Hello again everyone! This is a rewrite of chapter thirteen from the book Beatie Bow by Ruth Park
It's time for a disclaimer: I don't own it:D
It's a short story thingy that we had to do in English class. I liked it, ad figured you readers and reviewers out there might like it, too. If you read it, pleeeaaaase review as well! I don't mind what the content of the review is, but if it's a flame, make sure you actually have a point and it's not just meaningless spam. Thankyou!
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Playing Beatie Bow
Chapter 13 Rewrite
As Abigail walked through the sunny, deserted streets of her new hometown in Norway one last time, she heard the giggles of children in the park she was passing by.
They were playing a game, standing in a circle and clapping enthusiastically as two girls in the middle hooked arms and swung each other around, laughing giddily.
Abigail couldn't help but be reminded of her adventure in 19th century New South Wales.
'The place I'll be seeing again not two weeks from now' She thought with a sigh. The Kirk family were going to be moving back to Sydney on the Twenty-ninth, in ten days.
The house was a flurry of packing, unpacking and repacking, as the days rolled out like a red carpet leading up towards the flight back to Sydney.
"I'm home!" Abigail called, shutting the front door behind her. Boxes and loose bits and bobs were strewn across the scenery, giving a messy, unorganised look. It was the same as before she left, meaning that no one had come home yet.
It seemed as soon as she placed down her bag, two loud knocks rang through the near-silence.
"Um... Coming!" She called nervously. Just the force of the knock was so intimidating that the door quivered as she turned the handle.
Outside, rain was pouring, and a tall, dark figure stood under a black umbrella.
"Abigail Kirk?" The figure boomed in an obviously male voice.
"Y-yes?" Abigail stuttered, shrinking back into the warmth and familiarity of her home as much as possible without moving from the position she was standing in.
The stranger took a step forward, letting the light from the kitchen fall on his features.
"Abby, It's me," He said. Fair hair, cut strangely. A face she recognised as easily as her own. "Judah."
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Abigail woke with a start. It was not the first time she had had the dream. Ever since she had taken that one last walk along the road, her mind had re-written the events of the afternoon and played them back to her again and again while she slept.
The Kirk family had already returned to Australia, and many times Abigail had been reminded of the Bows.
Every little thing she did, every detail she had the chance to spy upon reminded her of something from the time of Beatie Bow.
Unwanted memories would return at even the brush of her hand against a stone wall.
"I will not have that dream again tonight. I will live my life in modern day Australia. I will not let these memories keep haunting me!" Abigail said quietly to herself as she turned off the lamp on her bedside table and pulled the floral-pattern blanket up to her chin.
The pattern reminded her of the crochet.
Abigail shut her eyes defiantly, silently vowing to forget everything about her adventure in 19th century Australia.
Soon she was asleep, and dream-free.
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Abigail groaned as glaring light pounced upon her when she opened her eyes.
Kathy chuckled from the other side of the room.
"I see you've forgotten how sunny Australia is." She said with a smile.
"Good morning to you too, my dear mother." Abigail said, sarcasm coating her words. She sat up and yawned, looking around the room.
It was practically empty, and every piece of furniture had a new home and position.
"Now that we're finished poking fun at each other, I have an announcement." Kathy said, sitting herself down on the edge of the bed.
"Yeah? What is it?" Abigail crawled forward to her mother.
"It turns out the people who bought Magpie's got word that we were coming back, and couldn't be happier! They say that they've been trying to sell it for weeks, but to no luck! I'm going down there to buy it back." Kathy said happily, standing.
"When are you leaving?" Abigail asked, following suit.
"Right now!"
"Oh – forget that then, I'm not coming!" Abigail flopped back down onto the bed. She would have liked to go, but unpacking was and urgent need in the Kirk household, and she had been meaning to visit the Crowns next-door.
"I wasn't even thinking of asking you to come – I'm taking your father with me." Kathy said, strolling out of the room.
"Okay, suit yourself!" Abigail called pulling covers back up to her chin.
Soon the sounds of daily life fizzled out as her parents left the house with a quick 'Seeya'.
Throwing the covers back she stood and walked out into the kitchen.
The lights were on, reflecting of the white bench.
Dread filled Abigail as two loud knocks rang through the near-silence.
"Coming…" She whispered, reciting her dream self.
Her legs seemed to move on their own, carrying her to the front door.
As she reached for the shiny brass handle, her hand shook. The cold metal of the doorknob broke her from her reverie; the realisation that she might be facing Judah pounding through her mind and sending butterflies frantically squabbling in the pit of her stomach.
Abigail took a deep breath and opened the door. A man under a black umbrella giving of vibes of horror did not stand there. A man that seemed to radiate kindness waited on the opposite side of the door, holding a pair of shoes that Abigail recognised. Recognised as the pair she had left behind.
"Abby," The man said. Abigail swallowed loudly and looked up at his angelic face.
"It's me, Judah."
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Hi again! Thankyou heaps for reading all the way to the end. Please take some time to leave a comment and maybe read some of my other stories. I would be very grateful if you did!
Xx Katsuneko