Arachnia #Featured

Chapter Thirty Three - Part 1

Chapter Thirty Three                    

by sloanranger

Part 1

Elaine went back to the psych ward to apologise to her friend. She made an appointment to enlighten Cassie's physician to help expedite her release. Then the two women had a long talk.

Cassie explained things that made Elaine feel dumb about not understanding from the beginning.

"We were both in therapy as children," Cassie said, "beginning after the cat killings and the first two attempts on my life.  Eventually, Paula was sent to Aunt Lana's to live. The therapist recommended it after Paula kept attacking me."

"It must have been awful for your Mother, too."  Elaine said.

"It was. I think Mama died young because of all the stress put on her. The doctors recommended hospitalization for Paula but Mama wouldn't allow it. The move to the Aunt Lana's house seemed a good alternative. My aunt and uncle even adopted her.

I suspected she was seeing Bill behind my back in high school," Cass continued, "but I was really caught by surprise when she got pregnant. It happened about the same time that Mama died and it was awful Elaine, really awful."

"Oh, kid, I can't even imagine."

"I was already taking LVN classes though, before Mama died. I'd graduated and was working at the hospital in time for Paula's delivery. I think Bill must have had his own suspicions about Paula by this time, even though I had never said much about her emotional problems to him."

"Do you think he still had feelings for you?"

"I don't know, Elaine. But I think he might have been secretly relieved later on, that I'd taken Billy. I mean, they really could have found me if they'd wanted to."

"Most of the rest you know. I changed my nose and hair color not long after leaving town with the baby. It was almost a freak accident that I came upon Paula again."

(To be continued).