Abby is intriguing me right now. The story, yes, is partly inspired by the Nightwish song of the same name. She is inspired, partly, by me. Her eclectic taste, especially.

Anyway, I am currently writing 3 chaptered fan-fiction plots and an original short story. I apologize for any delays in updating on this, A Diamond Heart, or The Bone Challenge.

I would suggest that you listen to "Slept So Long" from the film Queen of the Damned when you reach the italicized portion, the flashback; that's the song she's singing.

xHx


The pair of redheads made their way into the central office of the school. They were among the very first students to arrive, as always. It was because of them that those whose employment was based solely in the office had begun arriving before seven in the morning.

"Hello, Abigail, Dexter," said a round-faced, smiling woman behind the counter, seated at a computer with three screens. Abigail herself had designed the masterpiece for her to use at work – as a freshman year project. The following summer, she had designed a personal robot for the woman, naming it Moira.

"Good morning, Beatrice," Abigail said.

"Moira seems to have a short in her wiring. She keeps repeating the same song over and over," she replied, pulling a clipboard from her bottom drawer and laying it on the

"Sounds like a software malfunction. Bring her in tonight. It'll take five minutes to diagnose and ten to fifteen to fix." Abigail plucked a sunflower-adorned pen from the terra cotta pot to her right and signed her name. Mandark – who Abby preferred to call Suzy – had already signed in. She dotted the two Is in her name, set the pen down, and slid the clipboard closer to Dexter. "Suzy's already here?"

"That he is, Abigail," Beatrice said. "I'll be by your house at about six o'clock."

"Glad to hear it," Abby replied, pulling the clipboard back when Dexter's signature adorned the third line. "Cameron Ethan Pavel?"

"A new faculty member. He claims to have experience with those who have a genius IQ."

"Have you met him before, Beatrice?" Dexter asked, pulling the clipboard away from Abby and handing it to the woman.

"He came in this morning to pick up his elevator key for the classroom. He seems nice enough." She pulled two keys from another drawer in her desk. "Do not lose these. There are only six in existence that can take the elevator to your classroom. Each key is implanted with a microchip that activates the tiny blue button between the first and second floor buttons. Any attempt to pick the lock and make it work will make the elevator shut down for three whole hours. If you lose your key, arrive with another student in Mr. Pavel's class. Is that clear?"

"Yes, Beatrice," Abigail said, taking one of the keys. "Crystal clear."

Dexter took the other, and they walked out of the office. Abby's heels clicked nicely on the linoleum floor.

"They think we cannot replicate these keys ourselves?" Dexter said.

"I helped design them, Dexter. Remember last year's design, with the teeth of the key being made entirely of microchip?" The bespectacled boy nodded. "That was Beatrice's idea. This year, I helped improve the design. Instead of the entire lower portion of the key being a microchip, the chip is surrounded by the bronze. Only one small, glass window on the edge of one of the teeth allows them to be scanned. This makes it harder to replicate."

"Oh," Dexter said.

"But," Abby continued, "I have a spare hiding in my lab. I made them myself, so I made myself a little insurance policy. A seventh key."

"Of course you did. How, exactly, did you manage to get the exact same technology into all seven keys?"

So naïve, Abby thought, shaking her head. "I have a microchip design program, Dexter, darling. I made the microchips myself – all seven of them. Of course this was after I redesigned the latch in the elevator and installed the new version. It was easy enough."

The elevator was at the end of the hall. Abby tapped the button on the right and grinned as the door slid away, revealing the stainless steel interior. The duo walked in, and the soft music playing over the speaker engulfed them in a memory…


It was eighth grade. Abby had signed up for the talent show and, because of who her father was, she hadn't required an audition. She'd also been given special permission to utter the single swear word in the lovely and seductive song she'd chosen, though it was featured more than once.

Her long red hair was curled, contrasting beautifully with the short-sleeved green velvet dress she'd purchased just for this event. Short black satin sandals gleamed on her feet as she lifted her skirt, walking to the microphone.

Her father had asked eight high-school seniors, ladies, to dress in flowing and seductive dresses that would sway with each step they took in the dance they had been instructed to perform.

As the seductive, rolling music began, she could not stop her own hips from rolling slightly as her hands gripped the microphone stand. An empty chair glared at her from the front row. Where was her father?

He'd never miss a performance.

Ever.

As her volume grew and the curse word was flung from her lips, she saw the fear in the eyes of her captivated audience. It was so easy. The audience was in falling in love with her, and no one even flinched the second time she shouted the word.

She licked her lips and rolled her hips in the lull of the music, releasing the microphone stand.

She screamed her father's favorite lines of the song with her eyes on his empty chair. He wasn't there to see the crowd's reaction.

As the audio faded away, she followed the other girls in their dance as they moved from the stage. She had no idea that Dexter was left open-mouthed and staring after her.


An hour later, her mother was waiting with the news, Mitchell on her arm already.

Dr. Anthony William Bordeaux and six others had died on impact when the airplane they'd chartered to travel from Morocco to the doctor's hometown for his daughter's eighth grade talent show had crashed into a seaside cliff.

He'd never see the video.


It was coming. I needed to write this part. The song and the talent show seemed an ideal part to write. I've always wanted a talented character!

Much love,

xHx