Chapter Fifteen
She'd never been so tired.
Exhausted from her dreams the night before, still fighting the pain the memories brought back, Abby walked along the waterfront. An uncomfortable feeling came over her as she did, causing her to shiver slightly.
Joshua. He had something horrific planned here.
Her eyes suddenly saw what it was. The townspeople seemingly penned here - living close together in conditions too repulsive to describe.
The ones he chose to join his world would come there - tearing families apart. Using their bodies for sustenance, throwing them carelessly aside.
She couldn't believe it was possible - it was far, far worse than she could ever have imagined.
Another vision followed, not surprisingly it was of Alison. She was dressed all in white, carrying roses red as blood.
She saw her, as she had once before, walking slowly down the aisle. But it was that monster - not Rafe, waiting for her at the end.
Her mind cleared as she turned, still trembling, about to walk into the friendly neighborhood bar and restaurant where she'd had her first meal in Port Charles. Her stomach was turning from the pictures in her mind, but she knew she needed to keep up her strength.
When her thoughts cleared Abby realized - it was gone. An eerie nightclub stood in its place. This was his doing as well. It was all happening so quickly, much more quickly than she had imagined.
A couple walked toward her. The handsome man had a sad look in his eyes as he led a woman along the sidewalk. They came from the direction of the hospital.
Her face lit up with hope. She knew them. They could help.
"Excuse me," Abby called out desperately, just barely getting the woman's attention. As she looked up Abby could see her eyes were nearly devastated. Abby's own held exactly the same look.
"Yes?" the man answered instead, with a lilt in his voice, briefly stopping, his arm tightening around the woman's shoulders.
"I'm sorry. You don't know me, but I need to talk to you - both of you -"
He cut her off coldly. "You're right - we don't know you. And strangers in this town have a way of causing nothing but trouble - so if you'll excuse us."
Abby saw was losing them - they started to walk away.
"Please, Ian - Lucy." Abby tried again.
"What? Wait - how is it that know our names?" Lucy voice was startled as she and Ian turned back to her, suspicion filling both their minds.
She didn't answer the question, but got right to the point.
"It's Alison - and Rafe. I know where they are. You need to help them."
*************
Another had night passed, another day nearly over, and the two couples were still locked in the cells.
Unbeknownst to them, Joshua's plans for Alison were put on hold for another day - he was currently busy with other duties. He knew there was time. The anticipation he felt would make it much more sweet, torturing them a bit longer much more fun.
Caleb, Rafe and Alison had tried for hours, both together and separately, to get Livvie to give some answers about this mysterious stranger named Abby, who seemed to know all of them in some strange way.
They were left with nothing but questions.
Alison and Livvie were again resting, their sleep fitful. The two men were left to stare at one another again, sitting on the floor, each watching over the woman they loved while fighting sleep themselves.
Rafe suddenly stood and paced a bit. He needed to get through to him, no matter what the cost. His sworn enemy literally held the key to their freedom.
As he had the night before, Rafe finally broke the silence.
"You can get us out. I know that you can."
"I know you're slow, but seriously Rafe - what part of 'there is no way out of here' do you not understand?"
"Caleb, you may miss this place, as it once belonged to you - but you know as well as I do, all of us being locked up in here will do nothing to stop Joshua."
Caleb then rose to his feet himself, but looked away and didn't reply.
Rafe tried again. "What the hell are you so scared of?"
He looked at Rafe, his eyes deadly as he said, "Don't be ridiculous, slayer. I'm scared of nothing - least of all you."
"Then why are we still here? Really, Caleb, I need to know. Livvie will need to feed again soon, and you've seen how she's suffered. If you get us out of here you can go and try to regain your bat status. Seems to me you'd be dying to do that."
"I thought you said you'd never let that happen." Caleb taunted.
"Right now, I'm willing to reconsider."
"Really? Hmm, tell me - why is it that don't I believe you? I can see you sharpening that silly stake of yours in your mind already."
It was costing him dearly. He could barely believe this conversation was happening. It was against everything he believed in. But he'd do it. He'd let it happen. He'd do anything he had to if it meant keeping her safe.
Rafe took his time before he spoke the next words, forcing himself to stay calm. He looked over at Alison again and that was all he had needed to do to be able continue.
Turning back to Caleb, looking him straight in the eye and said softly, "Caleb. I swear to you, on Alison's life. If you help us, if you set us free, I will leave the two of you alone."
Caleb stared back at him. His instincts were telling him, unbelievably, that Rafe was speaking the truth.
He didn't reply, instead turned and called out to Livvie.
"Olivia." He said gently, his voice nudging her awake.
"Caleb?" She replied, her voice sleepy.
"Come here, my love"
Livvie walked past Rafe and over to him, placing her hands to the wire grate.
At his urging, she moved closer.
He whispered in her ear the instructions she would need.
She nodded to show that she understood and took a step back, reaching to the chain on her neck, lifting the heavy ring in her fingers. She looked up again at Caleb - wanting to be sure.
He said, in a voice so low she almost couldn't hear "Go ahead."
Livvie twisted the face of the ring, and the doors to their cells opened with a resounding click.
They were finally free.
She'd never been so tired.
Exhausted from her dreams the night before, still fighting the pain the memories brought back, Abby walked along the waterfront. An uncomfortable feeling came over her as she did, causing her to shiver slightly.
Joshua. He had something horrific planned here.
Her eyes suddenly saw what it was. The townspeople seemingly penned here - living close together in conditions too repulsive to describe.
The ones he chose to join his world would come there - tearing families apart. Using their bodies for sustenance, throwing them carelessly aside.
She couldn't believe it was possible - it was far, far worse than she could ever have imagined.
Another vision followed, not surprisingly it was of Alison. She was dressed all in white, carrying roses red as blood.
She saw her, as she had once before, walking slowly down the aisle. But it was that monster - not Rafe, waiting for her at the end.
Her mind cleared as she turned, still trembling, about to walk into the friendly neighborhood bar and restaurant where she'd had her first meal in Port Charles. Her stomach was turning from the pictures in her mind, but she knew she needed to keep up her strength.
When her thoughts cleared Abby realized - it was gone. An eerie nightclub stood in its place. This was his doing as well. It was all happening so quickly, much more quickly than she had imagined.
A couple walked toward her. The handsome man had a sad look in his eyes as he led a woman along the sidewalk. They came from the direction of the hospital.
Her face lit up with hope. She knew them. They could help.
"Excuse me," Abby called out desperately, just barely getting the woman's attention. As she looked up Abby could see her eyes were nearly devastated. Abby's own held exactly the same look.
"Yes?" the man answered instead, with a lilt in his voice, briefly stopping, his arm tightening around the woman's shoulders.
"I'm sorry. You don't know me, but I need to talk to you - both of you -"
He cut her off coldly. "You're right - we don't know you. And strangers in this town have a way of causing nothing but trouble - so if you'll excuse us."
Abby saw was losing them - they started to walk away.
"Please, Ian - Lucy." Abby tried again.
"What? Wait - how is it that know our names?" Lucy voice was startled as she and Ian turned back to her, suspicion filling both their minds.
She didn't answer the question, but got right to the point.
"It's Alison - and Rafe. I know where they are. You need to help them."
*************
Another had night passed, another day nearly over, and the two couples were still locked in the cells.
Unbeknownst to them, Joshua's plans for Alison were put on hold for another day - he was currently busy with other duties. He knew there was time. The anticipation he felt would make it much more sweet, torturing them a bit longer much more fun.
Caleb, Rafe and Alison had tried for hours, both together and separately, to get Livvie to give some answers about this mysterious stranger named Abby, who seemed to know all of them in some strange way.
They were left with nothing but questions.
Alison and Livvie were again resting, their sleep fitful. The two men were left to stare at one another again, sitting on the floor, each watching over the woman they loved while fighting sleep themselves.
Rafe suddenly stood and paced a bit. He needed to get through to him, no matter what the cost. His sworn enemy literally held the key to their freedom.
As he had the night before, Rafe finally broke the silence.
"You can get us out. I know that you can."
"I know you're slow, but seriously Rafe - what part of 'there is no way out of here' do you not understand?"
"Caleb, you may miss this place, as it once belonged to you - but you know as well as I do, all of us being locked up in here will do nothing to stop Joshua."
Caleb then rose to his feet himself, but looked away and didn't reply.
Rafe tried again. "What the hell are you so scared of?"
He looked at Rafe, his eyes deadly as he said, "Don't be ridiculous, slayer. I'm scared of nothing - least of all you."
"Then why are we still here? Really, Caleb, I need to know. Livvie will need to feed again soon, and you've seen how she's suffered. If you get us out of here you can go and try to regain your bat status. Seems to me you'd be dying to do that."
"I thought you said you'd never let that happen." Caleb taunted.
"Right now, I'm willing to reconsider."
"Really? Hmm, tell me - why is it that don't I believe you? I can see you sharpening that silly stake of yours in your mind already."
It was costing him dearly. He could barely believe this conversation was happening. It was against everything he believed in. But he'd do it. He'd let it happen. He'd do anything he had to if it meant keeping her safe.
Rafe took his time before he spoke the next words, forcing himself to stay calm. He looked over at Alison again and that was all he had needed to do to be able continue.
Turning back to Caleb, looking him straight in the eye and said softly, "Caleb. I swear to you, on Alison's life. If you help us, if you set us free, I will leave the two of you alone."
Caleb stared back at him. His instincts were telling him, unbelievably, that Rafe was speaking the truth.
He didn't reply, instead turned and called out to Livvie.
"Olivia." He said gently, his voice nudging her awake.
"Caleb?" She replied, her voice sleepy.
"Come here, my love"
Livvie walked past Rafe and over to him, placing her hands to the wire grate.
At his urging, she moved closer.
He whispered in her ear the instructions she would need.
She nodded to show that she understood and took a step back, reaching to the chain on her neck, lifting the heavy ring in her fingers. She looked up again at Caleb - wanting to be sure.
He said, in a voice so low she almost couldn't hear "Go ahead."
Livvie twisted the face of the ring, and the doors to their cells opened with a resounding click.
They were finally free.