She sat admiring the face that smiled back at her from the vanity mirror. The round cherubic face of a 6 year old girl. Long brown hair, blue eyes, and the brightest smile. She loved to sit here. There were so many pretty things. So many jewels and beads and best of all - make-up. She set about choosing all of the prettiest colors. She loved pink the best and here there was lots and lots of it. She giggled and sang softly to herself as she began applying the make-up. Her song part of a rhyme she learned for jump rope, "Cinderella, dressed in yella, went upstairs to kiss a fella..." The song trailed off as she caught site of her reflection in the mirror and was overcome by gales of laughter. Her laughter was sweet at first but she broke suddenly in her laughing and closed her eyes tight to the shrill sound of the phone ringing. She walked to the phone eyes still closed in half dream state. But the persistent ringing brought her back to reality.

She picked up the receiver and was relieved to hear Jason's voice on the other side of the phone. He was upset and rightly so.

"Sheila, thank God you're there. I just got off the phone with Tom. Why didn't you tell me?" How did she tell him that she'd been afraid to call him? Afraid to contact him or anyone for the 4 days since she got the news. Cassie was back and more persistent than ever.

"Sweetie please understand this has been rough on me. I needed time on my own to let it sink in." She silently begged him to be okay with that. A glance at her watch told her that 15 minutes ha passed since sitting at her vanity, but she remembered none of it. Cassie had been here again.

"I understand that," Jason was saying, "but I could've helped. You could've come to stay here, where it is safe." The thought terrified her. She loved Jason so very much. He cannot know about Cassie. Telling him about him had been bad enough. "Jason I know you mean well. Please know that I love you with all my heart. I was going to call you today. I just - "

"Just pushed me away when it really counts - again." His voice wasn't angry now - it was hurt. She hurt for him.

"You're right. I keep doing it and I am sorry." She fought for the right words but didn't have to find them. She heard him take a deep breath.

"Just tell me you'll come now. I wouldn't forgive myself if he came to find you - "

"He won't!" She snapped at him and regretted doing so in the same instant. "I'm sorry. This whole thing just has me under a great deal of stress." Another deep breath from his side of the phone.

"I know, that's why I wish you would come here." But she wouldn't and she could hear in his voice that he knew it and was relenting.

"I feel better staying here. It’s home base. He won't come, I know it."

"Then let me come there." His voice was pleading and she was tempted to give in, but she couldn't risk it. Cassie had told Elise, her best friend and only person who had met Cassie, that she wanted to meet Jason. Sheila could not allow that to happen.

"Jason, I..."

"I know. You want to deal with this on your own. I love you, Sheila. I'll let you handle this your way - for now. But if I get one inkling that something is happening, that you can't handle it, and I'm coming for you." She breathed a silent sigh of relief.

"Thank you Jason. I do love you, so very much." Good-byes said, she turned back to the vanity to see the damage done by Cassie. She couldn't help but smile to herself. "She does like to play dress-up." In never ceased to tickle her that Cassie was so much like herself at that age.

That night she dreamed. The dream was the same as always and yet something was different. From the blackness came the terrible sound of a monster's roar. A monster who may have been a man once, but no more. She could not see the monster, only hear him:

"YOU STUPID BITCH! WHAT THE FUCK HAVE YOU DONE? I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS EVEN FROM YOU!" She'd heard the refrain in the darkness many times before. She knew it well. Only now it was changed. This time he said things he hadn't before. "YOU ARE TOO STUPID TO CARRY MY BABY! YOU DON'T FUCKIN' DESERVE IT!" Then through the cushion of her world came the first shocking blow. A new sensation. A white-hot sensation. She'd never felt before. She didn't know or understand pain. But she was in pain. Terrible, hideous pain. It filled her completely and just as she felt she could stand no more, it was finished and she knew no more.

She woke suddenly, terrified, bathed in sweat. She woke as Cassie. She lay there clutching her covers to herself, crying hysterical cries, trying desperately to forget the vision of her dream. In her shear terror she wet the bed and the sudden realization of it woke her again, woke her as Sheila. Mercifully the dream was forgotten. She knew that Cassie had been prone to nightmares but she never knew of what. Still it must've been particularly bad this time. This was the first time she'd wet the bed. She got up and set about the business of washing up and changing the sheets.

When she dreamed again she was Sheila. She dreamed of the surreal segment of her reality when she had the D and C following the loss of Cassie. She had already come to think of the baby by that name although she didn't know for sure if it was a girl. Still she felt it in her heart and had wanted to name her Cassandra and call her Cassie. She didn't tell him about that. She knew he wouldn't approve of such thoughts. She'd learned very early on not to do anything that he wouldn’t approve of. Instead she kept her thoughts about her daughter deep in her heart of hearts. But here she was laying here on the doctor's table. Her legs in stirrups. The drugs had already been give to her to force dilation. She was being forced to labor not to give birth to her beautiful daughter, but to expel her remains. She was numb with grief and shock. He had cried and begged her forgiveness when the bleeding had started. He'd never beat her so bad before. Countless times he'd beat her and countless times she'd accepted his apologies. But this time was different. She could forgive him beating her, but she would never forgive his murder of Cassie. The dream of the memory faded as the doctor moved into position between her legs to finish the process the monster had started.

When she woke again the room was filled with bright sunshine. For just a moment she thought she overslept, then she relaxed as she realized that she didn’t have to go to work. She'd taken a leave of absence from her job when her lawyer had phoned her with the news of his early release. The memories of his words still sent a shiver down her spine, "...a model prisoner...productive member of society..." The stark contrast of those words to those that he'd spoken in the trial struck her like a physical blow and she happened to have an intimate knowledge of physical blows.

She strove to shake it off today though. Today she had more immediate, if not bigger, fish to fry. Today her mother was coming to visit. When she'd heard the news of his release she'd insisted on taking her for a "mental health day." As far as her mother was concerned there wasn't a problem in the world that couldn't be cured with a pedicure, facial and a make over. Well, she thought, maybe Cassie will be paying attention and learn how to apply make-up. At first the thought made her smile then prickled the hairs on the back of her neck. Hopefully she wouldn't be paying too close attention. She couldn’t bear to think of Cassie making an appearance at the salon - and in front of her mother!! But as she finished breakfast she felt increasingly confident that Cassie would stay away. She almost always took a break after her nightmares, and last night's had seemed particularly bad. The wet bed was evidence of that. Come to think of it, based on that, she knew for sure that Cassie would not be there today. Maybe not for a couple days.

But there were things she didn't know. She didn't know, for example, that even now he was watching her. She didn't know that Cassie knew he was watching and that was why she had been coming so much more often. Not all of her time was spent playing dress-up. She'd been using and feeding off of Sheila’s brain as she finalized her plan for revenge, a plan that was going to see its fruition very very soon. Finally, she didn't know that Cassie's need for vindication was stronger than her own. From Sheila he had taken her daughter, which was bad, but from Cassie he had taken her very life. For that, he must pay.

He watched her. Had been watching her ever since he got out. She was in the house, his house he amended in his mind, of that he was certain. But she hadn't come out of it even once. But he knew this day would come and when he saw her Mom's green Thunderbird pull up he felt himself getting excited. The day had come when he would get his revenge. Not on Sheila. Sheila was far to dumb to be any blame, but on her mother. She was the stupid manipulative bitch who was the cause of all of this. She was the reason his child had been killed. Her and her big damn interfering mouth. Manipulating Sheila as always. Eliciting his rage. And she knew it!!! He knew that she felt guilt for what she had done. Since the first time she'd always taken Sheila away for these "mental-health days" to make her feel better. He knew she was acting purely out of her own guilt.

Every single time it was Sheila’s actions at the advice of her mother that had caused him to have to punish her. The last infraction being the worst. He had come home from work and she had this smug little grin on her face. She was so proud of what she had done. She couldn't wait to show him. She'd spent so much damn time working on her "surprise" that she hadn't even cooked dinner. She somehow in her fucked up mind thought that he would be so pleased with her that he would buy her dinner. So he followed her down to the basement, completely unprepared for what he was about to be faced with. When he was faced with it he could hardly believe his eyes. He was stunned with rage. Absolutely in shock at the totality of it. His brain would almost not let him except what he saw and Sheila was prattling on about how she had done this, with help from her mother of course.

Even now the thought made him cringe. They'd taken his trains, trains which he had collected since childhood, the first one given him by his grandfather when he was just 6. They had taken his trains and painted each and every one of them kelly fucking green. On the sides they had painted balloons and animals. "See honey," she was saying but he barely heard her, "they are circus trains. We thought that since you don't run them anymore they would be a great addition to the nursery. Now we don't have to spend a lot of money on any fancy decor-" She was stopped mid-word by his first punch. Normally he didn't punch her like that, but he couldn't help it this time. He was overcome by his rage.

He could remember it all but never once, not for an instant, did he intend to hurt his baby. Sure he had said she was too stupid to carry his child, but that didn't mean that he didn't want to see the baby born. He loved the baby already. Had, in fact, planned on passing down the trains to the baby. But not like this, not like fucking this! He was just trying to knock some sense into that fuck-up he'd married. How had she let her mother con her into this one? Was she really that fucking dense? He knew for a fact that her mother was not. Sheila’s father had been a train hobbyist up until he died, so surely she knew what these trains had meant to him, what they were worth to him. But yet she had conned Sheila into destroying every bloody last one of them.

The days and weeks that had followed were a blur to him. The hospital, the arrest, the trial, the sentencing. During it all something happened to him. He'd never been a patient man, but now he was completely cool, completely calm, completely patient. Now he had something worth waiting for. He was waiting for the day, for this day to be precise, when he would get his revenge on that bag of shit Sheila had for a mother. He knew just how he would do it. He would make her watch while he took her child's life from her. A life for a life. She'd been responsible for the death of his child and now he would be responsible for the death of hers. He smiled as he got out of the car when they'd finally pulled away. Smiled and whistled to himself. She'd sat there in that court room so smug when he'd been sentenced. Now it was going to be his turn to be smug. He was very happy as he set about attempting to break into his house. Well at least she'd been smart enough to change the locks.

While she sat having her pedicure she started to feel strange. Sort of headachy, but not really. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She only knew that something was not quite right. She felt a sort of disquiet. She normally loved to have her feet done, but not today. Today it just wasn't helping. She could hear her mom's laughter coming back from the make-up counter. She'd long suspected that her mom did this more for herself than for Sheila. But what matter, it made her mom happy and Sheila loved her mom dearly. She'd always been there for her, stuck by her through the worst of it.

She tried to relax and enjoy the pampering but couldn't. The disquiet she'd felt earlier had changed to sort of an urgency. Now she truly did have a headache. She started to massage her temples and when she did she became aware of a sound, very faint, from inside her own head. She jumped in her chair. The sound became louder, clearer; the sound became a voice.

"Mama," the voice clearly said and instantly she knew that it was Cassie. She'd never contacted her before but Sheila was not frightened, she was happy.

"Mama, we have to go now. He's in the house." She was so happy to hear Cassie's voice that she didn't even realize what she'd said to her at first. When she did she nearly jumped out of her skin.

"How do you know?" she thought, hoping that Cassie would hear her thoughts.

"I just know stuff," came the reply.

"Cassie we can't leave just now. How can I explain to mom that a voice in my head tells me that we need to leave?" She didn't think Cassie would understand that any better than her mom would. She was surprised when she heard Cassie's reply.

"Gramma can't know about me. We can wait, but not much longer."

"We're nearly done Cassie. Just hang on. I just have to get away from her long enough to call the pol-"

"No! I know how to fix it. I can fix it mama. If you call she'll know about me. She'll think you are crazy. We have to go soon so I can fix it."

The girl who was doing her feet was looking at her rather oddly; she tapped her lightly on the foot. "You’re all set. They’ll be coming to take you to make-up in a minute." She walked away shaking her head. Just then her mom walked over to her.

"Well now I see that you are all done. They're told me I could come bring you back to George. You’re going to love him, honestly!" She smiled down at her daughter.

"Mom, to be honest, I'm starting to not feel well. Do you mind if we just go?" She put on her most sorrowful face knowing that her mom could not resist that.

"If you're sure..."

"Yes, mom, lets just pay for this and go home."

They drove home in near silence. Sheila couldn't speak. She was preparing herself mentally for facing him and wondering if perhaps she had in fact gone crazy. During the past few years that Cassie had been showing up she'd thought it over and over again. Still she never seemed to be much bother. She typically hadn't shown up for more than 15 minutes at a time and never at an inopportune time. When it first started happening she thought it was just stress. Then about a month after she started to show she made an appearance to one other person, he best friend, Elise. When she'd come out of it that time she sat facing Elise who was looking at her stunned. She told her what had happened. That she'd become like a 3 or 4 year old child who said her name was Cassie. She'd told Elise that she'd come to her so that she could tell her Mama who she was and she would not worry.

But as they pulled into the driveway she was worried. Very, very worried. She'd put her trust in a voice in her head that may be a product of her own insanity or may be the soul of her dead child. Either way she had no cause to feel comfort. She thought for a moment to tell her mother, but couldn't, didn't know where to begin. Then Cassie whispered to her.

"Its okay Mama. I know what to do. He won't hurt us anymore."

She took a deep breath and put her key in the lock. Not sure what to expect she opened the door and walked in. She was almost immediately chilled by the sound of his voice coming from the kitchen.

"Honey, I'm home," his voice surreally happy, almost comical. There was an edge to his words, like something from The Shining. The implication of the thought stopped her dead in her tracks and he walked through the archway into the living room. "I see you brought my favorite bitch-in-law with you too. Good thing because its really her that I'm here to see."

"You get out of this house immediately. I'm calling the police." Her mother started to do just that and was stopped by his quick back hand to her chest. She would've fallen if Sheila hadn't rushed up to help her. Her mother looked more stunned than hurt.

"You can't do this to me anymore. You can't do this to us!" She was so angry that she hadn't noticed it at first. But now she did. Now she noticed that he had a gun.

"Oh, but you are wrong. You always were a stupid bitch Sheila. I see you haven't changed any," he laughed these last words at her. "But I have. I've had a lot of time to think Sheila. I've figured things out. I figure that it’s not your fault that you're so stupid. Its her!" He bit the words out and pointed the gun at her mother. When he spoke again he was calm. "You did this all along. You knew Sheila was dense and so you manipulated her to do what you wanted. But even when she started to be punished, you still had her do things that would anger me. You couldn't punish her yourself, so you sent her to me. You used me to do it for you. But you crossed the line when you took my child away from me." Both women looked at him in disbelief. Both figuring that he'd totally lost his mind in jail. Sheila was the first to break the silence.

"You're crazy. You beat the hell out of me!! I still have the scars!! How can you blame my mother?"

"SHUT UP!!! The goddamn trains Sheila, think. Your father had a train set. She knew what they meant and she purposefully had you destroy them. I think she liked to see you beat, wanted to see it, -- " The hit caught him totally off guard. Her mother had come up to him and walloped him in the head with her purse. It was a mistake. He turned quick and slammed her in the side of the head with the gun, knocking her out cold. Sheila was on him in an instant beating at him and screaming.

"YOU MONSTER! If you've killed her I'll see you fry. I couldn't get it for Cassie but I can get it for my mother."

"Shut the fuck up Sheila," He said almost nonchalantly as he flicked her off his arm like an unwelcome insect. "She's not dead just passed out. Which means we have some waiting to do. She's ruined my plans with that idiotic move. Seems the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, huh She?"

"What plans? What are you going to do?" She was terrified. She hadn't heard from Cassie. She was now sure that Cassie was just part of her own delusion. She didn't know what to do and she was becoming increasingly sure she was going to die.

"Well see She, since she was responsible for the loss of my child, I'm going to be responsible for the loss of hers," the laughter was back in his voice but she failed to see the humor in his words. Instead she felt cold and suddenly like she was going to pass out. Then Cassie was there and more insistent than ever.

"Touch him Mama. Do it now. I know he can not hurt you if you touch him. Please believe me."

She didn't just touch him. She was so filled with rage and new courage that she lunged at him, catching him off guard she through her hands around his neck. But there was no struggle. He raised his hands as if to ward her off but they had no strength, no effect. But still she shrank back as though he'd pushed her forcibly. That is not what happened. At the second she'd made contact with him she felt a sudden surge of power followed by a coldness rushing through, out of, her body. She fell back as if from the recoil of it and she knew at once that Cassie was gone. His screams told her were she was, she was in his brain. His hands were on the sides of his head, squeezing as he flailed around, blindly. And the screams, the eerie screams that sometimes seemed combined with the laughter of a little girl. When again he spoke he was ranting.

"Get out, get out get out! Stop it, stop doing this! Enough you are hurting me! Stop! Sheila make it stop please! Make it stop!" By this point he had dropped into a heap on the floor. Sheila stood transfixed and then knew what she had to do. She touched him again, and just as quickly, she had Cassie with her again. But that didn't stop what was going on with him. He was now in tears and his only sounds unintelligible.

"Cassie what did you do to him?" She asked but she wasn't sure if she wanted the answer.

"I made him see and feel." Came the simple reply.

"What did you make him see and feel Cas?"

"He sees what he did to me even when his eyes are closed and he feels every hurt he ever caused to you."

"How long will he see and feel those things?"

"Always."

Sheila jumped suddenly at the sound of the front door opening. She turned to face Jason who was looking rather confused at the blathering lump on the floor.

"Sheila, my god, what on earth is going on here?"

"Jason, that is a long story." She almost collapsed into his arms. "We have some more immediate concerns first, once we get this all sorted out, I'll tell you - all of it."

She'd been living with Jason a month now. She'd told him everything. He'd met and gotten used to the presence of Cassie. Her mother had been fine. A mild concussion and a night in the hospital, but all things considered, she was right as rain. Things were slowly getting back to normal for Sheila.

The once strong man was now pathetically weak. One month after being remanded to the care of the South Brook home for the Clinically Insane he plucked his own eyes out. He died screaming over and over that he could still see.

That night Sheila felt restless, couldn't sleep. She went down to the kitchen to make some tea when Cassie came to talk to her.

"Its time for me to go now Mama, " her voice a mixture of sadness and joy.

"I know baby, I can feel it. But I can't lose you again," Sheila’s own voice was only sad.

"You never lost me the first time. I was always here. Now I have to go. It is over."

"Will I hear from you again?"

"Not like this. I can feel it pulling Mama, I have to go. I love you."

"I love you too Cassie. Please baby, just stay with me a bit longer." Her voice anguished, pleading.

She tightened her eyes against the shrill ringing of the phone. She walked to it and knew before she got there that Cassie was gone. She picked up the receiver to the voice of her lawyer. She almost knew what he was going to say before he said it. It was finished.