeah. They still don’t know who did it, but . . .”
Joel stopped, and stared at John curiously. “But what?”
“Nothing. It’s just . . . the day Rian died, Cassadee had called me earlier saying she wanted to break up with him. She was going to the next day,” John finished.
“How come?”
“She liked Sierra. She wanted to be with her instead,” was all John said before he rolled his skateboard on the ground, hopped on it, and skated away with Joel.