~*~-o-~*~ ~*~-o-~*~ ~*~-o-~*~
Title - Help Me Author - Lydia En. E. Ways Email - ERKeff@aol.com
~*~-o-~*~
CHAPTER THREE
~*~-o-~*~
Abby stood trembling before Maggie's burning body. Maggie was laughing as the red flames suffused her blackening body.
"No." Abby murmured. Her body started to shake harder as her mother extended a burning hand and pulled her into the flames.
At that moment Abby awoke from her troubled sleep, gasping for air. Her body trembled and her palms were sweaty with fear.
"It was just a dream." she said out loud. If she said it out loud, maybe the chills going up her spine would stop; if she said it out loud, maybe her arms might stop shaking; if she said it out loud, maybe the goose-bumps would go away. If she said it out loud, maybe it wouldn't feel as real as it seemed.
Abby arose from her bed, and walked through the splotches of morning gray light that were splattered across the floor and into the bathroom.
Steam rolled off the top of the water and in to the stale air. Droplets created little streams down her face as she splashed the scalding water onto her skin.
"It was just a dream. Those days are over now."
~*~-o-~*~
"Thank you, Pete. Thank you very much." Abby said as she hung up the phone. Her mother was in a hotel on the corner of Chestnut and River street, room 114A. She let out a sigh of relief as she grabbed her coat and walked out the hotel room door.
She knew where her mother was, although the news that Pete had reported didn't sound good. Maggie was manic again.
The sun was setting low in the sky, which seemed odd. Yet, it was December and the days were shorter now. Abby was already wishing this day was over.
Her mind wandered as she walked along the empty streets. At least this time Maggie wasn't in Okalahoma.
~*~o~*~
"And she is here, right?" Abby asked Pete. His suit and white shit were still remarkably unwrinkled, and every hair was still in place.
"Yes, I'm positive she is here. She hasn't left her room since she checked in here two weeks ago." Pete said. "And her bill is really stacking up because of all that room service." he added with a softer chuckle.
Abby grew irritated. "Can you just show me her room, and I'll deal with the bill later?"
"Certainly." Pete said as he flashed a sly grin and lead her to the stairs.
~*~o~*~
Pete stopped in the middle of a long corridor, and stared at a beige door with brass numbers on it; 114A. He knocked smartly on the door and called inside, "Mrs. Wyczenski?"
Silence responded his call, and he knocked again. Abby rolled her eyes and looked down the corridor. Beige walls matched the doors, and the carpet aswell. A plant sat at the end of the hallway; its leaves dusty and drooping with thirst. A man walked past them and withdrew into his room.
She turned her attention back to the pathetic hotel manager who was still knocking on the door. "Don't you have a key?!?" she snapped.
"Well, yes." he replied, looking confused.
Abby wanted to tear her hair out she was so tense, and this man wasn't helping either. "Well.. why don't you use it?"
He slid the key in to the lock, and opened the door for her. "There you are" he said, feeling offended at her blunt rudeness.
"Thanks" she muttered as she gazed in to the room. Clothes were all over the floor, and old trays of food from room service lay around the room with half eaten food. The windows curtains were half drawn, showing the red sunset outside. The TV was on, and a blue light cast over the room, making everything seem stark and painful. Abby's heart raced, and she started to panic. Where was she?
She tried to keep her voice calm, but it wavered all the same, "Maggie?" She pulled her arms around herself and called out again "Maggie, where are you?"
Title - Help Me Author - Lydia En. E. Ways Email - ERKeff@aol.com
~*~-o-~*~
CHAPTER THREE
~*~-o-~*~
Abby stood trembling before Maggie's burning body. Maggie was laughing as the red flames suffused her blackening body.
"No." Abby murmured. Her body started to shake harder as her mother extended a burning hand and pulled her into the flames.
At that moment Abby awoke from her troubled sleep, gasping for air. Her body trembled and her palms were sweaty with fear.
"It was just a dream." she said out loud. If she said it out loud, maybe the chills going up her spine would stop; if she said it out loud, maybe her arms might stop shaking; if she said it out loud, maybe the goose-bumps would go away. If she said it out loud, maybe it wouldn't feel as real as it seemed.
Abby arose from her bed, and walked through the splotches of morning gray light that were splattered across the floor and into the bathroom.
Steam rolled off the top of the water and in to the stale air. Droplets created little streams down her face as she splashed the scalding water onto her skin.
"It was just a dream. Those days are over now."
~*~-o-~*~
"Thank you, Pete. Thank you very much." Abby said as she hung up the phone. Her mother was in a hotel on the corner of Chestnut and River street, room 114A. She let out a sigh of relief as she grabbed her coat and walked out the hotel room door.
She knew where her mother was, although the news that Pete had reported didn't sound good. Maggie was manic again.
The sun was setting low in the sky, which seemed odd. Yet, it was December and the days were shorter now. Abby was already wishing this day was over.
Her mind wandered as she walked along the empty streets. At least this time Maggie wasn't in Okalahoma.
~*~o~*~
"And she is here, right?" Abby asked Pete. His suit and white shit were still remarkably unwrinkled, and every hair was still in place.
"Yes, I'm positive she is here. She hasn't left her room since she checked in here two weeks ago." Pete said. "And her bill is really stacking up because of all that room service." he added with a softer chuckle.
Abby grew irritated. "Can you just show me her room, and I'll deal with the bill later?"
"Certainly." Pete said as he flashed a sly grin and lead her to the stairs.
~*~o~*~
Pete stopped in the middle of a long corridor, and stared at a beige door with brass numbers on it; 114A. He knocked smartly on the door and called inside, "Mrs. Wyczenski?"
Silence responded his call, and he knocked again. Abby rolled her eyes and looked down the corridor. Beige walls matched the doors, and the carpet aswell. A plant sat at the end of the hallway; its leaves dusty and drooping with thirst. A man walked past them and withdrew into his room.
She turned her attention back to the pathetic hotel manager who was still knocking on the door. "Don't you have a key?!?" she snapped.
"Well, yes." he replied, looking confused.
Abby wanted to tear her hair out she was so tense, and this man wasn't helping either. "Well.. why don't you use it?"
He slid the key in to the lock, and opened the door for her. "There you are" he said, feeling offended at her blunt rudeness.
"Thanks" she muttered as she gazed in to the room. Clothes were all over the floor, and old trays of food from room service lay around the room with half eaten food. The windows curtains were half drawn, showing the red sunset outside. The TV was on, and a blue light cast over the room, making everything seem stark and painful. Abby's heart raced, and she started to panic. Where was she?
She tried to keep her voice calm, but it wavered all the same, "Maggie?" She pulled her arms around herself and called out again "Maggie, where are you?"