#mindgone

"Babe, please text me back. Please." Text sent: 7:22am

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Summer Ridge High School is just like any other school. Overflowing with cliche cliques, underpaid teachers and reeks of desperation to fit in. Dillon looks like your typical blonde haired blue eyed jock but he isn’t a dick like you’d expect. He’s captain of the football team and the best quarterback the southern town of Polka has had in the past eight years. Cara, Dillion’s girlfriend, has golden red hair and emerald eyes. Without a doubt, the most beautiful girl in SRHS. They always had a blast together down at Boone’s quarry or Granny Lee’s bake shop and spent most of the last summer there. Neither knew that the last day of summer would end so tragically.

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“Cara, please. I'm sorry for anything I may have done.” Text sent: 12:00pm

“Cara?” Text sent: 12:15pm

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Last summer was, to say the least, eventful. The last day of summer was special for the couple. They had been dating since freshman year and Dillon knew he wanted to marry her. He planned an elaborate, yet simple, surprise for Cara. First, pumpkin and cream cheese cupcakes at Granny Lee’s with her homemade lavender lemonade. Then, a bike ride down to the quarry where Dillon had his makeshift gazebo set up with string lights all around. Cara was loving the attention. She loved every minute with him. She loved following his smooth hairline with her fingers and studying his long eyelashes. She wanted to be his wife one day. It was a goal to one day have his children and pack their lunches before school. She wanted to be a kindergarten teacher at their old elementary school. Their life together was going to be amazing.

She would never get the chance to say yes. She would never pack the lunches, never teach.

It’s time. The big moment. He was going to propose. 

Although it was clear to Cara that Dillon was not going to have a profession in carpentry, she loved the gazebo. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree. Her heart, beaming.

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“Ezekiel, We can’t let him do this. She’s not the one”

“Yeah, he doesn’t listen to us.” The eight year old twins chime in unison. Timmy and Tommy are the youngest of the four.

“So, what are we going to do?” Says Rose.

“I’ll handle it.” Ezekiel, being the oldest and strongest, would be the one to rid Dillon of the love of his life and he would never have a clue.

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“Cara Lenore Mansfield, I have loved you from the moment I first saw you.”

“You have been the brightest light in my life, the sweetest soul, the most amazing girl.”

“OMG HE’S DOING IT! HE’S REALLY DOING IT!” Cara tried so hard to contain herself but she shrieked with joy when the guy she loved got down on one knee. She was ready.

“Will you...”

“Dillon? What’s wrong?” 

Cara noticed the twisted look on his face.

“Hi Cara.”

“Dillon stop, you're scaring me.”

Cara thought maybe Dillon was backing out but realized his voice changed. It was eerily deep with a southern drawl which was weird considering Dillon is from New York. Ezekiel had taken over.

“Dillon is busy right now. We’ve told him to let you go or we would have to take care of you. Sorry, darling we just do not approve.”

“Take care of me? Don’t approve? Who’s we?”

“Don’t worry about that sugar. Goodbye now.”

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Cara lies near the water’s edge. Her neck twisted at an unnatural angle. Her lips are no longer cherry red but a pale blue. Cara is no more.

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“Does he know?” Rose asked eagerly.

“No, he won’t remember anything and I turned her phone off. It’s in the bottom of the quarry now” Ezekiel was proud of himself. The feeling of controlling Dillon’s body and watching the life drain from Cara’s eyes fulfilled him more than just appearing whenever he wanted.

“Maybe next time he’ll listen.” The soft vocals of the twins squeaked one last time before dissolving back into the shadows of Dillon’s mind.

They all hid back into the darkness and allowed Dillon to return.

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“Cara, I don’t know what I did or why you’re mad at me but, can you please just text me back. I love you.” Text sent: 4:35pm