Just so everyone knows, I still don't own any of the characters on CSI.
Thanks to Sara Sidle Stokes, countryfreak, heeebiejeebie, PeTiTeCaT, cRaZyPiXiE, MissyJane, and Krisnina77 for reviewing Chapter 4! :)
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Sara couldn't tear her eyes away from the small dog lying in the black duffel bag. She covered her mouth with one hand, and reached for a chair to steady her so she wouldn't fall over. "Oh my God" she whispered.
Nick quickly zipped up the back, so the dog was no longer in view. "Sara"
Sara looked over at him, fear evident in her eyes. She could feel her body lightly trembling. "It had my name on it. A dead dog. I'm going to be that dead dog. She was sending me a message."
Nick looked at her, confused. "Who? Sara, what are you talking about?"
"Tasha. It was her. I know it."
"Come here." Nick quickly pulled Sara's shaky body into her arms, and held her tightly. "She won't touch you. I swear."
Sara pulled away, and went to get the phone. "I'll call the janitor or someone to come get this." Her voice was completely void of all emotion. "Hello? I found a dead dog outside my dorm room. *pause* Marycrest *pause* Yes it was in the building. Right outside my door. Room 309. *pause* No, I didn't kill it! I just found it here! Can you please just come get it? *pause* Thank you." She hung up the phone, and sat down on the bed.
Nick sat down next to her. "You should tell security or something that you're being harassed."
Sara didn't say anything. She just got up, walked over to the bag, unzipped it, and ripped the name tag off the collar. She zipped the bag back up, and stared down at the piece of think paper that was lying in her hand. She crumpled it into a little ball, and threw it in the trash can.
"Sara-"
"I'm fine"
Her voice was cold and mean.
"Just go to your class, okay? Don't worry about me."
Before Nick could say anything, there was a knock at the door. It was one of the janitors. "I'm here for the dead dog" he said as soon as Sara opened the door.
She went and got the bag for him. "Here ya go"
The janitor, whose name tag read 'Bill' took the bag and walked down the hall without saying a word.
Sara left the door open, and turned to Nick. "Please leave"
Nick looked down at his watch. It was 2:30. He had a half hour to run up to his dorm, grab his books, and then run all the way back down to the Music and Theatre building for his Music Appreciation class. He knew he'd need all thirty of those minutes, but he didn't want to leave Sara just yet.
"Look. I'm gonna go down to the library and study a bit. Don't worry about me. Tasha probably doesn't even know there is a library on campus. Besides, maybe it wasn't even her who put the bag there. I'm sure there's more than one Sara in this building." As much as Sara knew the chances that the dog was meant for someone else, she didn't want Nick protecting her, and acting like she needed a babysitter. Besides that, he had a class, and she didn't want to be the reason he missed.
"Fine, but I'm coming back up here right after my class"
"No, Nick. I'll be fine. Catherine will be back by then anyway. I'll call you later.
Nick finally walked towards the door, stopping when he was standing in front of her. Before he could say anything, she put a finger to his lips. "Just go"
Nick saw no point in arguing with her. "Fine" He walked out the door and down the hall without even saying good bye.
Sara closed the door, and plopped down on her bed, burying her face in the pillow.
A few minutes later, she gathered her books and headed for the library.
~~$~@~$~~
"So how have your classes been, Cath?" It was now 4:00 in the afternoon. Catherine and Warrick were sitting outside of the Humanities building in the grass underneath a big tree, which provided plenty of shade.
"Oh, you know. The usual. You?"
"Yeah. Same here."
"Hey, look! There's Nick" Catherine said, pointing him out to Warrick. "Nick!" She called to him, and waved so he could see them.
Nick walked over to them, and sat down next to Catherine. "Hey guys."
"Hey man, what's up? You seem kinda down"
Nick looked from Warrick to Catherine. "It's Sara."
"Sara?" Catherine asked. "Why?"
"Well, I was hanging out with her earlier, before my 3:00 class. When I opened the door to leave, there was a black duffel bag on the floor in the hall. We opened it up, and there was a dead dog inside. One of those little wiener dogs. It had a collar around its neck, with a name tag."
Catherine gasped. "Oh my God."
Nick continued. "The name tag said 'Sara' on it, though. I think it really scared her, but since I don't know her that well I can't tell. She got all shut off and everything. And she didn't even call security. Just the janitor to come get it. When I told her I'd stay with her she got mad. She acted like she didn't want to see me the rest of the day. She said she'd call, but I don't believe her."
"You think Tahsa did it?" Catherine asked.
"Wait, who's Tasha?" Warrick asked.
"Just the biggest bitch on the planet" Catherine informed him. Sara had told her about Tasha once after she had spray painted the word 'dog' on their door. That was the day after Sara and Catherine had moved in. They had had a floor meeting, and that's when Sara and Tasha saw each other for the first time since high school.
"Oh" was all Warrick could say.
Catherine looked back over to Nick. "So?"
"Yeah, she thinks it was Tasha. But she wouldn't call security about it."
Catherine stood up, brushing the grass off her butt. She picked up her books. "Well, I'm gonna go back up to my room."
"Sara went to the library. Well, she said she was going to." Nick said standing up as well.
"Well then I'll be there when she gets back, that way she won't have to be alone or anything."
Warrick followed his friends. "Why don't we all go? Greg is up in our room with some chick, so I really don't feel like going up there."
"All right. Let's go" Catherine said leading the way up to Marycrest.
~~$~@~$~~
Sara pulled out her key as she neared her room, and looked around. The hall was completely empty, which was odd since it was only a little after 4:00 pm. 'Maybe they all went out for an early dinner or something'. She stuck the key in the lock and opened the door. She let out a little shriek when she saw what was waiting for her.
There on her bed, tied to one of the posts was a chicken. A real live chicken. She could see that there was a small envelope tired around one of the chicken's legs. She quickly grabbed a pair of scissors, cut the string that attached the envelope to the animal, and pulled it away before the chicken could do anything about it.
She opened the envelope, and pulled out a tiny index card. On it was one sentence: Are you scared yet, Sara?
Sara brought her hand to her mouth, and let out another small cry, just as the door opened. Catherine, Warrick, and Nick entered the room, noticing the chicken on the bed.
Nick rushed to her side. "Sara?" He placed a hand under her chin, and raised her face so he could see her. He could see that she was beginning to cry, and pulled her into a warm embrace.
Warrick took the envelope and index card from Sara's hand, and read it. He then handed it to Catherine.
Sara pulled away from Nick and finally broke the silence in the room. "I guess I should call the janitor again. Have him come get this chicken"
"That stuck up no good piece of white trash bitch!" Catherine threw the note down on the ground, and stormed out of the room.
"I'm gonna go make sure she doesn't kill anyone" Warrick said quickly leaving the room as well.
Nick looked back over at Sara who was just ending her phone call with the janitor. "He's on his way" she informed him.
"Sara-"
"Nick, please don't say anything. Can you just leave please? I need to get some rest or do some homework or something" Sara moved over to her desk and began sorting through papers and notebooks.
Nick walked over to her, and put his hands firmly on her shoulders. "Come eat dinner with me"
"No."
"You're coming with me now. Even if I have to carry you out of this building kicking and screaming. I'll even tie you down to a chair and feed you if I have to" He started pushing her to the door, but Sara wiggled out of his strong grip.
"Just get away from me!" Sara threw herself down on her bed, and buried her face in her pillow.
Nick sat down next to her. "I'm not going anywhere unless you come with me" He lay down next to her, and pulled her body up against his. He kissed the top of her head, and whispered "It's going to be okay. I promise"
~~$~@~$~~
Catherine rushed down the hall towards Tasha Lucas's dorm room. Warrick followed her, but didn't reach until after she had already pounded on the door, demanding Tasha come out.
The door opened quickly, and Tasha stepped out into the hall. "What do you want?"
Without even blinking Catherine balled her hand into a fist, pulled it back behind her, and swung full force right into the other girl's jaw. "You come near my room again, and I'll make sure you pay for everything you've done!"
Catherine didn't even give Tasha a chance to respond before she headed down the hall, the opposite way of her room, Warrick right on her heel this time. "Hey, Cath, you're room is that way"
"Yeah, I know. I just need some air okay" She reached the elevator, thankful there was already one there waiting for her. She stepped inside, and pushed the button for the ground floor, Warrick still right at her side.
"Cath, you sure you're okay?" Warrick asked soothingly.
"I'm just so sick and tired of people who think they're the shit and are given the right to treat everyone else like crap"
Warrick wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and pulled her into a hug. "I know. But everything is going to fine. I promise."
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TBC
Well, I've officially added everything I was supposed to for the original challenge. But I have no idea how long this is actually going to be. I have absolutely nothing planned out. LOL Please tell me what you think, but leave the flames at home. :)