Dormant
Chapter 10 of 17
TheDeepEndI must have fallen asleep again because when I woke it was dark out. I glanced around the living room and listened as the house groaned. I wondered if my mom had come home, saw me on the couch, and left without leaving me any food.
As I stood and stretched, I noticed something sitting on the corner of the coffee table. It hadn’t been there when I had come home. Curiously, I leaned over and looked at it.
It was a lighter.
It was his.
Memories flashed across my brain at the sight of it and I shook my head. There was no way what Nixon said was the truth. He was just as crazy as Evan, spreading his lies to make me react.
Only half of what he said weren’t lies.
I squeezed my eyes shut as if his words gave me a headache. I need to go see Jade, to tell her what I knew. Maybe she’d feel the same way, and we could go talk to someone.
Then I had a sudden thought: would anyone believe what I had to say? No. Everything I found out was so absurd, so unreal, that not a single person would be on my side for this.
When I turned to go into the kitchen, I was greeted by a familiar face, one that startled me so much that I stumbled back.
“Jesus Christ,” I gasped. “What are you doing here?”
“Forgot my lighter,” Nixon said, frowning. “Can I have it, please?”
“How did you even get in here?” I asked as I retrieved his lighter and handed it to him. “The door was locked.”
“No it wasn’t,” Nixon replied. His fingers brushed mine for a fraction of a second before he pulled back. “You shouldn’t sleep with the door open, someone might come in.”
“I wasn’t―but you came in.”
“You didn’t lock the door?” Nixon asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I did when you left,” I said, shaking my head. “Maybe my mom left it open?”
Nixon stared at me. “Your mom didn’t come home.”
“How do you know?” I asked.
He frowned. “I waited outside.”
I stared at him, my mouth working to form the words I wanted to say.
“I needed to see if I could trust you. I knew you lied to me when you said you would be careful. If you really want to find out more, then I will tell you what I know. If not, then I’ll leave and you’ll never hear from me again.”
“I need to know what’s going on. I need to know if I’m in danger.” I couldn’t stop myself. I needed to know everything that was going to happen to me, to my mother, and Jade.
“Are you sure?” Nixon asked, stepping closer. Now he was close enough to smell. He watched my nose twitch and smirked.
I nodded and took a seat at the kitchen table.
“So, what, do I have to kill someone?” The question left my mouth before I could stop it. It frightened me, how calm my voice was.
“Not exactly,” Nixon muttered as he sat down beside me. “It’s a bit more complicated than that.”
“What’s more complicated than not killing someone?”
“You have to strip him of his powers.” Nixon looked at me, studying my face. I think I looked confused because he laughed in an obvious sort of way and said, “I’m afraid I lost you.”
I looked at him uncomfortably.
“You're the only one who can do it, Casey,” he explained.
I felt my body tense. “What can I do? I don’t have any powers.”
The way he smiled at me made me shiver.
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Latest 25 Reviews for Delude
17 Reviews | 9.35/10 Average
Anonymous
Nice. This is really getting interesting...
WRITE FASTER! Tiny snippets do not satify me!
Throw us a couple-a-thousand words!!
Author's Response: I have a lot more chapters done, it's just waiting for them to be submitted here that makes the wait longer.
Give me your email and I'll send the rest to you.
Anonymous
Interesting...
Casey is really handling this pretty good, which is surprising. But there is that hint that she has been 'prepared' for her coming-out party.
If only I could have played with my Mom's mind whenever I came home late, or brought a female friend home!
I sense some training coming on also!
Good work!
Author's Response: She does overreact a lot though. I would if this situation was presented. I don't think I would believe anything I was being told.
I hope you like the next few chapters. I'm introducing a new character soon :)
Anonymous
Beautiful.
This is going very well, and I'm really looking forward to the next chapter!
Great work!
Author's Response: Thanks very much.
I'm trying to not make this story too obvious, but it's already unraveling that way.
Anonymous
Nice.
Not cheap, uninteresting drabble, but a very emotionally deep, and realistic meeting of the minds by Nixon and Casey.
I like where this is going, and I'm glad it isn't obvious.
Good work!
Anonymous
Another good chapter!
One of my favorite lines:
“Don’t worry, I won’t ask for any weird sexual favors in return.”
Wasn't expecting that from Nixon. Actually, this story is starting to feel familiar...
Have you ever read a manga called 'Tag'?
Really intersted in what a 'Sweeper' is. Are you preparing to go down a supernatural sort of road?
Author's Response: I am going to go down that road :) Like it wasn't obvious.
No, I haven't. I've actually never heard of it. What is it about?
EdgeOfDark's response: Tag is about a girl who becomes best friends with mysterious girl, who makes her a target for humiliation, rape, and possible death. All of this revolves around cell phones, and the victims doing whatever the text tells them to do... otherwise they get killed.
One of the best I've ever read!
Author's Response: That sounds cool, aside from the rape part. Kind of reminds me of One Missed Call, only they get voicemails, they heard their voice, then they died.
It's weird. It's an Asian movie so yeah, lol
EdgeOfDark's response: Hey, how many more chapters do you have to go?
Author's Response: I don't know. I'm still hoping to not get Writer's Block like I have with other stories. Why do you ask? :D
EdgeOfDark's response: Very curious!
My stories are all outlined, and I know how many chapters there are, and how long they usually going to be. Yours feels 1/3 of the way done!
Author's Response: I just have to figure out things. I mean, I have the main plot, but I need more of a character development for some.
EdgeOfDark's response: Ah! So most of your work is tied up in character development! You do that very well by the way.
Have you peeked at one of mine?
Author's Response: Not yet. I'm sorry.
The next chapter will be up soon, and then you'll be all caught up :)
EdgeOfDark's response: *waits impatiently!* 
Anonymous
Okay, this is getting good, and you know, I'm hooked. I have a bad feeling Casey is in for trouble with this Nixon kid.
What are snake-bites?
Author's Response: Nixon's the good guy :)
Snake-bites: Two piercings just under the bottom lip: one on the left side and one on the right. They can be studs or rings, or even a combination of both.
Anonymous
Uh oh. This is not looking good.
At least she knows what kind of person Jade really is. Sucks how she found out however.
Great chapter! Where's the rest? ^_^
Author's Response: I should just get your email and send you the rest, considering you're the only one whose reading this story, haha.
EdgeOfDark's response:
Boy do I know THAT feeling!!
My jaw really hit the floor when one of my fics turned up as a 'Featured Fic' on TPP.
Originals hardly get the time they deserve anywhere, especially good ones like this. You're a pretty competent writer too, and I hope you keep at it.
I think Original Authors should really support each other. That being said, I'd really like to know what you think about some of my work too!
Author's Response: Oh, I've never had the thrill of knowing my stories were featured for anything.
There's only a few sites I'm apart of, like Mibba, which is a relatively good site as far as reviews and things go. You should try it out.
Anonymous
Wow. Very well done. I could see this so clearly in my mind's eye. You built the scene masterfully, and I found myself wanting more of this tale!
Excellent work!
Author's Response: :DD Thank you so much.
Anonymous
Oh no! Not another Mindwar: Marooned on Earth type of story!
Awww, gee. I was really hoping for something new and different.
That said, it was still writen well, and easy to read... and I liked it.
Author's Response: Casey's not an alien, if that's what you're getting at, lol. That would be too predictable.
EdgeOfDark's response: So what we've got here is a special sub-strain of Humans who play puppeteer with the Normals?
Author's Response: Somewhat. I don't want to give things away.
Finish it! I really like this and want to know where you go with it.
I like how the ticking clock upset her. That has come up in a lot of my stories and it was the basis of my first song. Very good writing!
“What?” I hissed, as I read the answer. “What the hell are you talking about?” I said to him, my voice a little louder than I intended.
Everyone turned in their seats to look at me.
“Miss Sullivan—”
Fuck.
------
That was hilarious. Makes me think of things I have written!
Anonymous
Wow.
One wants to get close to these characters but...
Poor Casey really doesn't give much thought to her future or much else it seems. Is Nixon going to be just as irreverent and aimless?
Author's Response: Nixon's probably the most important character, other than Casey, in this story.
EdgeOfDark's response: LOL!
No! Not irrelevant! irreverent!
Is Nixon going to be just as irreverent and aimless as Casey?
Author's Response: Oh, wow, lol, sorry.
He might be. I don't really have much of him thought of yet.
Anonymous
Very good: I like how Casey is tentatively sharing her thoughts and feelings with the reader. That’s something you do very well with your characters.
It’s a shame that she and her mother don’t have a better relationship. What heartache. They could really help one another if they both weren’t so emotionally selfish.
Nice chapter!
Author's Response: Things are just going to go downhill from here anyway, and Casey knows her mom wouldn't believe anything that's going to happen, so she kind of has no one to depend on.
Thank you for the review. The next chapter should be up soon.
Anonymous
Nice!
I like where you're going with this, and it feels totally authentic. Very good job of describing the environment and characters. It's getting interesting!
Author's Response: Thanks very much :)
Anonymous
Hmmm...
That is one crude, intolerant ("Who likes to sit in a small ass seat with some fat kid?"), smelly, lazy slob of a kid.
He seems like one of those people with two definitive sides; not Good or Evil, just Evil and Indifferent.
Needs a serious foot in the ass.
I can hardly wait to see him get torn to bits... He is going to get torn to bits, right?
Author's Response: Well, since the main character is a girl (I guess I should have specified and the name throws people off), I'd hope she's not tore to bits. But someone else gets torn, and they deserve it.
EdgeOfDark's response: Ah... So someone is responsible for the tourturous birth of Evil Casey and Indifferent Casey. Going to be interested in seeing what kind of Monster that is.
Author's Response: Oh, she's not really that bad. Just dislikes most people and is a bitch in the morning. There's far worse than her in this story :)