Cassidy grunted endlessly in her sleep. She felt as if something was sucking vigorously her life out of her.
Was it pain she was feeling?
It was beyond her explanation.
She shot her eyes open and her breath hitched.
She tried to pull her leg away but was restrained by some powerful arms.
" Be still dear, you'll only end up hurting your leg more. The wound has been cleaned up but it'll sting from time to time," the strange man said.
Cassidy exhaled heavily and scrutinised the man closely with squinty eyes.
" Who are you?"
She recognized him....the man from the other night.
" Whoever I am doesn't matter now. You have to finish your work," the man said.
" How did I get here? What's this place?" she cut in and raised her head upwards to have a better view of her environment.
The room had couches on both sides and the slightly dim light made her feel warm.
" It's a long story but it's good news that your still alive after the bullet hit your leg.
" I'm sure your leg is fine now. You need to be on your way."
He bent over to pack the kit that lay in front of him.
" I hope you don't mind if I know your name," she enquired politely.
The man who stood up coughed to regain composure.
He held his hand out
for her to grasp and stand firmly.
" After you find the CCTV footage in your house and decide what to do.... come to meet me at the cliff in the amusement park, we'll be waiting for you."
" We?" she retorted.
He patted her shoulder gently and trotted away.
Cassidy didn't know how long she stood there but she knew she felt a connection. The man carried a strange aura around him.
" CCTV footage?"
She winced when she felt pain in her leg.
First things first, she needed to find her way out of the building.
****
Cassidy snooped around the empty house cautiously.
She hissed impatiently as she rubbed her sweaty palms together.
Her forehead glistened with sweat. There wasn't much time for her and she needed to find the footage.
Just where?
She plodded towards the room and pushed the door open.
She took a careful look around the room and something caught her attention...a gleaming red light that beamed every little time.
She pulled a ladder closer and climbed up reaching towards the light.
***
" Hello, aunt Theresa," she whispered.
All her life, she had learned to trust and rely on her mother's sister, aunt Theresa, who was a judge.
" Hello, Cassy.... how are you doing? where are you?"
" Aunt, I can't say I'm okay but I'll explain later. I need you to come to the house immediately. Aunt, it's an emergency."
Cassidy tried to stop her trembling body but she couldn't. The fear of being caught again filled her head.
She had managed to escape and she knew he would come for her because his secret wasn't safe with her.
***
" Aunt, I have evidence. Father's the one behind mother's death," she announced.
Aunt Theresa glared at Cassidy as if she was insane.
What nonsense was she even saying?
Who in this wide world was going to believe that a husband killed a wife? Although, cases like that had come to her in the past, but on second thought, Mr Nicholas Peters was a very peaceful man.
Aunt Theresa broke into a chortle.
" I think you should be taken to the psychiatric hospital. You're literally going insane, Cassy."
Cassidy grumbled.
" I knew you'd say this. Nobody ever believes a word I say until things become so bad.
She pulled out the footage and thrust it into her aunt's hand.
" I knew you would say this. Play the footage."
Cassidy hurriedly pulled out the system and connected it.
She folded her arms and watched the footage unfold.
" What are you doing?" her father asked.
Cassidy could see fear in her mother's eyes as she ended the phone call.
Her mother stuttered.
" I....I....I can't bear to see her go empty. She grew up in this house and under our care."
His hostile glare made her burn. His wife's reasoning made his ears burn in provocation.
How could she dictate the way he should run his family and share his belongings?
" Why are you so concerned about her? I despise her and will never see her in a different light. Nothing will change that fact," he spat.
" Fine... if you won't consider it, I will do it myself," she spat too and tried to walk away when he snatched her life from her. She dropped unconsciously in a big thud on the floor.
Tears trickled down aunt Theresa's face.
The thought that she had failed her own sister filled her head.
****
Cassidy smiled broadly to herself as she watched the monster grit his teeth behind bars.
As long as she knew, he would be spending the rest of his life there.
Now that she was done, she needed to search for the stranger at the amusement park cliff.... he seemed to have something up his sleeves for her.
The car skidded to a stop at the amusement park and she threw the door open.
Her glistening eyes walked all over the park. She wasn't sure what he looked like anymore but she could still recognize him if she saw him.
Wandering through the park, the smiles of the nearby couples lit her heart and she remembered Khalid... and Devin.
*****
" It's good you came... never thought you would," the strange man said behind her.
Cassidy turned swiftly to meet three people.
The lady amongst them had a striking resemblance with her.
She felt her heart pound violently in her ribcage.
How funny people can look alike!
" It's so sad that your mother couldn't witness this day."
" You know my mom?"
" Of course, I do."
He held his face in his hand and blinked back tears.
" Who are you?"
" Your father."
" Father?"
" Yes. And she's your sister."