Lethal Confessions
Fifteen

"But that's impossible." Cassandra said gently putting Philip aside.

"Not entirely." Sophia sat on the ground and leaned against the wall.

"Then what happened?"

"I'm not really sure, one minute I was in the basement with this knife with wierd carvings on its wooden handle then next minute there was some kind of black out and I was walking out of the cabin."

"You just walked out? Through the front door?"

"Yes."

"Why didn't we see you leaving? If you opened the front door we definitely wouldn't have missed that."

"Well, I don't know how to explain it. Something kept pulling me into the woods. And ... I saw Shawn by the car and I kind of attacked him."

"Why would you do that?"

"That wasn't me. I was being controlled. Although I think the real me also wanted to hurt him."

"Because he was going to tell Philip about you and John?"

"Yes." Sophia looked at Cassandra skeptically. "How did you know?"

"I figured it out. So you killed him."

"Yes. But that's not really why I - I mean, it made me do it."

...

Shawn pivoted and came face-to-face with her. "Sophia? What is the meaning of this? Why are you here?"

"I warned you that I didn't forgive easily. And I am here to show you that so you know I don't just throw words about."

"Let me guess, you're here to kill me. That's... very interesting. You know, I was planning to reveal some secrets once I got my smokes."

"That's not going to happen."

"You sure about that? You might be very interested. It's not your secret with John I'm referring to but Philip's."

"What about Philip?"

He smirked. "I'm not saying anything till I get back into that cabin."

"We'll see about that." She suddenly snatched his neck with a hand, raised him up and threw him against the car in a matter of seconds.

He yelled in pain as his back connected with the hard metal and fell to the muddy floor in a heap. He grunted as he forced himself to get back on his feet but Sophia's foot on his face stopped him.

"I'm not going to ask again. What secret do you know about Philip?" He didn't answer and Sophia pressed her foot harder on his face.

Shawn knew when it was time to give up. And he told her what she was so desperate to know.

...

"He confessed ... about Philip, Alex and him." She mumbled. "I was mad, furious and I couldn't control myself. Whatever thing we're dealing with just took over me and when I came back to my senses I was standing over his dead body with the bloody knife in my hand. Then I heard someone approaching so I threw the knife somewhere and hid. It was Alexandra and John followed soon after. When I saw her I almost lost it. She was a backstabber and deserved the same fate as her bastard boyfriend."

"And why didn't you do it? Why didn't you come out and hurt her?" When she didn't answer Cassandra scrutinised her face. "You couldn't, because John was there."

"I didn't want him to see me as a monster." She confided. "I could just imagine how he would've looked at me and I knew that I wouldn't be able to take it."

"You really loved him, didn't you?"

"I had to turn into a monster before I realised how much he meant to me. I didn't even get to tell him how much I loved him." A single tear escaped her eye and she wiped it away.

"And what about my cousin? Did you ever love him?"

Sophia glanced at his corpse. "The question should be, did he ever love me?"

"And why is that?"

"Yes, Philip and I dated for years but it was I who put everything into the relationship. Whenever he needed me I tried to be there for him, even when he pushed me away countless number of times I still stuck with him. I still endured for him. I thought my love for him was enough and someday I will finally come to understand him. I guess that day never came."

Cassandra was silent for a while and stared straight into space.

"When we were kids Philip lost his dad to cancer. He was a budding child and his mother's presence wasn't enough; he needed a father figure."

"And is that why he was keeping to himself and not confiding in me? Because he didn't have a father figure?"

"No that's not it."

"So what's up with the story? Why are you telling me this?"

"Listen, I'm getting there. Like I said, he needed a father figure. And his uncle filled that void."

"His uncle? Your uncle?"

Cassandra went on, ignoring her. "They were the perfect father and son pair. He used to take him out fishing, to football games, basically doing what a father and son did. They were practically inseparable. But Philip's mum didn't approve. She had never liked her husband's brother and certainly didn't want him anywhere around her son. They had some kind history together, I'm not so sure. One day they got into an argument which turned physical. In trying to stop them Philip took his uncle's gun," She paused and took a deep breath. "and shot him, a number of times. But because he was a kid the police coerced the mother into taking the blame. Philip knew that he had really killed his uncle and blamed himself for everything. It turned him into a coward. And ... that man, was my father."

Sophia looked at her, unable to say a word.

"That's why it wasn't easy for him to warm up to you. He was afraid."

"You never hated him, for taking your father away from you?"

"No. It wasn't his fault. He was just a kid. And I loved him like a brother. Sophia, I admit that fiasco with Shawn and Alex was one of the stupidest things he had ever done but he was changing. He was trying to become less of a coward and learn to open his heart. It wouldn't have taken long, all you had to do was stick close to his side just a little more. That's all you had to do."

"Do you think it was that easy? Trying to be the perfect girlfriend that was always there for him? You have no idea how tiring that was. I had to keep a smile on my face even when I was dying inside because I wanted to save us."

"And you should have continued. You should have stayed that way and helped my cousin, instead of rolling in bed with his so-called best friend." Cassandra spat.

"Don't talk that way about John. He wasn't just anyone, he was the man I loved." Sophia shot back.

"And he would have still been alive if you left him alone."

"Listen, I get that you're angry about your cousin but you're blaming me for something else." When Cassandra kept silent she knew she had struck a nerve. "You're not just blaming me for Philip but John too, because you liked him."

"Correction, I loved him." Sophia was surprised. "Yes, I won't deny it. I loved them both. But they only had eyes for you. Even though we lived with our grandparents, I was the one that took care of Philip and practically brought him up but then you came along and took him away from me. You didn't understand him the way I did and he knew that but he was willing to be with you and make changes because of you. He was willing to do anything for you. And John, I saw him first, liked him first but once again with your charms and spells you stole him too. You took away two of the most important people in my life. And because of you too, they're dead." The menace with which she spoke was scorching that Sophia flinched as if she'd been burned.

To say Cassandra was angry was an understatement, she was mad and she made no attempt to cover it.

"Cassie, you've got to cool down. You're taking things too far."

Cassandra scoffed. "Taking things too far? I'm just saying them as they are. Portraying you as you are, a thief."

"Cassan..." Sophia's voice trailed off when she realized what was happening.

Cassandra's features hardened and her eyes turned into that dreaded colour, red.

"I'm going to get rid of you once and for all." She growled

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