DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of these characters no matter how much I wish
I did.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to apologize in advance for the first chapter. It pretty much just describes what happened on t.v. during the attack but I have to include this part to set the mood for the rest of the story Chapter two may sound somewhat familiar too as I HAVE to include the hospital scene. even though I'll be changing much of it.
******************** Abby's apartment had warmed up while she had been in the shower. It had been a long day and all she longed for was a lengthy, hot shower. With her terry cloth robe draped around her shoulders and tied lightly at her waist, her hair wet, she reached for the tea kettle and set it on the stove top.
Click click.
The aroma of gas tainted the air as a flame emerged from beneath the kettle. She stared into the small conflagration for a long moment, not really seeing the blaze but, rather, looking through it. Her eyes slowly strayed from tiny inferno and came to rest on the glass of red wine, which sat maliciously staring back from the faded and aged countertop beside her.
Abby's mouth went dry and the right corner of her bottom lip leisurely slipped underneath her teeth. Her arm rose from where it had been resting on her hip. She grasped the cold, transparent goblet and lifted it, bringing the addiction back to her lips after a five-year absence. The icy liquor slid effortlessly down her throat.
The high-pitched ringing of the phone caused her to recoil, spilling only small drops of wine on the off-white tiles of the kitchen floor.
"Damnit!" she scolded herself, wiping the wine residue from her chin.
Quickly placing the glass back on the counter, she stepped carefully over the drips of red liquid on the floor as she stretched for the phone.
"Hello?" she answered, sounding a bit annoyed.
Joyce's voice came from the other end of the receiver. She had been in the battered women's shelter for no longer than a few hours. She sounded as if she had been crying... or maybe just upset. Joyce thanked Abby numerous times for helping her find the courage to leave Brian. This call was just a follow-up though. They spoke about how Joyce was doing and what she thought of the center thus far.
Abby's hand fondled her still-wet hair, trying to work the small knots that had begun forming due to lack of being brushed. The obnoxious sound of the door buzzer grabbed her attention away from her phone conversation with Joyce. Abby answered the buzz, resulting in her allowing the "deliveryman" in with her order. She continued her conversation with Joyce, going on to tell her that she did the right thing. Again Abby was interrupted, this time by a knocking at the door. Her eyes rolled slowly up to the ceiling as she realized that she was never going to be allowed to get dressed and dry her hair. She brought the phone over to her other ear and started towards the door. She opened the door, exposing the nightmare in the hallway. Her eyes fell on Brain as shock and panic set in immediately. Suddenly she couldn't hear anything Joyce was saying to her, she could see nothing but the figure standing on the opposite side of the door. In his hands he holds her order, which she has been awaiting.
"Um... I'll-uh... I'll have to call you back" she said hoarsely into the phone, pressing the 'off' button but never taking her eyes off of Brian.
With an evil and spiteful grin on his face he finally spoke after the awkward moment of panic that Abby had experienced.
"Dinner's on me".
He calmly began his forged speech, explaining that he has a problem and he just needs to get some help.
"But I still love my wife. I promise I won't hurt her," he exclaimed, finishing off his pitiful display.
"Well... uh... County Social Services can get her a letter," Abby choked out, nervously.
"Then she's in a group home?" Brian asked, clearly beginning to pry.
"I can't talk to you about this".
"I just want to be sure she's all right," Brian persisted.
"She will be," Abby assured him, pointedly.
"But she's my life," he pleaded softly, "She's everything to me. Abby, please, where is she?"
As Abby became more and more nervous, wanting more than anything to just slam the door shut and call the police, his voice became more forceful.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
"Its time for you to go," she shouted, attempting to sound strong, and threatening to call the police on him.
"You're right, you're right, I should go... I'm sorry," Brian agrees, leaving the apartment voluntarily.
Abby quickly bolted the door shut and slid the chain lock into place, exhaling a deep breath, which she had been holing in for what seemed like and hour. She turned her back to the door and let herself fall back against the hollow wood. However, her heart hadn't slowed a beat when a startling know came back to the door. Again it was Brain... only now he was really angry. Abby's hand flew immediately to her face, covering her eyes in absolute terror. She fretfully began dialing 911, unbolting the heavy lock on the door. A low whistle slowly began to rise from the kitchen as the water in her kettle had reached its boiling point. Holding the phone to her ear, Abby cracks open the door, revealing Brian's insane eyes glaring back at her.
As the 911 operator answered Abby's attempted plea for help, Brian forced himself into the apartment, slamming against the door and snapping the chain in half.
"Brian! Brian!!!" Abby managed to desperately cry out his name twice before his solid fist hit her face, sending Abby sprawling to the floor, unconscious.
**********
Before she even opened her eyes, Abby could feel the sharp pain shooting through her skull like jagged stones. She regained consciousness a little bit at a time. Slowly opening her eyes, Abby could feel the warm fluid slowly seeping down her face. She brought her hand up to meet her lips, which were now releasing large amounts of the thick, red substance.
The kettle continued whistling on the stove; it was much higher pitched now and screeched on as Abby struggled to her feet. Taking notice of her blood- soaked robe, Abby began to remember what happened. Once to her feet, Abby continued to struggle, heading for the door immediately. She shut and bolted it, reaching for the chain, only to realize that it had been snapped in half... she took note of it dangling uselessly from the frame.
Abby turned to face the rest of her apartment, spotting her take-out dinner on the table. Once again, that same familiar panic set in when Abby began to realize that Brian could still be in the apartment. She spotted the phone lying on the floor beside her pool of blood, and snatched it, quickly headed for the bathroom and locking the door behind her. Once securely inside the small room she turned, only to catch sight of herself in the mirror. Abby stopped instantly, shocked and horrified by her reflection. Her swollen, bloody face looks a mess... like it will never heal.
Soon the distinct sound of ambulance and police sirens can be heard all down the street. The strong intense red and blue flashing lights reflected off the wall.
********** Thanks for reading! I promise it WILL get more original in the next few chapters. I just had to set the mood.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I would like to apologize in advance for the first chapter. It pretty much just describes what happened on t.v. during the attack but I have to include this part to set the mood for the rest of the story Chapter two may sound somewhat familiar too as I HAVE to include the hospital scene. even though I'll be changing much of it.
******************** Abby's apartment had warmed up while she had been in the shower. It had been a long day and all she longed for was a lengthy, hot shower. With her terry cloth robe draped around her shoulders and tied lightly at her waist, her hair wet, she reached for the tea kettle and set it on the stove top.
Click click.
The aroma of gas tainted the air as a flame emerged from beneath the kettle. She stared into the small conflagration for a long moment, not really seeing the blaze but, rather, looking through it. Her eyes slowly strayed from tiny inferno and came to rest on the glass of red wine, which sat maliciously staring back from the faded and aged countertop beside her.
Abby's mouth went dry and the right corner of her bottom lip leisurely slipped underneath her teeth. Her arm rose from where it had been resting on her hip. She grasped the cold, transparent goblet and lifted it, bringing the addiction back to her lips after a five-year absence. The icy liquor slid effortlessly down her throat.
The high-pitched ringing of the phone caused her to recoil, spilling only small drops of wine on the off-white tiles of the kitchen floor.
"Damnit!" she scolded herself, wiping the wine residue from her chin.
Quickly placing the glass back on the counter, she stepped carefully over the drips of red liquid on the floor as she stretched for the phone.
"Hello?" she answered, sounding a bit annoyed.
Joyce's voice came from the other end of the receiver. She had been in the battered women's shelter for no longer than a few hours. She sounded as if she had been crying... or maybe just upset. Joyce thanked Abby numerous times for helping her find the courage to leave Brian. This call was just a follow-up though. They spoke about how Joyce was doing and what she thought of the center thus far.
Abby's hand fondled her still-wet hair, trying to work the small knots that had begun forming due to lack of being brushed. The obnoxious sound of the door buzzer grabbed her attention away from her phone conversation with Joyce. Abby answered the buzz, resulting in her allowing the "deliveryman" in with her order. She continued her conversation with Joyce, going on to tell her that she did the right thing. Again Abby was interrupted, this time by a knocking at the door. Her eyes rolled slowly up to the ceiling as she realized that she was never going to be allowed to get dressed and dry her hair. She brought the phone over to her other ear and started towards the door. She opened the door, exposing the nightmare in the hallway. Her eyes fell on Brain as shock and panic set in immediately. Suddenly she couldn't hear anything Joyce was saying to her, she could see nothing but the figure standing on the opposite side of the door. In his hands he holds her order, which she has been awaiting.
"Um... I'll-uh... I'll have to call you back" she said hoarsely into the phone, pressing the 'off' button but never taking her eyes off of Brian.
With an evil and spiteful grin on his face he finally spoke after the awkward moment of panic that Abby had experienced.
"Dinner's on me".
He calmly began his forged speech, explaining that he has a problem and he just needs to get some help.
"But I still love my wife. I promise I won't hurt her," he exclaimed, finishing off his pitiful display.
"Well... uh... County Social Services can get her a letter," Abby choked out, nervously.
"Then she's in a group home?" Brian asked, clearly beginning to pry.
"I can't talk to you about this".
"I just want to be sure she's all right," Brian persisted.
"She will be," Abby assured him, pointedly.
"But she's my life," he pleaded softly, "She's everything to me. Abby, please, where is she?"
As Abby became more and more nervous, wanting more than anything to just slam the door shut and call the police, his voice became more forceful.
"Where is she?" he demanded.
"Its time for you to go," she shouted, attempting to sound strong, and threatening to call the police on him.
"You're right, you're right, I should go... I'm sorry," Brian agrees, leaving the apartment voluntarily.
Abby quickly bolted the door shut and slid the chain lock into place, exhaling a deep breath, which she had been holing in for what seemed like and hour. She turned her back to the door and let herself fall back against the hollow wood. However, her heart hadn't slowed a beat when a startling know came back to the door. Again it was Brain... only now he was really angry. Abby's hand flew immediately to her face, covering her eyes in absolute terror. She fretfully began dialing 911, unbolting the heavy lock on the door. A low whistle slowly began to rise from the kitchen as the water in her kettle had reached its boiling point. Holding the phone to her ear, Abby cracks open the door, revealing Brian's insane eyes glaring back at her.
As the 911 operator answered Abby's attempted plea for help, Brian forced himself into the apartment, slamming against the door and snapping the chain in half.
"Brian! Brian!!!" Abby managed to desperately cry out his name twice before his solid fist hit her face, sending Abby sprawling to the floor, unconscious.
**********
Before she even opened her eyes, Abby could feel the sharp pain shooting through her skull like jagged stones. She regained consciousness a little bit at a time. Slowly opening her eyes, Abby could feel the warm fluid slowly seeping down her face. She brought her hand up to meet her lips, which were now releasing large amounts of the thick, red substance.
The kettle continued whistling on the stove; it was much higher pitched now and screeched on as Abby struggled to her feet. Taking notice of her blood- soaked robe, Abby began to remember what happened. Once to her feet, Abby continued to struggle, heading for the door immediately. She shut and bolted it, reaching for the chain, only to realize that it had been snapped in half... she took note of it dangling uselessly from the frame.
Abby turned to face the rest of her apartment, spotting her take-out dinner on the table. Once again, that same familiar panic set in when Abby began to realize that Brian could still be in the apartment. She spotted the phone lying on the floor beside her pool of blood, and snatched it, quickly headed for the bathroom and locking the door behind her. Once securely inside the small room she turned, only to catch sight of herself in the mirror. Abby stopped instantly, shocked and horrified by her reflection. Her swollen, bloody face looks a mess... like it will never heal.
Soon the distinct sound of ambulance and police sirens can be heard all down the street. The strong intense red and blue flashing lights reflected off the wall.
********** Thanks for reading! I promise it WILL get more original in the next few chapters. I just had to set the mood.