I fall in love with that movie all over again every time I watch it.
Lily's car had started in our absence, and as I'd thought, Edgar and Alan were nowhere to be found. And I found Michael with Star, who was fretting over the fact that Laddie had disappeared from the hotel. When I got home, my aunt was waiting outside, she looked worried.
"Where have you been?" She asked, attempting a stern voice but looking relieved.
"Out," I muttered
"Where are the boys, and where is Lily, I see you have her car."
"They-" I couldn't find a way to word it, and when I really started thinking about it, I broke. Just started sobbing.
"Casey-?" My aunt led me inside, completely bewildered by my tears.
"I don't know what to do." I choked out.
"What's wrong sweetheart?" My aunt's soft voice, her hands in my hair. I felt like a little kid. Woken up from a bad dream. Only this wasn't a dream. This was real, and I had dragged my friend into it. And now, I didn't even want to think. I was so afraid. Because she was dead or worse and there was nothing I could do.
I hiccuped into silence, drying my face on the collar of my shirt. Feeling ashamed for breaking down.
"They're gone..." I said, my voice sounded relatively similar to sandpaper. "And Auntie you let him in, and they're gone. You can't stay here...It's not safe." She was giving me a sympathetic but very confused look.
"Where are the, Frogs, and Sam, Casey."
I shook my head "I don't know. I let them on their own and now...Now they're..." They're going to die... I finished in my head, them and Sam and Lily too.
"What about Lily, why do you have her car?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat, braced myself, and spit out the words "I have it because she was taken. One of them took her. Auntie, it was the movie, it was the lost boys. And you let him in..." I said again, mainly because I was still terrified of that fact.
"I let who in?"
"David, don't you remember, the second day they were here, you told him he could come in." I had regained some normal control of my thoughts "And if I want them gone, I have to kill them, or Sam and the Frogs, they have to die..." I muttered
"I think you're a little overtired sweetie-"
"I am not overtired, this is real, and he will kill you." I said forcefully. "I'm not kidding auntie." I walked inside, down the hall and to my room, picking through the suitcase. I heard my aunt come in behind me. I could picture her disbelieving face. I continued to pick around, trying to find anything useful that Edgar and Alan had left behind.
Michael
I remembered suddenly. Michael had killed David. Not that that should have been possible with antlers, but going past that. Why was he being left alone? And where the hell were Max, Lucy, and Grandpa? Okay, Grandpa might be dead by now... I couldn't remember. I needed to read Reign of Frogs again. Because I'm pretty sure if he was dead, Alan should be a vampire, which is clearly not the case. But I was getting distracted. Mike. He was being left alone. Why? Forget it. Too much to think about without adding David's messed up logic to the list.
"Casey."
I ignored my aunt, pulling out stakes and the few remaining containers of holy water.
"Cassidy Riley Anderson!"
"What auntie!" My voice cracked, I could feel tears starting again but I blinked them back.
I felt her hand on my shoulder. No. A hand. Not hers. And the voice. The voice had been wrong.
"That wasn't nice Cassidy."
I froze, my blood ran cold, and in the back of my mind, I was screaming.
"No," I muttered "No, no, no, you're dead."
"Yes sweetheart, I am."
"You're dead. Go away!"
"Casey? What are you talking about?"
I blinked, the image of my mother faded, revealing my aunt once again.
"I-...I don't..." I couldn't speak anymore.
"Okay, you need sleep. And you are not leaving this house until morning."
"Auntie-" I began, and then I realized how this must look from her point of view. How I must look. Like a complete nutcase. Yeah. Fine. Doesn't matter that my friends and cousins will be dead by then. Or, maybe not. Not to mention, daytime attack...Not usually the best plan unless you have four people ready to attack all at once.
"Okay auntie." I said softly "But I'm telling the truth. I swear."
I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow. But it wasn't pleasant. All night I was plagued by nightmares. My mother dying. All my fears about Lily and Sam and the Frogs. I woke up constantly, with only minutes passing between each one. Finally, at five AM, I stopped trying to sleep. I went out and sat on the porch.
"Casey?"
My mouth dropped open. I jumped up and embraced the person who had just walked into my yard.
"Lily, you're okay, thank god, I-" I stopped, holding her at arms length. "You are okay, right?"
Lily shrugged "More or less yeah. More than I can say for Sam. He's a complete mess, he can't even walk. And I haven't seen the Frogs at all." She was squinting in the early morning sun. I brought her inside and sat down at the counter.
"How did you get here?" I asked
"Walked. My legs feel like they're about to fall off."
"So you know-"
"Yeah, don't start planning yet though."
"Why..." I said slowly
"Because there's some stuff you need to hear first." Lily said "I sort of listened in, and, well, Paul spouted off this idea...I didn't really think he was serious until...Well..." She paused "He suggested just killing the Frogs and Emersons. And then staying here. He said he figured no one knew anything here. And it was pretty much the same place. The others seemed to like the idea as well. If they decide to do that. We're all pretty much screwed."
I swore under my breath. No, okay. Calm Casey. This has to be thought through. Lily knows where Sam is. Has no clue about the Frogs. Okay. Okay. This is bad. Beyond bad. Shut up Casey. Just. Focus.
"So...What if this happens. What if they stay."
"Whole town goes to hell?"
"My thoughts exactly."
"And us?"
"Dead."
"Great."
"Awesome."
"We're screwed aren't we."
"Yes Lily. We are."
Ta da.
I am bad with deadlines.
Review and tell me what you think.
- Jen
