She ran, walked, and then ran for many hours before exhaustion got the better of her. She found a tree to curl up against and slept. She knew they would be on their mission and no one would be looking for her now so she could rest here for a while.
Cassie woke hours later and cried for the man she had fallen in love with who had obviously bedded her without remorse and with the intention of using her powers for his strange cause. Cassie reflected on the shows she had watched and the many novels she had read about such behaviour. She was young and green and thought it was love he shared with her but it must have just been lust and greed.
She awkwardly stood and pushed on, her mind and body numb from being so stupid and thinking he cared about her. She heard trickling water and looked around. The vegetation was a little greener and as she pushed through the scrub she found a river. The sun was high in the sky now; she knew it was at least mid-morning. It shone on the water making it sparkle and inviting. Cassie took off her clothes and went for a refreshing swim that rejuvenated her aching legs.
When she emerged from the water and dressed, gone were the tears and sour mood. She had replaced them with a more positive and determined attitude. She would go and find a life for herself, one that didn’t involve conniving men. She had a plan—sort of—and to accomplish it included pushing every sad feeling she had deep inside. That definitely meant no more feelings of such raw passion. Cassie slipped on her shoes with determination as she built a wall inside her heart that would keep the last nineteen years of her life from escaping. Today is the first day of the rest of my life and I’ll be damned if I will take that frightened, broken child with me.
She scowled, then strode off with purpose. She followed the river that eventually thinned out to a trickle before leading her straight onto a road. Cassie understood how dangerous it was to hitchhike. Young women like her disappeared, more often than not turning up dead or worse: drugged and shipped overseas and sold off as slaves. She shrugged, knowing exactly what that was like. She knew that things like that could happen even from your own bed.
Lessons in Life
Squaring her shoulders and holding her head up, she put out her hand and began to beg for a lift as car after car drove straight past her. She was only walking now and she had lost all motivation when she heard a car slow down. She stopped and looked inside the window, finding a kindly elderly couple inside.
They introduced themselves as Ruby and Jim. Both seemed very sweet and told Cassie they were on their way to the city of Perth, right where she wanted to be. Jumping in, she pushed the last of her past behind her. Cassie confided that she had come to Western Australia for a holiday and even though thugs had mugged her of all belongings, she loved this part of the country and had decided to stay. She was on her way to Perth to get a job and make a better life for herself.
Her story moved Ruby and Jim. They felt sorry for the young woman they had befriended and offered her lodging in their home.
Ruby was a grandma. The silvery-grey hair that she had pulled firmly back into a bun highlighted a weathered face, imprinted from a hard-working life. Yet there was a kindness in her eyes. It was new to Cassie and it drew her in, making her feel very special. Jim was a jovial gentleman who opened the door for Ruby and always held her arm when they moved anywhere. They were the perfect couple who told Cassie they were up for their fortieth wedding anniversary. Cassie pushed the thought away that they could have been Kayden and her, many years from now. She reminded herself that love—his love—was something she had left at the river with that terrified girl she had once been.
Ruby and Jim lived in a suburb called Belmont within walking distance of a shopping centre. The next day Cassie headed off, determined to get work in one of the many stores. To her surprise the first shop she walked into had a vacancy and she began full time work in a stylish dress shop. It was okay, although there was always a constant nagging inside her that she should be somewhere else. Where though, she didn’t know.
Ruby and Jim had a grandson named Alex who came to the house quite regularly. Ruby told Cassie she thought he had a thing for her but no man was ever going to enter her heart again so she kept her distance. Alex was your tall, dark and handsome stereotypical male who probably had women swarming all over him and as far as Cassie was concerned, they could have him.
One night after dinner he asked Cassie if she was interested in a job where he worked. Alex was the floor manager at the casino and an opening had come up that he felt would suit her. She smiled politely and asked him for details. She figured anything would be better than watching people dress all day while telling them how great they looked, hoping to snag a sale. She shuddered at the thought of doing it too much longer. Alex told Cassie they were looking for a games manager. All she had to do was organise the staff on the gaming tables and sometimes help the events manager with the casino entertainment.