ABBY
The Gift
It was dark outside. The sun had just set and the moon hung low in the sky. In the play park all that could be heard was the occasional drip of the rain. The vandalized swing sets and broken roundabout gleamed in the moonlight. A rat scurried across the coloured tarmac and disappeared down a drain. The park was almost empty. A young girl sat on a swing. She was small and thin. She had brown hair cut short and had staring eyes. The girl looked at her watch which told her it was ten thirty. She got up from the swing and made towards the zebra crossing. She stepped out onto the road just as a large bus rolled towards her. She ran out of it's way into a dark alleyway. She felt the first drops of a rainstorm fall on her nose and cheeks. She knew she had to get home quickly before the storm started so she broke into a run. She felt the cold of the air pierce her skin and as she was running she heard something. A very faint sound. Like a saw scraping on wood. It was coming from a side alley. She took a step towards it. She felt herself walk towards it, slowly. The sound started to pick up and she moved towards it. She started moving more quickly through the maze of alleyways. She took a left, another left, a right, another left. All the while the sound of scraping got louder and louder until it was like screaming in her ears. She winced but ran faster towards the sound. She rounded the corner and a voice screamed "Abby!"
"Abby. Abby wake up!" Abby's eyes snapped open and she sat bolt upright. Her mother was standing over her. She resembled Abby in almost every way except her hair was a much darker shade of brown.
"What time is it?" Asked Abby. She yawned and looked at her clock which read ten thirty in the morning. "Mum, I'm gonna be late!"
"No you're not it's Sunday."
"Sunday?"
"Yes. It's time to go."
"Go where?"
"To Church." Of course. How could Abby have forgotten.
"All right, all right I'll be up in a second." Her mother left the room. Abby turned on her lamp and opened the curtains. Light poured into her room. Abby's room was the same as any fourteen year olds. Posters clad the wall and school work littered the desk. She got dressed into a pair of denim trousers and a blue jumper. She walked down stairs and went into the kitchen. It was a plain, tiled room with one black countertop and an oven. Her father was sitting at the table reading the news. He was a short man with a big, bushy mustache and a slightly sunken appearance. He glanced up at her said "morning" and went back to reading his paper. Abby sat down and poured herself some cereal.
"We're going to be late again." said her Father from behind his paper.
"We shan't be too late." replied Abby.
"Late for what dear?"
"Church!"
"Oh, of course!"
Abby's mother came in and they all walked outside into the drive and got into the car. They pulled off out of the drive and started moving towards church. As they were driving Abby saw a play park that looked identical to the one in her dreams. A young girl sat in the swig. Suddenly she looked up and stared strait into the car at Abby. The car stopped at traffic lights right on the edge of the park. The young girl had long brown hair the partially covered her face and was in a tangle. She got out of the swing seat and started moving towards the car. She moved slowly and jerked forwards. Abby felt clammy. Then a sound filled the car. The sound of scraping echoed throughout the car and a high pitched screaming noise filled Abby's ears. Abby clasped her hands over her ears and the girl started walking closer and closer. The little girl pulled out a knife from her dress and cocked her head; her eyes filled with anger.
"Drive! Drive!" Abby screamed at her father. Her mother turned round
"What' wrong Abby?" She asked.
"There, that girl!" She pointed to the little girl on the pathway.
"What girl where?" Her mother looked around.
CRACK
An fireball erupted in front of the car. The windscreen smashed and the car was lifted a few foot into the air and then plummeted into into the ground. Abby jerked forward and blacked out.
"It's your problem now. Death is just the beginning. You must stop it."
Abby woke up. She was lying in a comfortable bed in a hospital clinic. Suddenly her head seared with pain; as though someone had pulled a knife across her brain.
"Look, she's awake!" Doctors rushed towards her. Abby sat up and a pain shot up from her back. She yelled. A doctor put her hand on her head and soothed her. "It's going to be fine." The doctors waited patiently while they waited for her to calm down.
"W-what happened?" Abby asked.
"You were the victim of a bomb attack." Abby gasped and started to sob.
"Don't worry." Said a doctor "You were one of the three casualties."
"What about my parents!" yelled Abby.
"They're fine. They're waiting for you."
"W-who are the other casualties?"
"There's you. A certain Camilla Rouge and a young girl called Zephy."
"What happened to them?"
"Camilla suffered head and brain injuries but she'll pull through. Unfortunately Zephy was killed."
"Killed?"
"Yes. She was the one in the road. She was holding a knife." Abby felt her insides freeze. The little girl from the play park with the long hair. She must have been killed by the bomb. But why would anyone want to plant a bomb outside a play park.
"Abby?" Abby woke up from her daydream.
"I want to go home." She said.
"All right. Get out of your bed. Your parents are outside of the ward." Abby got out of her bed and looked around. In the ward there was just another bed. In it lay a girl with short brown hair. She had a slightly mousy face and was quite short. She had a bandage wrapped around her head.
"That's camilla." The doctor said. Abby walked out of the ward. Her back stilled pained her but it had mainly subsided. She looked around. She was standing in a long corridor which was completely white except for the occasional bench.
"Abby!" Her mother and father ran to her and her mother threw her arms around her. "We're so glad you alright. Are you feeling?"
"Pretty bad. I want to go home."
"Alright. Alright come home." I'm so glad you're alright.
"I'm fine Dad."
"Good. Good." Maybe she should spend more time in the hospital.
"Dad. I'm fine. I don't need to spend any more time here."
"I know Abby. I didn't say that."
"You didn't?"
"No. Come on. Let's get out of here."
In the car Abby felt cold. She had been sure that her father had spoken to her. I heard him. They turned a corner and Abby saw the play park. It was completely empty. They stopped at traffic lights and a young man walked past the car. Whoa! Sweet ride. Abby gasped. She had heard the man but he hadn't been talking. Her mother looked round at her.
"Are you all right?" she inquired. Perhaps she should have spent more time at the hospital.
"Mum I'm fine!" Abby was starting to get agitate. She had just been informed that the old women in the car in front was developing lung cancer. The lights went green and the car drove on. Abby started hearing voices.
Do I look fat in this.
I don't wanna go.
I hope he doesn't.
Did that guy just look at me? Abby clapped her hands over her ears. Not only could she hear voices but the sound of scraping had returned. Ever do faintly but it was there. Scrape. The car pulled into the house drive.
We forgot the groceries! Never mind we've got some salad left! Abby's mum turned round to face her. "Abby why don't you get some sleep. You must be shattered.
"Ok." Abby got out of the car and entered the house. She climbed the staircase and went into her room. She got into bed and fell asleep.
Hello Abby. Abby stood before Zephy. They were in the play park. It was night and an occasional snowflake drifted down. Zephy was grinning. You have a mission. An objective. You also have a gift. As you may have noticed you can read people's minds. This is a skill that you currently have no control over. But don't worry in time you will be able to. As for you're mission. It's quite simple really. I'll show you what I have started and then I'll tell you how to finish it.
Matthew Ray put down his coffee and walked into the middle of his office. It was a small cubicle with a desk that filled the majority of it. He put on his coat and prepared to leave but as he did so his telephone rang. Beep Beep. Matthew couldn't be bothered to answer it. He twisted the door handle but couldn't open it. Beep beep. He pulled hard at the door but it remained shut. Beep Beep. He got his shoulder and slammed it against the door. It did nothing. Beep Beep. Matthew went over to his desk and picked up the telephone "Hello?" He listened hard but there was no one on the other side. Just as he was about to but the phone down he heard a noise through the telephone. It was the sound of scraping. Like a saw cutting through wood. He slammed the phone down and ran to the door and punched it as hard as he could screaming "Help? Hello? Anybody help me." There was no one there. He could still hear the deafening sound of scraping. As though the phone had planted it in his brain. Then the door handle started to turn. Very slowly. Matt ran behind his desk and took out a penknife. He heard the door open but he didn't dare look. Okay. On the count of 3 I'll jump up and attack it. He flicked the knife out.1. He heard footsteps coming from behind the desk.2. The sound of scraping rang in his ears.3. He jumped up from behind the desk and yelled. Standing there was a little girl. Her hair was covered in blood and she had slit marks on her neck and wrists. Her eyes were bloodshot and her face was skeletal. Her head hung to one side of her neck which was bloodstained. She was holding a kitchen knife. Matt plunged his knife into her. Blood poured from the cut but she didn't seem to notice. She raised her knife once again. Goodbye Matthew.
"Why?" yelled Matt. "WHY?"
The girls mouth opened slowly. Because you lacked the courage. Matt heard the sound of scraping as the girl plunged the knife in between his eyes.
Julian Sky but her schoolbag on her bed and went to her desk and started to cry. Tear swelled up inside her and she felt completely alone. "Julian? Julian Dinners ready." Julian heard her mother calling. She sobbed and walked over to her door. She turned the handle but the door wouldn't open. She went back to her desk and found a key. It wouldn't fit in the lock.
Then the phone rang.
"Mum? Mum can you hear me?" Shouted Julian. Beep Beep. Julian turned round and looked into the mirror and screamed. Instead of her reflection there was a little girl. Beep Beep. She had tangled brown hair and deep blue eyes. Julia picked up the telephone and listened. She couldn't hear anything at first. She looked back at the mirror. There was no girl there. Julia gave a sigh of relief but as she was about to put the phone down she heard a sound. Like polystyrene rubbing together. The door started to open. Julian blinked. The door was shut but there was a girl in the room. She was staring at the floor and walking towards Julian. Julian started scratching at the wall in desperation. She looked back and the girl was staring right at her. Her face was covered in blood and she had knife marks all over her. Pieces of skin had been teared from her body. She pulled out a kitchen knife from her dress and raised it.
"Please!" screamed Julia "why are you doing this?" The girl's mouth opened slowly. Because you lacked the courage.
So you see Abby. You have a mission.
"No." said Abby. "I won't do it. You can't make me do that. It's disgusting. You're demented. Go away." No Abby. Don't you understand. There is no escape. You have no idea how hard I tried to stop. But when the voices tell you what to do there is no stopping yourself. There is no escape. Except passing the gift on.
"There must be another way. How do I stop it?" You don't. You are a slave now. Unless you find your other half.
"What the hell does that mean?" Screamed Abby. I don't know. It's just what I was told when I was given the gift.
"And how do I pass it on?" You die. Zephy started to fade away.
"Zephy! Zephy don't leave me!" You'll be fine.
"No! Please!" Goodbye Abby.
Abby woke up.