Her fingers, pink scabs covering over the nailless knots of skin, grasped at the door handle. Escape felt impossible but necessary. Her bedroom had turned into a circle of the Inferno; an unbearable stench, something like rotten eggs, infested the sweltering sanctuary. Anne hadn’t left her bedroom in weeks, and she hadn’t had to. Cassie would take care of her.
Cassie had left the night before, smiling her angelic smile, lips curving upwards with the slightest hint of bright white teeth underneath, and closed the door, whispering that she’d be back in the morning. But, surely, it was morning now. The hours had ticked by, with Anne jerking in and out of sleep, tormented by the nightmares that followed her into her dreams. Her stomach groaned loudly in protest, and emboldened by this, Anne reached back up to open the door.
The door swung open, and Anne lurched back, recoiling from the sudden light that seemed to sear her eyes and burn her waxy skin. Cassie smiled. Her hair was done up in a neat, perfect bun, a curly tendril escaping and bouncing lightly as she walked. The blond hair seemed to shine with an effervescent morning glow in the endless night that captivated Anne in her bedroom.
“Dear, I didn’t mean to wake you!” Cassie’s voice lilted like a divine come down to earth as Anne’s personal savior. “I brought you some breakfast.” Cassie sang, gently placing a piece of toast, lightly buttered on a crinkled napkin, on the carpet at Anne’s feet. Anne nodded. She never found anything worthwhile enough to say to Cassie. Her voice just seemed small and pathetic next to the godliness of Cassie. Cassie stood up, her eyes trained at the bowl at their feet. Her eyelashes cast elegant shadows across her cheekbones. “Come outside with me today, Anne.”  Her voice was soft and gentle, like the brief memories Anne still held of her mother. Cassie reached out, her lovely, light, delicate fingers touching Anne’s cheek. Anne’s eyes widened, fearful. She shook her head and stumbled backwards into her cave.
The tangle of trash and blankets seemed comforting now, and the disgust which she would have once showed, was gone, replaced  by an eerie feeling of simultaneous calm and calamity. She fell back into her cocoon, cowering slightly as Cassie stood over her. Cassie’s eyes held a storm of frustration, and undisguised anger as she took in Anne’s mess. Her lips thinned, and Anne nearly cried out, desperate to see her smile once again.
“Come outside with me today, Anne,” Cassie repeated, her words more forceful now. The light in her eyes seemed to vanish, and a dark, steely look replaced the sweet blue. Not fully conscious of what she was doing, Anne stood up, shakily, and Cassie grasped her arm. Her pale, perfect, long fingers dug into Anne’s tiny arms, and she thrust her into the hallway. Anne gasped, and nearly collapsed as Cassie dragged her into the full force of the light, which was overtaking the apartment. Cassie turned to face her, and Anne didn’t bother to try and escape the iron cuffs on her wrists. Cassie inhaled deeply, as if to say something, but was cut off as the doorbell rang. Anne flung her head around towards the door, only a couple yards away.
“Don’t answer it Anne. Don’t answer it. They will hurt you. They will kill you and take me away from you.” Cassie let go of Anne’s wrists and backed away into the shadows of her room. “Don’t do it Anne.” Anne watched her go and hesitantly stepped towards the door. It seemed to be miles away, and the few feet between her and the white, wooden door felt insurmountable. Anne jerked her head back, looking for Cassie. The lovely, angelic, girl crouched by the door of the bedroom, and seemed to be crying dry tears, her mouth gasping, a shaky screeching sound escaping from her perfect, lipsticked, lips. Anne paused, unsure, and then she ran.
Her unsteady, weak, legs shook as she sprinted the last couple feet and wrenched the door open. A man, skinny and balding, in his late fifties or sixties, smiled down at her. He looked a little taken aback by her appearance, but his expression cleared quickly.
“Lovely day, isn’t it? It’s supposed to hit about eighty this afternoon.” He paused, unsure of what to say to the wretched girl in front of him. “Ah well,” He cleared his throat,”you better sign for this.” He held out a clipboard, and suddenly Cassie was by Anne’s shoulder again. The man didn’t seem perturbed by the tall, pale, beautiful girl pulling at her hair and clothes, screaming at her to stop. He just smiled jovially. Anne looked back up at Cassie, and then back at the man.
  “Can’t you stop her?” She whispered, her voice groggy and cracking. “Don’t you see her?” She gasped and started crying, and looked pleadingly at the man. “Please!” Her chest heaved and she glanced at Cassie, who had fallen to her knees, and was crying, begging Anne to close the door. The man just looked at her, concerned, disturbed, terrified, and vastly confused.
“Stop who?“