I should have known not to go inside. I had a feeling something was not quite right, yet I ignored the wisdom my gut tried to share. Not once in the past three years of chaos had I been so dumbfounded! Not when Krista was diagnosed with stage 1 leukemia, not when I was arrested and held overnight for public indecency, not even when my deadbeat father got remarried to that absolute WHORE, Trish! Still, what Cas and I found that day left us feeling like we had just been struck down by tonnes and tonnes of cement blocks!
Often I think about that day, the day that changed my perspective on the world. I was able to get out of my head and stop wallowing in my despair just long enough to process what had been happening around me this whole time. I don't remember when it happened, but at some point in the previous three years I had given up; I locked myself away in my bubble of self-pity and torment. That day with Casey I was abruptly dragged out of my shell.
If I had gone home that afternoon, I would not have escaped the prison I'd slowly built around myself.
"Sari, you need help with that?" Cas chuckled to himself, watching me struggle to heave multiple bags over my shoulders for better support. All I could do was send a glare in response, as Casey went to unlock the front door. Out of nowhere, he let out a faint shriek. "What?! What is it?" I questioned in a condemning yet hushed voice as to not draw attention to ourselves. "The door..." Casey started, gesturing towards the knob. "It wasn't locked, Sar! Stan mentioned plans with friends from the city, Karly and dad took nana to the chiropractor, and mom doesn't have a key anymore since she moved into her loft! Nobody is meant to be at home." Cas stared into my eyes as if he was pleading for me to make the first move. Casey has always been a chicken, but lately, more and more things have been causing him to panic.
I only live a few blocks down from Cas. The neighbourhood watch ensures our safety 90% of the time, and even without that in place, we live in a quiet community of kind-hearted souls. The fact that Stannos is the scariest person you could encounter says something about our town.
Any person would be even slightly concerned if they came home to find their front door unlocked, but it isn't like Cas lives alone. Hell, Cas has a foolish older brother and a forgetful live-in grandmother. It is unlikely for there to be any real problem!
As usual, I let my belongings fall gently to the ground and began to rummage through one of the larger bags. I quickly hopped up, pepper spray in-hand; "Ready, Cas? You know, once we head in you can't turn back!" I presented my trademark toothy grin. Knowing full well what I was doing to Cas' anxiety levels, I grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him inside.