Chapter Ten
Cassandra had been watching the whole exchange quietly. When Sophia announced their break up she began to watch her cousin closely. His eyes were looking very funny.
"What did you say?"
"I said I'm breaking up with you. I don't want to be called the girlfriend of a coward and murderer."
That word was the last straw. Cassandra noticed his features hardening: his mouth was set in a hard line, hands balled into fists and a certain nerve bobbed on his forehead.
When he spoke his voice sounded wrong, like it didn't belong to him, off. "You're going to pay for this."
They then realized he was referring to John.
"And how do you intend to do that?" John asked unconcerned.
"Instead of telling, I could just show you." He said cracking his knuckles.
"Okay. Let's do this." John nodded doing same.
"Guys?" Cassandra warned, seconds before John's fist connected with Philip's jaw. The result was uncanny, Philip didn't even flinch.
"What the f—" Philip struck him halfway through his cuss with his hand and he staggered from the shock. John tried to throw another punch but Philip neatly dodged it and punched him back in the face. There was a sound of broken bone and John felt his nose; it was broken and bleeding.
"Philip, stop this madness right now." Sophia interjected.
"I'm going to kill you." Philip grunted, ignoring her.
One look at his eyes and John knew he was serious, dead serious. He put his bloody hands up in surrender. "Philip we don't have to go this far. Let's talk about this."
"I'm done talking." He grasped John's collar and threw him into the wall with one swing.
The girls watched on helplessly as Philip tackled John to the ground and straddled him, then proceeded to land punches on his face.
"We have to stop this." Sophia took a step forward.
"Wait!" Cassandra stopped her. "I don't think it is safe. Look at Philip, he looks almost... inhuman."
"I don't care. I'm not standing here watching while he kills him." She walked to Philip and tried to stop him, grabbing one of his hands. She saw his eyes for a second, a flash of bloody red before she was roughly pushed off .
She fell down, scraping her elbow. But the horror on her face definitely did not come from the pain in her elbow. Cassandra rushed to her side as Philip went on raining blows on John as if nothing had happened.
"That's not Phil... that's not him." Sophia whispered more than terrified.
Philip then held John's neck, strangling him. John gasped for air while trying to pry his hands off.
"We have to leave. Now." Cassandra helped her up.
"But... he's blocking the exit. The door is directly in front of him. What if we try to leave and he grabs us. We have to find another way."
"Well we can't use the windows. Philip made sure of that earlier."
Simultaneously they looked behind them, at the bathroom. They looked at each other again; it was the only way. A loud grunt had them turning back just in time to see John's hands fall to his sides, lifeless.
Philip released his hold slowly and his head quickly snapped to the two of them. "I'm going to kill you." His voice was threatening.
"Now." Cassandra signaled and they run to the bathroom, Philip on their heels. They got in and tried closing the door. With Philip pushing against it, they struggled till they were able to shut it completely and bolt it.
"Open this door!" He screamed banging on the door incessantly. "Open it."
Lots of ghastly images were running through Sophia's mind as he slammed harder, her breath quickening with every second that passed. They knew it was driving him crazy and if that door ever opened he wasn't going to spare them.
"Sophia, come out now!" Scratch that, he wasn't going to spare her, Sophia. He had no reason to kill his cousin.
Cassandra's body began shake violently and the excruciating pain building up in her chest made her begin to wish that her heart would just explode. She forced herself to stay calm, it was the worst moment to have a panic attack. She fought back tears that where threatening to break free and forced herself to stay still.
The banging stopped. And they heard his footsteps leaving the room. Sophia reached for the door handle but Cassandra slapped her hand away. "What do you think you're doing? He's still in the house and once we open that door, there's no coming back. We're going to die."
"Correction, I'm going to die." Sophia said with disdain. "I'm sure he's not going to touch his precious cousin."
"We don't know about that. Did you see what he did to John? That thing you saw wasn't my cousin, that was something evil. And I don't think it's going to play favourites. Leave that door closed and we live. That's our only option."
"Fine. We're staying then." Sophia resigned turning back. Alexandra's glazed eyes met hers and her heart beat accelerated. "This is not going to be easy."