"Erg, Dad's gonna kill me for taking the car, but this.... I can't let this happen any longer. She's suffered enough." I muttered under my breath.

Not to mention the bow I stole from Hill Farm and 20 of their practice arrows. And, uh, that huge steak knife from the kitchen.... Gosh, I'ma probably get grounded for life, but right now, my life doesn't matter. Cass' does. Though I should probably not get myself killed----

HOOOOONK

OH SHII---

I pulled the car back to my lane as I narrowly missed whacking the car in the opposite lane.

Crap, Becca, pay attention. You only got a little training from Dad.... You're almost there, though....

I bit my lip, pulling into the abandoned house.

I turned off the car but left the keys in so I could make a quick escape with Cass.

I also left the car door cracked open with a thick stick so I didn't have to worry about being locked out.

I hung the bow over my right shoulder and the quiver over my other, my phone in my left pocket and the knife in my right because of my right-hand dominance.

The knife...had a special substance on it in case I had to use it.

Which I probably will.

I took a deep breath, and then what I knew would happen...well, happened.

Do I really want to do this? Is it worth risking my life?

Of course, I instantly scolded that part of me.

Shut up! Of course it's worth it! Geez, pessimistic side of me....

I came at dusk, leaving my house 10 am on Saturday, today, so Dad was still asleep. I already had 14, 2 confused and 12 angry, texts from Dad and 4 missed calls.

I had come this far, I couldn't stop now.

Thank God for GPS....

I shivered, feeling the air of hatred and despair resonating from the house.

EC and Cass....

I had read up on the comments of Wattpad, learning all I could about EC and any defenses.

All I read about was a huge, shadowy house cat that constantly guarded Cass, her magical chain cage, and EC herself.

I hadn't learned anything about the cat itself other then it was huge and shadowy....

*sigh* I wish I could learn more about it, but I'll have to treat it as if it were KitKat. Hopefully, that'll work.

But...then there's the magical cage and EC herself. The magical cage...I'll deal with that when I get to it as I know nothing about it.

As for EC....

are you just gonna sit out there and doddle about or are you gonna actually try to save your precious friend? EC's voice called mockingly.

I tensed.

Well, guess there won't be an element of surprise....

The front door creaked outward slowly, taunting me.

Yet beckoning to me.

I pulled out my knife, my clutch on it tighter than ever before. My knuckles were starting to turn white....

Shuddering slightly from the atmosphere, I entered slowly, my knife pointing slightly out.

The door shut suddenly behind me, leaving me in the flickering light of a single bulb.

so...you've come. after all your verbal threats online, you actually came. I'm surprised. I thought you weren't one to take such...drastic measures.

I whirled around, my knife pointed at the speaker as I backed away. "EC, I've heard enough of your taunts. Your...leeching of Cassia will end."

She laughed. you're as funny in real life as you are online. I think I'll enjoy these few moments together.

I risked a glance behind me, seeing a short hallway with a door to the right and one at the end.

cassia is in that door to the right, in case you were unsure. Though, I doubt you'll make it past KatKit.

I snorted slightly. "KatKit? Ok, so it's a ripoff of KitKat."

more like a...revamped version of. but that aside, honestly, how are you gonna have any hope in defeating me when I can do....

She disappeared and reappeared behind me.

Knowing this type of trick, I whirled around and blocked her attack...barely.

...this? hmm, so...you're not just bark.

I growled lightly. "Sorry, I guess you've never seen the side of me when my friends are in danger. REAL danger."

EC cocked her head in slight confusion in my change of tone, and I took this opportunity to stab my knife into her gut...HARD.

She stiffened and backed off, looking at the knife embedded in her abdomen. wow...that's gonna leave a mark...however, a simple knife wo----

She froze, stopping midsentence as a grimace started to grow on her face.

"Whiiiich is why this knife isn't entirely normal! Have fun trying to keep your insides from disintegrating!" I said in a way too cheery voice.

She collapsed as she attempted to pull the knife from her body.

I had limited time, so I took my bow from my shoulder, nocked an arrow, and kicked open the door.

Cassia was floating above the ground, taped in a chain cage.

KatKit, as EC had said, was laying in front of the cage, but it immediately stood with a growl, holding Cassia from her defeated stance. "B-Becca?!"

I ignored Cass for the time being, focusing an arrow towards the giant cat.

The cat leaped, and I shot the arrow straight into its head.

...

...th...through its head....

It...was literally shadowy....

I ducked to the side, not taking the chance that it could hurt me, but I couldn't hurt it.

Which was 99% probably the case.

I whipped out my phone, using the flashlight feature that I had discovered a couple weeks ago at camp.

The cat hissed, backing away from the light, its shadowy form flickering in the light.

It was kinda like the proxy from the Slender games. Your flashlight would end its ability to harm you.

However, I wasn't risking moving the light away.

"Cass, do you know how to open the cage? ...C-Cass?"

She was scooted to the far back end of the cage, shaking her head rapidly. "N-N-No, please, not again.... Not her.... She isn't here, she's in Arkansas.... It's another trick.... It's always been a trick...."

Frick! I forgot about Cass' mental state from the whole ordeal!

I didn't have time to try to shake her out of it. EC would save her insides soon enough and I'd have more problems to deal with.

Hmm...maybe....

"Hey, Kat thing!" I called, moving my light away.

The cat looked to me and growled, lashing out at me.

I jumped out of the way at the last second, and the cat slashed the chains with its claws, destroying part of the magic there, as well as the chains.

The chains fell away, leaving a hole big enough for Cass to get through.

Rgh...come on, not much time left....

I dodged another attack from the cat, flashing my lights on it.

I grabbed Cass by the arm, pulling her from the cage. "Cass, I don't care if you believe it's me or not. We need to go!"

Cass reluctantly came along, mumbling, "A nightmare, EC won't leave me alone.... They don't care about me, they won't come for me...."

It hurt me to hear her say that. I hated hearing my friends in any sort of pain, but I had to ignore it----

*BRRRRRING*

Dad was calling again....

And I accidentally hit answer.

"Rebecca Lucille, you get your butt back here with the car!" My dad said angrily.

I struggled to keep calm, keep a hold on Cass, and keep the flashlight on the evil shadow cat.

"DAD, I'M REALLY NOT IN A POSITION TO---EC, NO!!"

EC had gotten the knife out and was starting to get up.

I let go of Cass for a split second and picked up the knife, jabbing it into her upper chest area near her heart.

EC cried out and fell again. ok, that's just rude!

"Well, so was you taking my friend hostage for so long!" I said back, grabbing Cass' arm again.

"REBECCA, WHAT IS GOING ON THERE?!" My dad yelled again.

I grimaced and shoved the door open, pulling Cass with me.

"Not real, not real, not worth it...."

I pulled open the passenger door and pushed Cass in rather roughly.

I'll...apologize after I save our lives.

I slammed the door shut and ran to the driver's side, pulling the stick out.

KatKit ran out the door, hissing loudly.

I quickly turned the car on, flicking the headlights and then the brights on.

KatKit hissed, backing down.

I quickly slammed my door shut and reversed out of the small driveway area.

I could hear EC yelling in anger as I drove away with my injured-in-more-ways-than-one friend.

"Rebecca...."

I sighed.

"Dad, I have an extremely good reason for doing what I did. You see...."

And I told him what happened as I drove Cass to the nearest hospital.

She was safe.

I was safe.

Though EC was still on the prowl, I doubt she could survive long without her..."power source."

I guess even real life can have its happy mini-endings....

~~~~~~~~~~~~

And I didn't break the fourth wall once!

Are you proud of meh?!

:D

Cassia16