┊┊┊┊ ➶ CASSIE 🛩⌇ ｡˚ ✧ ﹐

CASSIE TOOK OFF HER CARDIGAN as the heat from the stove burned away the winter cold. Cassie didn't like cooking she would go as far as to say that she hated it but she always found herself slumped over the stove. With Grace and Ben on their date and Michaela being a terrible cook, Cassie found herself stuck with the chore. Michaela sat on the island, a case file open and her eyes hypnotised by the papers, Cassie wanted to ask but was too afraid of what she would see. Cassie clicked her tongue, she hadn't spoken to Michaela since Cal was released from the hospital, it wasn't that she was ignoring her, things just kept coming up. "Michaela... We need to talk."

Michaela shook her head, her face still buried in papers, "Not right now, Cass."

Cassie sat down on the other side of the island, "Please." Michaela sighed and closed the file, this let Cassie get a good look at Michaela for the first time, her eyes had bags which made her look five years older, her dirty blonde hair was in a poorly done messy bun, and she looked like a mess in sweats. Cassie frowned, "What happened today?"

Michaela looked away, "Someone died, a passenger, he killed himself... and then a bunch of people he knew died too."

Cassie stared at Michaela, her blue eyes still, she knew Michaela's job was rough but seeing a man die... She couldn't imagine how horrible that was, especially to see a man take his own life, "Mick... I'm so sorry."

"That's not what is bothering me, it's what he said before—" Michaela gulped, "Before he jumped and I couldn't catch him."

"What did he say?"

Michaela shook her head, "I can't say."

"Because of the callings?"

"How—"

"Don't get mad at Ben but he told me. I understand why you left the hospital now, I'm sorry for freaking out on you, I didn't understand," Cassie grabbed Michaela's hand, "But I do now."

Michaela pulled her hand away, "No, no, no..." She shook her head, her eyes looking everywhere but at Cassie, "Fuck! This is bad."

"Mick, it's okay-"

"No, Cass! It isn't. Do you want to know what the man who jumped told me? He said he was the Angel of Death, Jared and I later found out that he thought that because everyone he told about the callings died. If Ben told you..." Cassie's face scrunched, she tilted her head, trying to wrap her head around what Michaela was telling her, "I'm so sorry, now you and Jared are both in danger—"

"Jared knows?"

Michaela nodded, Cassie tried to hide her jealousy, why did she tell Jared but not Cassie? "So the people he told died? How? Like, freak accidents or murder? Is it like a Death Note situation?" She asked trying to get back on track, if something was going to kill Cassie, her best bet was knowing what to avoid.

"Rick Moore died of Lung Cancer and Susan Creighton got hit by a bus."

"Oh."

"I know it could all be a big coincidence, Jared thinks so too but I don't, everything happens for a reason—"

"It's all connected," Cassie sighed, "I believe you, but I wish I didn't," Cassie looked at the stairs, upstairs, Kayla, Olive and Cal were playing in the younger twos' room. If Cassie died, Kayla wouldn't have a parent to raise her, her father was a random guy she hooked up with at a college party, not Cassie's moment but one that she wouldn't trade for the world because it gave her Kayla. If she died it would destroy the girls, Olive had already experienced losing her father and twin brother, and Cassie couldn't be another name to add to that list. "We need to do whatever we can do to stop that from happening, the girls, need me, Cal, too."

Michaela nodded, "I know, and they're not the only ones who need you," Michaela hugged Cassie, her arms tightly wrapped around her sister, "You're my baby sister, if anything happened to you— I wouldn't be able to cope," Michaela let go, she grabbed Cassie's hands, "I know we haven't been on the best of turns lately, I'm sorry."

Cassie was speechless, she didn't know what to say, a million thoughts came to mind but none of them escaped her mind. Pulling Cassie away from her thoughts, Grace's laughter is heard from the other side of the door, "Trish was so mad," Ben chuckled.

The door opened as Ben and Grace walked through, their arms intertwined with each other, "Looks like you guys had a good time."

"We did," Grace grinned, "How are the kids?"

"Dinner is just about done," Cassie told her, "They're upstairs playing in Cal and Kayla's room."

"I'll go and check on them," Grace put her purse and jacket on the rack, she headed towards the stairs before turning around and facing Michaela, "Hey, are you two okay?"

Michaela nodded, "Yeah, I'm— We're fine." Grace didn't look like she believed Michaela but after Cassie nodded, she decided to leave it alone.

Grace walked up the stairs, Ben returned from the hallway, "You guys have fun out on the town?" Michaela questioned, attempting to make small talk despite her depressed state.

Ben smiled, "You were right, she needed it. Little does she know I'm about to lose my job before I get my first paycheck?"

"What?" Cassie questioned, Ben looked at her, his expression caught off guard, clearly, he hadn't noticed that Cassie was still there.

Ben signed, "My job... It wasn't a real job, I only applied because they know where the missing passengers are."

"The missing passengers... Like the one that Cal is linking to?"

"You told her about that too?"

"Michaela..."

Michaela shook her head, "No, I need to tell you something about Harvey. He told people about his callings. Two of those people died. He was convinced there was a connection, that's why he jumped. You told Cassie, now she's in danger, so is Jared and—"

"Grace. Do you think he was right?"

"He was pretty unhinged. Technically, there's an explanation for these people's deaths and I failed the calling. What if we're being punished? Cassie and I both think that it's likely—" Michaela's phone got a message. "There was another death at the bar, I— I gotta go."

"Wait! Saanvi and MJ, do they know?" Cassie asked.

Michaela shook her head, "I only just found out..."

"Don't worry Mick, we'll let them know, you go to work."

Michaela grabbed her car keys and jacket, "Thank you."

┊┊┊┊ ➶ ❁ 🛩⌇ ｡˚ ✧ ﹐

"How are we going to let MJ know? I can tell her after class on Monday but what if she tells someone before then?" Cassie asked him as Ben was driving them to Koch Hospital, Saanvi was working another late shift, so he was hopeful that they would catch her.

Ben passed his phone to Cassie, "I have her number."

"You have my student's number?"

"I have most of the passengers' information, numbers, families, addresses, you would be surprised how easy it is to find out that information."

Cassie didn't know what to say, so she just grabbed the phone and pulled up her student's number, she pressed the call button, readying herself for a very uncomfortable conversation. "Ben?"

"It's Miss Stone— Cassie, Ben is next to me."

"Hey, MJ."

"Okay... Why are you calling me?"

"I know about the callings, and Michaela found out that it's dangerous to tell people about them, have you told anyone?"

"I have. What do you mean they're dangerous?! I mean sure, they lead me to kidnapped girls and graves but they've never put anyone other than me in harm's way, how do they threaten people? Ben and Michaela ghosted me for the last two weeks and now you're calling me?!" MJ questioned, if Cassie didn't know better, she would have thought MJ was being rude to her but Cassie knew better, MJ was being defensive.

"Who did you tell? It's okay, they told me, I just want to help them and you."

"I told Natalia-Jean..."

"Natty..."

"Who's that?" Ben asked.

"Natalia-Jean is one of my students, she's bright but shy, I can't believe it—"

"Miss Stone! How is it dangerous?"

Cassie took a deep breath, MJ is so young, if she could, she would hide MJ, hide her from all of this but she can't, so she was truthful. "There was a passenger, Harvey, he killed himself earlier today because two people he told about the callings had also died. Michaela was just called in about another body."

"Oh god..."

Cassie felt guilt well up in her stomach, MJ is just a kid. Cassie would have never told Cal something like that, but here she is, talking to her student on her brother's phone, telling her details about four dead people. "Monday after class, I'll talk to you and Natty about this more. Are you okay, MJ?"

"Do you think I am?!"

"No. I'm not either, I have a daughter, if Michaela is right... If people who know about the callings are hurt— It's not you're fault, like how it's not Ben's fault for telling me, none of us knew."

"I gotta go."

The call ended abruptly. Ben looked at Cassie, "How did she take it?"

"I... I don't know."

The drive to the hospital was only short but it felt like it had taken days, Cassie fidgeted with her necklace as Ben pretended not to notice. Many times throughout the drive he went to say something, possibly to comfort her, maybe to apologise but each time he decided not to. When they got to the hospital, Saanvi met them out the front, her hair down, bags under her eyes, she looked exhausted but Cassie couldn't help but blush as she saw the doctor. Saanvi walked them into her lab and closed the door, "Why is she here?" Saanvi asked Ben.

"I know, about all of it," she explained.

"About the—"

"Callings? Yeah."

Saanvi nodded, her expression was blank, her eyes calculating, as if she was weighing the pros and cons of Cassie knowing in the back of her mind. Cassie couldn't help but feel slightly disappointed, she didn't know the doctor that well but still, she expected Dr Bahl to be happier about Cassie knowing.

Ben shook his head, "Did you tell anyone about the callings? Your parents?"

"No, I've been so busy with my work I didn't get the chance, why?"

Cassie bit her lip. Ben sighed, "Michaela believes that whoever is told about the callings dies, she had a case today, Harvey, the passenger is seat 012, he told three people about the callings and they all died less than 2 days later."

"Oh... Um—" Saanvi turned away from the siblings as she let the information settle in. "That makes no sense," the muttered to herself as she looked at her computer.

Ben agreed, "I know, truthfully I'm sceptical but we need to be mindful of it, Michaela is convinced that the callings were linked to their deaths."

"But what about you?" She asked Cassie.

Cassie shrugged, "I'm not sure, but we need to hope for the best, maybe Michaela was wrong."

Saanvi frowned.

God, she hopes Michaela was wrong.