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Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or it's characters.
Childhood Fears
Today was a Teacher Planning Day, so we had off. I was at the precinct with my aunt Kate, watching her work diligently at her desk. She was sorting through a large pile of files and paperwork that built up through the past week. I saw Castle strolling up towards the desk with two coffees in his hand and I smiled up at him. He gave me a small grin and then proceeded to hand a cup to Aunt Kate. She stopped what she was doing to take the coffee from Castle and gave him a small smile in gratitude.
"So, did we get anything yet?" Castle asked.
"Nope, nothing at all. Seems like a slow day today," Aunt Kate said.
"Man, we haven't had a good case in weeks. This is a real bummer, plus I have a major writers block," he said.
"Well maybe if you weren't here every day trying to stall, you'd be able to figure something out."
"First of all, I am not stalling. Second of all, I need some kind of form of inspiration."
"Sure Castle, whatever you say. Just try not to go get into any trouble."
"Me, get into trouble!? I would never."
We both gave him a look and he said, "You two have no faith in me."
"We have faith in you," I said.
"Sometimes too much faith," my aunt snickered.
Castle gave a soft glare and said, "Well, I'll figure something out. Maybe we'll get something big that will help me out."
"Well, I'm sure we will. Especially since things have been relevantly quiet," she said.
Esposito came up to us and said, "Hey guys, we have a murder over at the Sandstorm apartment complex. Landlord called it in."
"Yes. Inspiration here I come," Castle said with a smile.
We got to the Sandstorm apartment complex, which was actually really ritzy and elegant. It felt like I was walking into a five star hotel. We went to the apartment number the victim was in and he was already loaded up on a stretcher in a black body bag. The top of the body bag was still zipped open and showed a very pale, bloated male, who looked to be in his mid-forties. His name was Charlie Daniels and apparently he was some kind of executive at a private company.
"Hey, what happened here?" Aunt Kate asked.
"Well as far as I can tell, Mr. Daniels here, drowned in the bath tub," Lanie said.
"He drowned in his own bath tub?" Castle said looking baffled.
"He was probably drunk," Aunt Kate said.
"Well, so much for inspiration," Castle said with a sigh.
"Any sign of foul play?" Aunt Kate asked.
"As far as I can tell, no. I'll know more once I get him back to the morgue. My opinion though, he probably fell asleep or committed suicide," Lanie said.
"Yeah, seems likely," my aunt said as she looked at the vic.
"What would drive him to commit suicide? Seems like he had an awesome life," Castle said looking around.
"Who knows what drives them to do what they do. There must be a reason," she said.
"That's true," Castle nodded.
After Lanie left with the body, we stayed around and Aunt Kate was looking over the crime scene. Ryan came over to us and said, "Hey guys, I talked to the landlord. He found the body when he came to check on Mr. Daniels. Said he never pays his rent late and usually sees him once a day. When he didn't see him for a few days or get the rent, he was worried. He came to check on him and found him under water in the bath tub."
"Wow," Castle said.
"Did he see anyone up here recently?" Aunt Kate asked.
"No, he said Mr. Daniels liked to stay private. Very rare when he'd bring anyone around. He also said that Mr. Daniels been single for a while now," Ryan said with a shrug.
"Lonely and secluded man. Probably going through a midlife crisis. Guess it could be a suicide," Castle said.
"Seems that way, but until we can prove it for sure, we have to leave all the possibilities open," she said.
"Very true," Castle said.
We were back at the precinct and we called Mr. Daniels next of kin, who turned out to be a younger brother. He came in about an hour after they reached him and he couldn't believe that his older brother was gone. I could see the guilt and sadness playing in his light blue eyes as Aunt Kate and Ryan broke the news to him.
"I can't believe Charlie's really dead. We had so much fun together when we were younger," his brother, Kraig, said.
"I'm sorry Mr. Daniels," my aunt said.
"Do you know how he died?" Kraig asked.
"He drowned in his bath tub," Ryan said.
"What!?" Kraig said with shock.
"We understand this is difficult, but we think he might have committed suicide," my aunt said.
"It is, but Charlie hates taking baths. He's been showering since I can remember. He was afraid of any type bodied water, including bathtubs. That was his biggest fear, drowning," Kraig said.
"Are you sure?" Aunt Kate asked.
"I'm positive. It's been like this since we were children. He never liked swimming or taking baths because he was so terrified of accidentally drowning. As far as I know, he's never gotten out of this fear," Kraig said.
"Thank you Mr. Daniels. We'll look into this further," my aunt said.
"Thank you. Does this mean somebody tried to kill my brother?" Kraig asked.
"We're not sure, but right now, it's pretty likely," Ryan said.
"Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to hurt your brother?" my aunt asked.
"No, he was the best. You'd think he'd be a stuck up rich guy, but he wasn't. He loved giving to charity and spending time at the local homeless shelter. He liked to stay private and keep to himself, but he always had a big heart for those in need," Kraig said.
"Thanks, we'll let you know if we found anything or need more information," my aunt said.
"Okay," Kraig said as he walked off with his head low.
"Well this just took an interesting turn. A man afraid of water, including baths, drowns in his bathtub. That's not suspicious at all," Castle said.
"Yeah, this is definitely strange," my aunt said.
My aunt's phone buzzed and she looked at the message.
"Lanie has something," she said.
We went down to the morgue and found Lanie looking over Charlie Daniels body.
"What did you find Lanie?" Aunt Kate asked.
"I was looking around his body for any slight abnormality, but I didn't find anything until I came across this little mark on his right arm," she said as she showed us the tiny needle mark.
"So he was drugged?" Castle said.
"Not quite. The results came back and showed signs of a new drug that creates a short paralysis that lasts at least thirty minutes after injecting," Lanie said.
"This seems like signs of foul play," Aunt Kate said.
"Definitely. Mr., Daniel's was still under the effects of the drug when he died," Lanie said.
"This case definitely took a wild turn," Castle said.
"Yeah, it did," I agreed.
"Looks like we'll have to figure out where this drug is distributed," Aunt Kate said.
"Good, luck with that. This drugs been band in almost every state, it's impossible to get your hands on," Lanie said.
"I'm down for some digging," my aunt said with a small smirk.
Ryan and Esposito came into the morgue and Esposito said, "We have another murder."
We were at an old run down paper mill and there was a large bin that held our new victim. She was already moved and in a body bag like Mr. Daniels because animal control had to remove two dozen poisonous snakes before they could get the body.
"This is freaky," Castle said as he looked at a clear been filled with a few snakes.
"Tell me about it," my aunt said.
"I hate snakes," I said.
"Yeah, I'm not a fan either," Castle said.
Lanie was checking the body and she said, "Looks like it's our same killer. I found the needle mark. If I run the tests, I'm sure I'll find the same drug I found in Mr. Daniels."
"Great, looks like we have a serial killer on our hands," aunt Kate said.
"I bet her greatest fear was snakes," Castle said.
"Seems that way," my aunt said.
"How does he know all their fears?" I asked curiously.
"Honestly I don't know, but there has to be some kind of connection," my aunt said.
"True, maybe the killer knew them since childhood and decided to take some kind of revenge by playing on their fears," Castle inquisited.
"Good theory, but right now, we don't know if the two victims are connected in any way," she said.
"True," he said.
"Well, I'm going to get her back to the morgue and see if I can find anything else," Lanie said.
"Okay, let us know," my aunt said.
"I will," Lanie said and left.
"Okay, so two victims. Both died from their greatest fear. Somethings weird about this," my aunt said.
"It really is," Castle said.
We were back at the precinct and they were trying to find some kind of connection between the two victims. So far it turned out to be a bust. Both victims came from two different worlds, they grew up in different states, they went to different schools, they had different jobs, and they hung out with different people. It seems like our two victims didn't even cross paths once. We even got information on our newest victim, Molly Shuster, from her parents who came in.
They informed us that Molly indeed had a fear of snakes since she was a little girl. Looks like whoever this killer is, likes playing on peoples childhood fears, but what's the motive. Who would want to bring people's greatest fears to life?
"I don't get this. This is definitely one of the strangest cases I've worked on so far," my aunt said.
"It really is. I'm trying to think of some kind of theory, but I've got nothing. Maybe it's some kind of Freddy Krueger or something," Castle said.
"That's scary," I said.
"It's not Freddy Krueger. It's just some psychotic criminal who gets a kick out of playing with people's fears," my aunt said.
"Yeah, but it would be pretty cool," Castle said with a small smile.
"Anyway, we have no connection or anything that could bring us closer to a potential suspect," my aunt said with frustration.
"We'll figure something out, Kate. We always do," Castle said.
"Yeah I know. I just have a feeling there are a lot more victims out there and he's going to strike again," aunt Kate said.
"I hate to be a downer, but there has been another murder," Ryan said.
"Another one!?" Castle said with shock.
"This killer, doesn't waste time," Ryan said.
"Which is not good," my aunt said.
The next couple of days went by fast and they still weren't anywhere close to finding the killer. Two more murders have happened since the three the other day. So far we had the drowning, the snake bites, a killer clown, scorpions, and a fire. This was not looking good and all of New York was on high alert. The precinct was trying to keep it under wraps for as longs as possible, but as more and more kept dying, it was harder to keep under control. They told everyone not to panic and that they were working hard to catch this killer, but I don't think anyone believes it.
I've been staying at Castle's place with Mrs. Rodgers and Alexis. Alexis didn't want to stay in her dorm room because she didn't trust this killer either. I think everyone was on edge because no one knew what his motive was and where he'd strike next.
I was sitting at the dinner table with Castle, Alexis, and Mrs. Rodgers, while Aunt Kate was still working the case.
"Dad, are they any closer to finding him?" Alexis asked.
"I don't think so. They're pretty much still at square one. They've found a few dealers of the drug, but they haven't found anything or anybody to connect to the murders," Castle said.
"This is really big," Alexis said.
"I agree. I think this is one of the biggest things to happen lately," Mrs. Rodger said.
"Yeah, I just wish we could find something," Castle said.
"I'm sure they will, Richard. We just have to give them time," she said.
"Yeah," Castle said.
The next day came along and it was a school day today. The whole talk of the school was about the mysterious murders rocking the city. Some kids were taking it as a joke and making fun of their fears, while others were taking it really seriously and were really scared. I didn't know what I was, of course I was scared, but at the same time I knew Aunt Kate and the precinct had things under control.
I was walking to Castle's place, trying to think of my own reasoning for the murders. Maybe I could help somewhat. So, why did the killer use people's childhood fears? Why go around killing random strangers with their childhood fears? How did he get ahold of these peoples childhood fears?
Wait a minute… Who would people share their deepest darkest fears and secrets with? A therapist. It all makes sense, well somewhat. Was this person the shrink or was this person a patient of a shrink. If he was a patient though, how did he get his hands on the files of all those people? I think I can be on to something, but I should tell Castle and Aunt Kate.
I continued on my way home from school and saw a man around Castle's age leaning against a brick wall. He looked sad and I wondered what was wrong with him. I continued walking though because I've been kidnapped, a lot, and I really didn't need to chat up random strangers. Especially since that childhood fear killer is still out there. As I walked I couldn't help but feel like I was being followed. I turned around at one of the streets I was stopped at, waiting to cross the street, and I caught a glimpse of the sad guy.
I was going with my gut and saying he was definitely a threat. Was he the killer or was he just a very scary guy? I didn't know, and I didn't want to find out, so when the walk sign flashed, I walked as quickly as possible to get to Castle's place. I felt the creepy guy's speed picking up and next thing you know I feel a sharp prick in my lower back. There was a searing pain running through my body and it felt like my limbs were going numb. I could barely feel the man carrying me to the alleyway we were next to.
I tried to speak, but nothing came out. I was trapped and all I could do was watch everything that happened next in agonizing silence.
3rd Person POV
"Dad, is Emily here?" Alexis asked her father as she came into the precinct.
"No, why? She said she was going back to my place after school," Castle said.
"That's what I thought. When I got home after class, she wasn't there. Grams didn't see her come back either."
"Don't panic. I'm sure she's fine. I'm going to tell Kate."
"Okay," she said.
They went over to where Kate was talking with Ryan and Esposito at the investigation board. They were still trying to figure out the connections and story of the horrendous killings.
"Beckett," Castle said as they went up to them.
"Yeah, Castle. Oh, hi Alexis," Kate said.
"Emily didn't come back to my place," Castle said.
"What?" she said with worry.
"I'm sorry Beckett, but when I got there she wasn't there," Alexis chimed in.
"It's okay, Alexis. I'm going to try the school and her friends' homes," Kate said.
"Okay, I'll call my mom and see if she's made it to my place," Castle said.
Castle and Beckett were both on the phone, trying to find Emily's whereabouts. After trying everyplace they could think of, there was no sign of Emily anywhere. It's like she vanished in thin air, but they all knew that couldn't be the case.
"He can't possibly have Emily, right?" Alexis said with worry.
"I don't know, but why would he go for her. How does he know her?" Kate said.
"I don't know, this would be the youngest," Castle said.
"Yeah, why change his motive. I mean he has done different age ranges, but why stray to a little girl," Esposito said.
"Wait!?" Kate said.
"A therapist," Castle and Kate said together.
"A therapist?" Alexis, Ryan, and Esposito asked.
"It all makes sense now. The person who you'd spill your deepest, darkest secrets and scariest fears to would be a therapist," Castle said.
"Yeah, and all the files would be filled with information," Kate said.
"So, someone stole a whole bunch of confidential files to kill people with their biggest fears?" Esposito asked, confused with the whole information.
"I don't know. If they would've been stolen, someone would have come forward already that their files are missing, or recognized our victims," Kate said.
"Who did Emily have as a therapist?" Alexis asked.
"She had Dr. Lasseter," Kate said.
"I'll give her office a call," Ryan said as he walked off.
"I'll go see if anyone's seen anything suspicious in the last few hours," Esposito said and walked off too.
"I'm sure we'll find her," Castle said.
"Yeah, I know. I don't even know how to feel right now. This all seems so redundant. Emily's been through so much stuff and I'm afraid one day down the road she's going to break," Kate said, shaking her head.
"What do you mean?" Castle asked.
"I'm afraid she's going to turn into her mother. My sister went through a lot and after mom died, that's when she spiraled out of control. She was already down the wrong path, but after that, there was no coming back for her."
"Emily has people all around her, who care for her. She has you, Kate. I'm pretty sure Emily will be smart enough to choose the right path. She's growing up to be a sweet and smart young girl and it's because of you," Castle said.
"My dad's right. I can see the difference in her too," Alexis said.
"Thank you both. You've been great for Emily too and I couldn't have done it without you," Kate said.
"I'm sure you could have, but we're glad we could be there for you both," Castle said.
They shared a short hug and Ryan came over with some news, "I got ahold of Dr. Lasseter and it turns out she's been out of town for a week because of a family emergency in Seattle. She just got back today and noticed some of her files were disorganized. All of them seem to be our victims."
"So whoever is doing this is a patient," Kate said.
"Seems like it. She said that she would gather her schedule and files up and bring them in as soon as possible," Ryan said.
"Good, at least we have a lead," Kate said, yet in the back of her mind, she was still worried.
Emily's POV
I was lying in a very dark and empty room. Almost empty, I had that very weird man looming over me as he watched my paralyzed body lying on the floor of the eerie room. I couldn't feel anything and it was horrible. I've never felt as powerless and alone as of right now. I mean, when I was buried alive it was pretty much the same, but here, the only body part I could move was my eyes to watch the man watch me like a hawk.
He crouched down next to me and I looked at his cold and unnerving facial features. He had light hazel eyes and a slight stubble on his face. His hair was long and hung in face, covering certain spots, making him look really creepy.
He talked in a low raspy voice, almost like a scared child, or man to be correct, "You're probably want to know why I'm doing this. Daddy never let me have any fun. He always said to go to bed Mikey, do this and do that Mikey. Why couldn't you be more like your brother Mikey? If your brother was still here, I wouldn't have to deal with you, you pathetic little runt. Daddy never loved me. He was scary, but then I scared him. I scared him so bad, he fell… He fell down those stairs. Then they placed me in foster care and I got to have fun with all the other boys and girls. They didn't like playing with me though. They always told on me, Mikey killed the cat, Mikey killed the dog, and Mikey scared me. Mikey, Mikey, Mikey."
He was confessing his whole life story to me and I could definitely see how messed up he was. What made him relapse though and take it on all the patients? All I could do was listen and listening I was. Maybe it will get me one step closer to understanding him and his mental stability.
"My last foster mom found Dr. Lasseter. At that time known as Dr. Hartley. She was the only person who'd listen to me and was there for me when I needed it. Then she became less frequent in my life. She was going to stop our sessions and pawn me off to another doctor. Maybe even a special institution. I had to retaliate, nobody loves me, and nobody cares about me. Mikey is no good, Mikey is bad, and Mikey is crazy. I'm not bad, I just wanted to have fun," he said looking extremely sad and helpless.
I couldn't help but feel at least a little sorry for him, but someone on this level would be hard to get through. He's already went down the dark and stormy road and his judgment has gone completely hazy. He's just doing what he knows and what he loves. This is what makes him happy and helps him escape his own childhood fears.
"I know about you. You seem misunderstood, little Emily Marie Beckett Roswell. You are an adorable child. I've read your folder like everyone else's, from cover to cover. You, Emily Marie Beckett Roswell, are ten years old, and born on May 21, 2002. You seem to have had a lot of bad stuff happen to you too. I completely understand your dilemma. Your mother, Jane Hannah Beckett, was a drug attic like my dad. Your dad, Jimmy Helix Roswell, a drug dealer. Both of your parents deceased and you're now living with your aunt, a detective. Seems like you've got the short end of the stick, just like me," he said.
It was frightening how much he could remember and able to rattle off my whole life story, without anything in front of him. One thing though, I didn't like him comparing me to him. I was nothing like him and I wasn't going to become him either. I still couldn't do anything, so I had to keep listening to this wack jobs speech.
"Your whole life has been nothing but a living hell. My life too. We are both sad little freaks who were shunned, at least you still have family, but don't you ever feel like you don't belong. I feel that way every single day. I watch the imbeciles I work with, live with, and pass by, every single day, living their lives, hiding their fears. I bring those fears to life, I show them how scary life really is. They get to see what I see every day. Now it's your turn little Emily. I was going to make you my partner in crime, but the way you looked at me and passed me by like I was nothing, like I was some creepy man. It hurt, I thought we were going to be close, but you can't be trusted either, you're just like everyone else," he said as he got up.
He walked to the door and shut off the light, making it pitch black in the room.
"Have fun living your greatest fear, Emily. Dying alone, in the dark, letting your aunt down, and leaving her all alone," he said as he left, slamming the door.
I just laid there in complete darkness, staring up into the nothingness. I just hoped Aunt Kate figured this all out and were on their way to rescue me. For the first time in a long time, I was truly scared.
3rd Person POV
Everyone was gathered around in a conference room in the precinct, flipping through all the potential suspects. They made one pile for the victims, one for people who were cleared, and one for the potential suspects. Dr. Lasseter was helping too because she knew her patients better than anybody. All hands were on deck, even Castle and Alexis were able to join in on the search. They flipped through the schedules to see if there was anyone who'd been in on the same day as the victims or if they had a unique pattern that fit the bill.
So far there was no luck, but it didn't mean they were going to give up. They were determined to break this case, protect other patients' lives, and find Emily safe and sound.
"Wait, him," Dr. Lasseter pointed out.
"Mikey Dillon Parker," Kate said as she looked at the file.
"Yes, I've had him since he was only a boy. Around Emily's age. He's been troubled since he accidently killed his father when he was eight. He hurt hundreds of animals, other foster children, and many of his foster parents. He's been in and out of psychiatric hospitals since he was fourteen. I thought he was finally getting better, but something must have triggered a relapse," Dr. Lasseter said.
"Are you positive?" Kate asked.
"Yes, I am. I trusted him, I'd always let my assistant let him into my office early when I was running late, or I'd let him stay to recuperate after a rough session. He would have had so many opportunities to read the files," she said.
"How comes he didn't take them?" Castle asked.
"Mikey may have been troubled, but he's always been a brilliant boy. He could retain information like a computer and relay it back to you if you asked him about it three years later. I always thought he was just misunderstood and lashing out for attention, but it seems to be deeper than that. I should have had him placed into an institution a long time ago, but he was one of my first cases and I always thought he'd turn around. I was wrong and put everyone's lives in danger," Dr. Lasseter said with tears running freely down her face.
"It's not your fault Dr. Lasseter. You didn't know this would happen. We're going to go find him and put an end to this," Kate said.
"Okay. Find your niece safe and well," Dr. Lasseter said.
Kate nodded and rounded up a squad to take to Mikey Parker's residence.
They entered Mikey Parkers residence, which was a rundown apartment building in the Bronx. They found his apartment number and Esposito kicked down the door. They charged in and found Mikey, sketching at his messy dining table. His whole apartment was filled with papers, trash, and clothes.
"Mikey Parker, you're under arrest for five counts of murder and one count of child abduction," Ryan said.
"Hands up and face us slowly," Kate said.
Mikey placed his pencil down and put his hands up. He stood up from his old, rickety chair, and faced the detectives, with their guns drawn.
"It was necessary. I need to finish my plan," Mikey said.
Esposito grabbed him and placed Mikey's hands behind his back, cuffing them together.
"Sure, whatever you say. You're coming with us and telling us where Emily is," Esposito said as he dragged Mikey away, telling him his rights.
"Kate, look at these," Castle said.
Kate walked over to where Castle was standing and said, "These are all the murders that occurred."
"Yeah, he drew them all and in great detail too. This guy is really something," Castle said as he flipped through the drawings.
"Is there anything of Emily?" Kate asked.
"Doesn't look like it, but there are so many papers in here, it could be on one of them," Castle said.
"Ryan, do you think you can gather some of these sketches?" she asked.
"Yeah, sure thing. I'll meet you back at the precinct," Ryan said.
"Okay, thanks," she said.
Back at the precinct, Kate was in the interrogation room with Castle and Dr. Lasseter. They felt they'd have a better chance with Mikey if they had someone he trusted in the room with them.
"Mikey, why did you do these things?" Dr. Lasseter asked.
"You left me. You left me for a week. You haven't been here for me like you always promised. You were going to get rid of me, just like everyone else," Mikey said.
"I wasn't going to get rid of you Mikey. I was going to help you, keep you safe," she said.
"You left me and told that man that I needed to be put away. I didn't want to go, I don't want to go…" he cried.
"Mikey listen to me. I had things I needed to handle and I just wanted you to have a better place to live and think."
"Why don't you love me anymore?"
"Mikey, I do love you, but what you did was wrong. You know that right?"
"Yes, but it was just some fun. Nobody understands me. They all look at me like I'm a freak, but I'm not the freak. They are the freaks. They don't understand the fears that lurk around every corner. I know fear all too well."
"Yes you do Mikey, but what you did was not the way to go about it. You should have called me, you know that."
"I know, but I was angry. I'm always angry. Everyone I know hurts me."
"That's not true Mikey."
"I guess not."
"Mikey, I need you to tell Detective Becket where you put Emily."
Mikey looked over at Castle and Kate who were standing in the back of the room, "She is experiencing her biggest fear."
"Where?" Kate asked.
"What's her biggest fear detective? Do you know anything about your niece?" Mikey snickered.
"Mikey stop playing games," Dr. Lasseter said.
"It is just a game. A game of fear. So tell me Detective Beckett, what's Emily's biggest fear?" Mikey said, zeroing in on Kate with piercing eyes.
"I don't… She's afraid of being buried alive," Kate stammered, trying to think of what Emily was afraid of.
"Wrong-o, she's afraid of dying alone without the people she loves and letting you down," Mikey said.
"What?" Kate said.
"It's true detective Beckett. I read it in her file. Sure she was scared of being buried alive, but her real fears were dying alone without the people she loved. Ultimately letting you down in the process and leaving you all alone in grief. I bet that's one of your biggest fears too, detective. Losing everyone you love, watching them all fall one by one," he said.
Mikey started laughing and Kate said, "You don't know anything about me."
"Au-contraire detective, I know you very well. Emily didn't just share her deepest darkest secrets, but yours too. You two are by far, my favorite people to learn about. I was hoping to recruit Emily in my plans to have fun with other people's fears, but she ignored me and tried to escape me. I thought we'd have a connection, but she treated me just like everyone else," Mikey said.
"I'm sorry Mikey, but this isn't right. You've been through a lot of difficult times and are hurting deep down, but leave them out of this. Help save that little girl's life. You wouldn't want to hurt her," Dr. Lasseter chimed in.
He looked over at the doctor and said, "She's not in any trouble. I left her at an abandoned old shack a few miles north. It would have taken a few days for her to succumb to death."
"Can you give them the exact place?" Dr. Lasseter asked.
He nodded and Mikey told them everything, and soon they were off to get Emily back.
Emily's POV
I got my feelings back a few minutes ago. It was slowly working its way through my system and I started to move my toes and feet first. I got up carefully and looked around the dark and empty room. It was still pitch black and I had to feel around the room. I finally managed to find the light switch and flipped it on. Honestly' the light wasn't that much better, it was still eerie and dim in the small little shack. There was two windows, but they were both boarded up pretty well.
I tried the door, but it was no use. It was locked tight and I was trapped in here, alone, afraid, and cold. It was mid-January so, it was still pretty nippy out there. Which was slowly slipping into this dingy little shack. I tried out my vocals to see if I could speak again, "Hello… Hello…"
It was a little rough, but I managed to get out that simple word. I decided to sit against the wall, to wait for the cavalry to come and rescue me. Mikey was right, this was one of my biggest fears, it's like I'm trapped in my own mind, all alone and away from everyone I love. My other fear was to leave my aunt Kate alone, sure she has Castle now, but she's already lost her mom and her sister. I can't be the cause of another heartache she has to get through. I couldn't do that to her.
I started to give up hope, until I heard the undeniable sounds of police sirens. I smiled and knew that I was saved once again. The door was busted open and Aunt Kate, Esposito, Ryan, and Castle came into the shack. I stood up and said, "Hey, what did I miss?"
My aunt smiled and said, "Just the usual."
I gave her a hug and said, "I love you, Aunt Kate."
"I love you too, Em," she said.
"Hey there mini Beckett," Castle said.
"Hey, Castle. So did you get inspiration for your new book?" I asked.
He smirked and said, "I may have a little something."
We all chuckled, trying to push the fears away that we were all experiencing just hours before.
We went back to Castle place because we decided to all be together for the night. Everyone was thankful that my fear wasn't something to life-threatening and were able to track down Mikey before it was too late. Mikey is going to go to prison but they're going to make sure he gets the help he needs. Out of all the people I've been taken by, I think Mikey was truly confused and didn't mean what he did. He's just a troubled guy, trying to break away from his own fears. Hopefully where they take him, he'll be able to cope with everything that's bothered him since he was a kid.
Even though some of my biggest fears were dying alone, letting Aunt Kate down, and leaving her alone, I learned that I don't need to be afraid of that anymore. So I guess one good thing came out of this wild case, I learned I'm surrounded by the people I love and that aunt Kate will have people to pull her through any tough time. I'm passed my childhood fears… Well, at least a few of them.