She takes a deep breath to steady her aim, one more as she squeezes the trigger. Recoil sends padded rubber into her shoulder, true to her teaching, with just one shot off her Winchester model 70 the doe is down. Her peripheral catches movement before a hand is on her shoulder, congratulating her on a painless take down but when she turns her father isn't there.
This is her first solo hunt, her first hunt since her family's belongings were left to her as part of the estate. His rifle had felt foreign in her hands at first, colder, heavier than it had been before. Sliding the strap over her shoulder Abigail approaches the doe, kneeling beside her and stroking the pelt tenderly before kissing her forehead "I will honour you Faline" She whispers tenderly in the deer's ear before setting both rifle and pack down. Once that is done she pulls her deer drag brace out of her pack, looping the rope around the female's neck, just below the jaw nice and snug and fits it to her drag before tugging it over her shoulders and clipping the belt. She isn't sure why she went for a doe, the majority of her mind screams at her that it is because that is how he taught her.
It takes Abigail nearly an hour to hike back to the car, exhausted and starving from the effort despite the petite size of the doe. The doe had lept with feline grace befitting of the name before Abigail's bullet downed her. Another twenty minutes sees the doe secured to the roof of her car but Abigail sits in her camo, her eyes wide and childlike even as her tongue peeks out to moisten her lips with excess saliva as a thin pink trail of blood begins to run down her windshield, glistening in the mid-morning light. Gone is the girl afraid to butcher and consume a deer, present is a young woman who had been raised twisted, not realizing that more than half the meat she fed upon the last few months was that of others near her age with moms and dads and pets and homework. She had always been a meat eater, preferring animal protein to any veg her mother attempted to make her eat as a child but now the craving for flesh has become a constant in her mind. While she has on occasion tentatively mentioned this carnivorous urge to Dr. Lecter he had advised her against admission to Dr. Bloom, enforcing the knowledge upon her that if Dr. Bloom had any indication in her pretty head that she should believe that Abigail assisted her father in his grisly murders she would see Abigail served to the FBI on a silver platter and locked up for good.
The ring of her phone brings her back to reality and she initiates the cleaner and wiper blades, scraping away the tantalizing fluid before picking up her phone, her brows furrow when she sees thename on her screen, she had thought that exchanging numbers was more of a formality at least, a tentative show of compassion at best and had never expected a call. "Agent Graha-Will, uh hi." She speaks into the phone nearly as awkwardly as the man on the other end "No, I'm not. I, well I went out hunting this morning. Dr. Lecter offered to teach me to cook venison and I was actually going to ask him to invite you to dinner some night, you know, if I don't manage to completely ruin whatever he intends to teach me." hearing barking in the background on his end she smiles, there has to be at least eight or more different "voices" that Will is shushing as if speaking to a crowed of toddlers "If this is a bad time, I can call you back after I have gotten to the doctor's hou-oh, well I will see you there then"
The man abruptly disconnects and she stares quizzically at the phone before shaking her head and putting the phone in her cup holder to drive. She had found it strange when, during their last get together Dr. Lecter had mentioned that Agent Graham felt responsible toward her, as if he owed it to her to guard her, protect her and she can only hope that he lives up to that. If her father's fate is any indication, it is not a matter if she will get caught but rather a matter of when, should she travel down the road that she is afraid of admitting even to Dr, Lecter.
Once on the highway she follows the directions that the doctor had given her on a slip of lightly floral scented paper, his handwriting beautiful and very easy to read unlike her own, it makes her wonder just how much self control he must possess at all times to maintain such a steady hand. Smiling she turns the radio on and listens to some senseless pop music only a moment before changing the station and settling on country, still annoying but a little better than hearing some whore talk about living life like she is "gonna die young", silently hoping that she does so the bitch would just shut the fuck up. It surprises Abigail how quickly and intensely anger rises up, she knows one thing though, if she were to tell Dr. Lecter he would advise she learn to control that anger because anger leaves evidence. His voice in her head causes her to take a deep calming breath, it is almost as if he is there with her, coaching her. Her hands slacken their grip on the wheel and she keeps her eyes on the road.
Another thirty minutes sees her pulling up in the largest driveway that she had ever seen, it could easily fit more than twenty cars, looking more like a horseshoe shaped parking lot than a driveway, the house so vast it sends shivers down her spine to look up at it, few lights on from the many windows but she knows that he will have been awake just as long as she has been ,possibly nearly finished fixing the lunch that he had mentioned they would share together. Pulling closer to the garage a shadow appears in a window and the heavy door opens to reveal a three car garage with two parked inside. Cutting her engine she gets out and begins to untie her doe but in nearly the blink of an eye a second pair of hands are helping her.
Abigail stops for a moment, she is surprised to see the doctor wearing casual clothes, a part of her never considered him likely to even own a pair of jeans let alone a dirty, faded, worn out pair. "Thank you" she mumbles lightly and he nods her welcome before hoisting the doe down for her while she fastens the drag to her body again. "No need for that, I would be remiss in considering myself an gentleman if I were to leave a woman to bear such a heavy burden while in my presence. Please remove it from your back." His smile is warm, one that makes her feel is reserved just for her "Thank you Doctor."
Abigail sheds the drag brace and unfastens it from the rope seeing the doctor grab the doe's forelegs "You did well my dear, this doe will provide many fine meals" his smile is now not only warm but one of pride as he effortlessly drags the carcass through the garage. Abigail retrieves her bag of extra clothing and toiletries and shuts her car door, hurrying after Hannibal, the garage door shutting behind the pair suddenly, making Abigail jump with surprise. Noting her round blue eyes in the sharp lighting the doctor chuckles "Relax dear Abigail." He coos softly and releases a hand on the carcass to key in a code that results in a secondary door opening, automatic lighting being triggered and illuminating his work space. Her mouth falls open in an unladylike manner which he catches quickly. "Now Abigail, I hope you do not wish to catch flies, please close your mouth, that is a rude facial gesture" Nodding she closes her mouth, looking for a moment at her feet before back up at him "I'm sorry, I am just not used to all of this. Your home is so big and this is nothing like the cabin we used for hunting in the woods back home. Thank you for inviting me" Pleased Hannibal flashes his approving smile once more and she breaths in. "I will hang this doe to drain the rest of the blood from her in the room there where her meat will not spoil while you shower and ready for lunch, Mr. Graham will be joining us shortly for lunch so please do hurry."
Abigail enters through the doorway he had indicated, flipping a light switch to reveal a windowless hallway, pausing to listen to directions to the guest bath where she is to clean herself up. Keying in a code he had told her opens a door into the kitchen where she pauses once more to take in the elegance of the room but remembering his request that she be expedient she hurries along knowing that she will get to study the room better soon. Her walk to the bathroom reveals priceless drawings and other wonderful works of art. Stepping closer she notices that it is the doctor's signature that adorns the corner of the drawings closest to her, judging from the style she concludes that they must all be his own drawings.
The bathroom takes her breath away, every detail is as meticulous as she has come to learn that Hannibal expects. Not a streak mars the glass mirror or a watermark the marble sink. Within arm's reach of the sink is a vanity type area with a chair of ornate wood and fine red velvet, the lights more natural there. Looking around she notices what appears to be a closet which is revealed to contain the toilet. Continuing her adventure of the bathroom larger than her bedroom had had been she sees frosted glass at the end. Inside is a seating area and an area for her clothes as well as a freshly folded white towel. Everything about this place is so pristine and sophisticated, so very Hannibal Lecter.
Pulling her clothes out she hangs them on the hangers provided, happy that the steam of her shower would smooth any wrinkles they had picked up in the bag. Disrobing she folds her camo clothes and sets the on the seating area before traveling to the other end of the shower where she finds three shower heads on each wall, another in the ceiling With a girlish smile she turns the water on and steps into the multi-directional flow, immediately feeling cleaner and reaching for her hair tie with one hand, her shampoo with the other. She had sat her shampoo and soap on a shelf within reach, something she loves even more about the whole room.
The suds grow as she steps from the water to lather her hair, soon washing it out and reaching for her soap, bubbles caressing her body and pulling away the dirt and sweat. Her eyes close blissfully as she soaks it all in.
-A.N.-
Hello there readers. So I hope that you enjoyed this first chapter, this is my first hesitant step into writing again, as you can see if you venture to my profile I have the majority of my stories incomplete. I will be looking for a Beat for this story to light a fire under my arse should I begin to neglect this story as well as help me to clear up any errors that it may have. Thank you for your time, reviews would be much appreciated, especially constructive criticisms that will help me make this story a worth while read