AN: Thanks a bunch to everyone who has reviewed this fic! ^-^ you all rock :D And I'm sorry there was some sort of error with FF.net, and when I posted the second chap it kind of overwrote the first one o.O But I fixed that now, so sorry if it confused anyone. Anyway, this chapter goes along with the song "Whisper." Enjoy :P

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*

*

"Catch me as I fall

Say you're here and it's all over now"

*

"Thanks for hanging with me," Caitie smiled, waving at Jamie who was straddling his motorcycle at the end of her driveway. "And thanks for the ride." Just before sixth period, the two of them left the bleachers and cruised around the town for a bit on his bike before Jamie gave her a ride home.

"No problem," he answered as he watched her unlock the front door with her house keys. "You sure you're gonna be alright?"

She looked back at him almost longingly. Half of her wanted to jump right back on that bike, wanted to forget about what she was about to do... "Positive," she nodded, boldly. "My dad's car's gone, he must have left for work by now, and he won't be back till late. Trust me, I'll be fine."

"Ok, then," he said, backing his motorcycle out into the street. "I'll see you around..."

"Um..." She almost said no, then decided against it. "Good-bye, Jamie," she finally called as he kicked the start peddle. He waved as he sped out of sight. "Good-bye, Jamie," she whispered again to herself, sighing and walking back into her house.

*

"Speaking to the atmosphere

No one's here and I fall into myself"

*

She looked around the house, taking it all in one last time, before slipping out of her shoes and taking the stairs two steps at a time. She reached the top and turned left, heading for her father's bathroom. When she opened the door, she nearly gagged. She was met with the overpowering combined odors of human sweat, old liquor, and a horrendiously potent cologne. She felt nautious walking in there, but she wouldn't be there for long. Digging though all his drawers for the one thing that could give her eternal happiness, freedom...she paused for a moment. Was all this really worth it? Leaving Jamie, Val, and all her other friends? But one look in the mirror easilly made up her mind. She couldn't imagine all the things her father could do to her in the two more years she would have to endure if she didn't. He could do a lot worse than a black eye, that was for sure.

*

"This truth drives me into madness

I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away

If I will it all away"

*

Yes, it would be well worth it. Finally, she found what she was looking for. A thin, sharp razor blade. She looked it over somewhat in awe. It was fairly small, yet at the same time, deadly. She smiled. She liked that thought. Tiny, but also powerful; capable of taking a human life.

"Well, this is it," she shrugged, hopelessly. "I can finally be...happy." She closed all the drawers and flicked off the lights. She couldn't do it there, the smell was starting to get to her. She considered her bathroom, where her blood could be easilly and cleanly contained in the shower, then wondered why on earth she was worrying about staining anything. Why should she care? She was leaving and never coming back! She would never have to live in this God foresaken house again! It didn't matter where she did it, she might as well be comfortable.

She did think about doing it, out of spite, in her dad's room, leaving him a nice mess to clean up, but since his room was filled with the same poignant odor as the bathroom she was in, she ultimately decided her bedroom would be best.

Taking a last, determined glance at her miserable reflection, she nodded fairwell to herself, headed to her room, and flopped down on her bed.

*

"Don't turn away

(Don't give into the pain)

Don't try to hide

(Though they're screaming your name)

Don't close your eyes

(God knows what lies behind them)

Don't turn out the light

(Never sleep never die)"

*

Holding the razor blade in her right hand, she looked down at her left wrist, trying to distinguish the blue veins through her pale flesh. They were a lot harder to see than the pictures in her school text book let on. Well, she had to start somewhere. Taking a deep breath, she ran the razor lightly over the skin of her arm. It was so sharp, it effortlessly made a shallow, painless cut. She smiled at the simplicity of it all. Yes, it would be easy, so easy...She did it again, pressing harder. This time there was a little bit of pain, but nothing intolerable as blood began to spout from her self-inflicted wound.

*

"I'm frightened by what I see

But some how I know that there's much more to come"

*

The sight of the oozing, red liquid deterred her a little bit and suddenly made her dizzy and sick to her stomach. Taking another deep breath to steady herself, she prepared to make another laceration. Her hand was trembling slightly. Why was she shaking? She was going to a better place, a much better place. She had no reason to be nervous.

She made a third, deeper cut, and watched as if in a trance as the two trickles of blood joined together and dripped silently down her palm.

*

"Immobilized by my fear

And soon to be blinded by tears

Oh, I can stop the pain if I will it all away

If I will it all away"

*

She couldn't help herself. She blined and her once clear vision was suddenly misty and blurred. Tears streamed down her face, though they weren't tears of pain. They were tears of regret. Not regret that she was killing herself, but regret that her life had been so awful that she had to look to suicide as an escape from it all.

*Briiiing*

She looked up as the purple phone on her dresser rang loudly. "Nobody's home!" She shouted through her sobs at the offending noise. It rang two more times, then her voice, falsely sweet, sounded from the answering machine.

"Hiya! You've reached the Roth family. Obviously, we're not home right now, but if you leave a message, we'll try to call you back shortly." Beep.

Caitie was surprised to hear the familiar voice on the other end.

"Hey, Caitie, it's me, Jamie. Look, if you're there please pick up." Pause. "Caitie, if you're there, please pick up. Caitie...!" He sounded desparate. "Caitie, please pick up! Please! Caitie!"

"Stop! I'm not here! Leave me alone!" She yelled insanely, leaping up and ripping the plug out of the outlet. Jamie's voice stopped in mid pleading, but Caitie went on. "Go away! Leave me alone!" she continued screaming at the answering machine as though it could hear her. "You can't change my mind! Don't even try! I have to do this! I want to die! I NEED to DIE!"

*

"Don't turn away

(Don't give into the pain)

Don't try to hide

(Though they're screaming your name)

Don't close your eyes

(God know what lies behind them)

Don't turn out the light

(Never sleep never die)"

*

She slashed vigerously at her wrists, creating slice after slice, till crimson red blood poured from every inch of her arms, turning everything it touched, her bedspread, her clothes, her carpet, the same bright colour. Over and over she cut and cut, each time pressing harder and harder, deeper and deeper...She was nw impervious to pain; none of it mattered anymore. Her emotional wounds hurt much more than any physical injuries ever could.

Crying the hardest she had ever cried before, she fell to her knees on the floor, banging her fists angrilly against the side of the bed. "Good-bye!" she sobbed. "Good-bye, Jamie, good-bye, Val, good-bye EVERYONE!"

She tried shakilly to stand up again, but her rapid loss of blood was making her very light-headed and she had to grab onto her bedpost to steady herself.

"Huh?" She wasn't sure if it was just her semi-concious mind playing tricks on her, but she could have sworn she heard a door slam. Propping herself up on her bloody, mangled elbows, she struggled vainly to maintain her focus as she strained her hearing for any other unusual sounds.

Sure enough, though her head swam in groggy images, she could just barely make out the sound of someone moving around downstairs. Soon, the voice of none other than Jamie Waite wafted up the stairs to her ears. "Caitie? Cai-tie?"

It was Jamie. Jamie had come to save her. Because he cared for her. Too bad it was too late...

*

"Fallen angels at my feet

Whispered voices at my ear

Death before my eyes

Lying next to me I fear

She beckons me shall I give in

Upon my end shall I begin

Forsaking all I've fallen for

I rise to meet the end"