Revival
The impact into the icy water knocked the breath out of Willie and he felt his muscles begin to seize almost immediately. He spun around in the water thrashing his hands wildly trying to stay above the surface and frantically looking for Abigail. In an instant he felt something tugging at his leg and the water swirled around him, suctioning him down into the frigid depths. He managed one last gasp of air before he was pulled under the black waters. He had his eyes opened wide but couldn't tell what direction was up. Panic set in deeper as his heart raced out of his chest. He clawed as if he were trying to climb a non-existent ladder to the surface but his body continued to spin deeper and deeper below. He was just about to draw an involuntary mouthful of water into his lungs when he was catapulted up to the surface. He searched around desperately looking for Abigail.
It was her screams that drew his eyes to her location and he immediately began to swim towards her. She couldn't keep her head above water with her arms bound and he tried to shout out to her as she bobbed several times before she disappeared below the surface.
"Abby! ABBY!" Willie swam to where she was and began pushing the water from side to side as if he were able to clear it away to find her. He dove under the icy water and was driven by pure adrenaline when he saw her floating. He dove down and grabbed on to her, pulling her up to the surface. "Hold on Abby…Oh God hold on!"
Willie shredded through the water and reached the river bank. He pulled her out and immediately tipped her head to the side and gave her multiple chest compressions in the hopes that the water would expel. Abigail's chest lurched up off the ground and Willie quickly rolled her on her side as she sputtered water and began to vomit on the river bank. He whispered softly in her ear as he untied the ropes telling her that it would be alright but the sound of his voice caused Abigail to tense. After a second or two she began to pull away from him.
"Abby…calm down! You're okay… you're okay!"
Abigail began to crawl and distance herself from him. When he reached out to her she backed away further. She struggled to get on her feet but once upright she quickly moved away.
"Shit…the locket!" Willie approached her but she continued to take a step back for every step he took forward. "I've had enough of this!" Willie ran towards her and before she could turn and run he wrapped both arms around her and as gently as he could he brought her down to the ground. Willie carefully pinned her to the cold forest floor, her legs squirming to get away, and her face turned away from his. He used some of his body weight to hold her down, grabbed the locket, and in one swift yank ripped it from her neck.
There was an impenetrable silence for a second but it seemed like minutes.
"Abby…please look at me. Please say something…anything…please!" Willie was on all fours over her, awkwardly petting her hair as if he were afraid to touch her for fear of breaking her. "Please…"
Abigail was scared to try and move. What if I can't? Oh God what if I still can't? She slowly moved her head to look at him and was elated when her body responded. She looked at his face and into those piercing blue eyes for the first time in such a long time. He stared back at her and a gentle smile crossed his lips. It was the same gentle smile that she would give anything to see. He swept her hair away from her face and Abigail could see the love and fear and relief in his gaze. She had missed him so terribly and she couldn't hold back her emotions.
"Oh Willie!" She choked out the words and began to cry as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close to her.
"Oh thank God," Willie returned the embrace and they both held onto each other, "God I've missed you." He wrapped his hand in her hair and the two lay on the ground together, their foreheads pressed against each other.
"Willie I'm so sorry." Abigail's voice was barely audible. "I didn't want to leave you down there. Every day I sat outside that cell I…I heard you…I died a thousand times…"
"Abby no…please…please don't cry." Willie helped her to sit up and pulled her onto his lap and held her tight. "Don't cry. I knew all the time you were there." Willie held on to her until she finally stopped crying but he had other thoughts on his mind. They had somehow survived but the fact that Angelique and Barnabas were still out there was not lost on him.
"We need to get out of here Abby. I need to get you into town and into some warm clothes. Your shaking."
They both looked around and saw the bridge. It was empty and there was no sign of either of their captors.
"Wh-where did they go?" Abigail was still whispering.
"I don't know and I don't care. We need to get out of here. We'll find the road and hitch a ride." He grabbed Abigail's hand and they began to walk from the bridge but she very clearly didn't have the strength to continue and she collapsed to the ground.
Willie picked her up and carried her like a child towards the road.
"Where is it? I need to set you down honey. Can you stand?" Willie gently placed Abigail down and she stood against a tree.
"Where the hell is the road? It should be right here!" Willie looked around but the only thing there was a dirt path about as wide as two cars. "I don't understand…"
"Are we lost?"
"I – uh… no. I don't think so…it doesn't make sense…the road was right here!" Willie looked around in every direction. "I know these woods like the back of my hand."
Abigail began to shake again, the wet clothes and the cold night air was starting to set in and she collapsed down to her knees.
"We need to get you out of these clothes and someplace warm." Willie scooped her up again and saw smoke in the distance. He knew it wasn't near the old house and he wondered what was causing the smoke. Campers maybe…they have a fire…worth a shot. Willie carried her through the woods to the source of the fire. He remembered the area but it looked so different now.
Willie again had to set Abigail down. She seemed to be gaining a small bit of strength and she stood on her own looking around.
"Abigail I never saw these houses before. I've .. I've been through these woods a hundred times. Only thing I ever found were the last decaying remains of some foundations and the old wells. Remember the night I fell in one? With the kids? It was around here I swear!" Willie stared at the small log homes in wonder.
"We've been gone over a year Willie…they must have been put up since we left. My guess is that someone bought this land and decided to rebuild them. Probably the historical society. They do this kind of thing...people live in these places and revive the old ways. Like a living museum."
"It does look like there are people here. I'm going to go knock on the door." Willie stood Abigail next to a tree and knocked on the door of the closest cabin. A young man greeted him.
"Can I help ya?" The man's face was serious but the expression changed as soon as he took a good look at Willie. It almost looked shocked.
"My wife and I … we," Willie struggled for words to explain what happened, "we had an accident and fell into the river. We have no car or money. She-she is freezing and I need to get her warm. I don't think she'll make it if I have to walk to town."
"Please…please come in." Willie retrieved Abigail and set her down in front of the fire place.
The young man hustled around the small cabin and lit several oil lamps. He didn't ask any questions and pulled on his shoes and coat. Willie noticed that they looked old, not tattered old but style wise old.
"You can stay here okay? I'll be back in maybe an hour. I don't have much but you're welcome to any food that I have. Ya need ta get her outta those clothes and warm. Here, wrap yourselves in the blankets and make sure ya warm her up in front of the fire."
Willie watched the man leave and was slightly concerned at his odd and abrupt departure, but right now his focus was on Abigail. She was shaking uncontrollably and he knew she was freezing. He had been there himself when Barnabas forced him outside in the cold for long periods of time and he remembered how agonizing it felt. Willie shook of the memories away and looked at her. Even in her current state he couldn't quantify the level of emotion he had for her. He never asked for it nor expected it and he certainly didn't feel he deserved her. He just loved her so completely and it scared him. The fear of losing her was unthinkable. Willie moved to her and gently removed her wet jacket and sweater as well as her wet pants. She sat in her undergarments shivering and sobbing while he pulled the blanket over her and stoked the fire. He quickly disrobed himself out of the wet garments and pulled her in close to him. They sat there with the warmth of the fire, skin on skin, warming each other back to normal.
While they waited for the man to return Abigail would still for brief periods of time but would inevitably break down in tears again. The emotions from the weeks before and the realization of what happened taking their toll.
"You were stolen from me," Abigail said in a whisper into Willie's neck, "I was terrified that I would never see you again."
Willie squeezed her tight. "Everything will be okay. I-I'm right here. Please…don't cry. In the morning we'll get a ride into Bangor and I'll call Eli."
"I knew something was wrong when I saw the daisies," Abigail began to sob again, "and those horrible plastic ties. Oh Willie you must have been so scared."
Willie gently turned her head so that he could look into her eyes. He cupped her face and kissed her while he wiped the tears from her cheeks. "I'm here…I'm right here and I'm okay…and more importantly you're okay. Close your eyes and try and get some sleep."
"Don't let go of me Willie." Abigail's body continued to shutter beneath the blankets. Willie wrapped his arms tight around her and pulled her as close as he could.
"I've got you. I won't let go."
Abigail drifted off to sleep, her shivering body finally quieted, and Willie managed to close his eyes and rest as he held her.
"Let them sleep Calem. They must be exhausted." An older woman stood beside the couple and looked down on them in a very motherly way. "They are a stunning couple aren't they? I wonder what caused them to jump from the bridge."
"Maybe one of 'ems sick," an elderly man sitting at the kitchen table spoke in a scratchy voice.
"I don't think so…they look fairly healthy to me given the circumstances."
The voices caused Willie to stir and open his eyes. He was surprised when he looked around to find a handful of people now standing and sitting in the small cabin, all eyes looking at him and Abigail.
"Uh..I…h-hello," Willie's body tensed and he stuttered out a whispered greeting to the strangers. He then quickly looked down at himself and Abigail to make sure that they were covered and not exposing any of their unclothed bodies beneath the blanket.
"Oh child you just relax," The older, motherly woman placed her hand on his head and patted it, "you are among friends here. Calem, honey, please put some hot soup on the fire."
"Yes ma'am." The young man swiftly followed orders and returned back to the strange couple.
Abigail started to stir and open her eyes. Willie gripped her tight and pulled the blanket around her so that she didn't accidentally open it up not realizing that they were currently on display. She leaned over and kissed Willie on the cheek and then let out a small gasp when she realized they were not alone, gripping Willie harder.
"My apologies, we didn't mean to scare ya. Let me introduce everybody," The young man walked to the older woman and put both his hands on her shoulders, "This is Rose. She lives here with me and is like a mother to me and the others." He then walked to the kitchen table and pointed at the elderly man, "This old man is Vernon. Grumpy as they come." He laughed and slapped the man on the back and the old man returned the laughter.
"The little girl there is Mary. She is about 5 or 6 I think. She doesn't speak much." The young man then walked over to a woman, possibly in her early thirties, and grabbed her hand to pull her out from the shadows. "This is Susana. She takes care of Mary."
"Very nice to meet you," the young lady said softly, "I'm very sorry for whatever reason brought you here."
"Susana, stop with that talk," the motherly woman shot Susana a stern look and then grabbed a pile of clothes and set them down near the couple, "now who might the two of you be?"
"Oh..I-I'm Willie, Willie Loomis and this is my wife Abby." He again pulled her tight against him.
"Pleasure to meet you Willie…Abby. There are others that were not able to come over to meet you. We all live in these cabins out here. There are 8 cabins in total. One of them is vacant and you are welcome to it. It does require some fixin' up but at least it is a place to stay. Vernon owns the land here and has kindly allowed us to live on it."
"That's very kind," Abigail answered quickly, "but we need to get back to Chicago. Could we trouble you for a night's stay and possibly a ride into Bangor in the morning? And I'm sorry I don't think we got your name?"
The group remained silent and looked at each other with a tension that was visible.
"My apologies, my name is Calem, Calem Standish. I think you two should get changed and get some sleep. We'll leave ya be here tonight to rest. Vernon, can Rose and I stay over at your place tonight?"
"Oh no…we don't want to put you out of your home," Abigail was embarrassed and didn't want to be a bother.
"No trouble. You two need some time alone. Of course you two can stay with me. I need some help with a few things around the house anyway so it works out for the best. Help yourself to the soup on the fire." The elderly man slowly stood up from the table and grabbed his cane.
The odd group of people gathered and in a few minutes they were gone leaving Willie and Abigail confused and slightly relieved to be alone.
"That…well that was strange," Willie stood up and out from the blanket. He walked over to the clothes and held up a pair of pants. "Christ…look how old these things are." He then held up a dress.
"Calem Standish…that name sounds so familiar." Abigail stood up and walked around the room. She repeated the name over and over as she inspected the antique furnishing. She stood near the kitchen table and turned back to look at Willie. "I know where I have heard that name before…"
Willie turned around and looked at her, he was only half listening. "What?... I'm sorry… I mean look at this stuff. Are they some kind of historians or something?"
"Willie…I read an article about Calem Standish. He jumped from the Carriage bridge in 1963. He was only fifteen. They never found his body."
"Okay…well maybe someone else has the same name."
"Willie…I read about all of them. I remember the stories. The elderly man…he jumped after his wife died."
"Look, the Calem guy is clearly not 15. He looks like he is in his twenties."
"Exactly…that is how old he would be now Willie. Something is wrong. Something is very wrong."
Barnabas walked into the police station and was greeted by a most unwelcoming detective Sands.
"Mr. Collins, what brings you here this evening?"
"I have tragic news to report I'm afraid. Mr. and Mrs. Loomis have committed suicide. I tried to stop them but they jumped before I was able."
"What? What the hell are you talking about?"
"The jumped to their deaths from the Carriage bridge."
"Are..are you sure? This is crazy ! Why! Why would they do that?" The detective quickly got on his coat and grabbed his keys. "Where? Where is this bridge? Take me there…"
Barnabas knew he must oblige and hesitantly guided the detective to the small stone bridge that was high above the river flowing below it. There was no trace of the couple.