Abby let herself into the building and without looking where she was going walked straight into someone standing with their back towards the door.
"Ohh", Abby stepped backwards slightly, "Sorry I didn't see you there."
The figure turned around and Abby tried once again to go up to her apartment.
"Hey what's the rush?" the voice sent chills up Abby's spine and she gazed up to look at who was speaking. Bud looked back down at her, his eyes were squinted slightly and he staggered towards her. Abby retreated backwards and held up her hands protectively.
"I'm going to take a wild guess here, you appear to be drunk and I think you should just let me get by"
"That bitch Gill threw me out." He grumbled taking a swig out of his bottle, "Her daughter has run away so she wasn't very sympathetic when I came home tonight".
Abby's face turned to concern, run away she thought to herself. Abby felt responsible and immediately worried for her safety. Bud licked his lips and reached over to brush his hand over Abby's face.
"Hey what do you think you're doing?" Abby yelled out stubbornly.
"Come on", he pleaded with her moving his body closer.
"No don't even think about it",
Bud grinned as if it was a game and suddenly lunged towards her grabbing her tiny waist in his rather strong vicious hands. Abby yelled out in surprise, squirming in his grip she lifted her shopping bag and smacked him over the head with it. The bottles smashed in the impact and he staggered backwards rolling his eyes up to the ceiling.
"You little bitch", he muttered.
Abby didn't give him a chance to say anything more, she took off up the stairs taking them two at a time. Fumbling to find her front door keys at the door, she stamped her foot impatiently remembering Ashley's wise words.
"Come on, come on", Abby found them but in her hastiness they fell to the floor. She bent down to pick them up, but yelled out in pain when a heavy shoe stamped down crushing her fingers. A hand tugged on her hair pulling her up with no remorse. Abby pulled on the hand trying to release it from the pain he was causing her but it was stubborn. She screamed out for help but his thick hand clamped down over her mouth. Only muffled noises were heard and he took the keys and unlocked her door…
Maggie sat on the train carriage rocking back and forwards every now and then as the rail track caused the carriage to jerk. She was heavily engrossed in her knitting humming away an Elvis song to herself.
"Caught in a trap….da da…I can't walk out…" Maggie wrapped the wool over one the needles.
"We can't go on together", Maggie sung louder and started receiving some strange looks from other passengers. Unaware Maggie carried on but was interrupted when hearing someone cry softly in the corner of the carriage. Shuffling over in her seat Maggie glanced across to see a young girl sitting alone. Maggie looked up and down the carriage to see if anyone was with her but she appeared to be by herself. The girl lifted one of her hands and rubbed her eyes, but as she started to cry Maggie decided to go and speak to her. Cautiously Maggie approached her and bent down to her level.
"Hello Dear are you okay?" She looked up at Maggie and nodded her head as she had not intended to draw attention to herself. Not waiting to be asked, Maggie sat down next to her.
"Are you by yourself?"
"Yes"
"I'm heading to Chicago to see my daughter, she lives there she's a doctor now." Maggie tilted her head waiting for the girl to tell her where she was going. After an overlong silence Maggie asked her why she was going to Chicago.
"Uhh I l-live in Chicago I've just been away for a couple of days"
"Oh that's nice where you just visiting some one in Minnesota?" The girl nodded slowly and tears welled up in her eyes.
"My name's Maggie, dear what's yours?"
"Ashley", she whispered.
"Ashley I don't know why you're upset and I suppose it's none of my business but you seem to be a bit young to of been away by yourself."
"I've basically taken care of myself all my life so believe me I'm not that young despite how I look." Maggie lent back in her seat and made up her mind that she would sit here and keep Ashley company.
"You know you're quite like my daughter, if ever asked that she would probably say something similar. I wasn't a very good mother, she would tell you that she took care of herself all her life".
"Yeah? I suppose we do sound similar my mother has hardly been there for me either."
"Where's your father?"
"My father's an asshole", Ashley said defiantly causing Maggie to laugh slightly.
"Aww, sweetie." Maggie rubbed Ashley's arm gently, "My husband, Abby's father was an asshole as well, most men are you must always remember that".
"Hey your daughter's name is Abby?" Ashley questioned
"Yes dear it is"
"What's your surname may I ask"
"Wyczenski"
"Ohh", Ashley sat back down on her seat disappointed, "I was thinking she was someone else".
"So why's your father such an asshole?"
Ashley's trip in Minnesota flashed before her eyes causing her to wince at how terrible the trip had been. The address she had kept for ages, found it in her mother's drawer a while back, it was the last known address of her father's. After knocking on the door, after a long tedious journey, a youngish pretty woman had answered with a beautiful little baby in her arms. Her eyes narrowed at Ashley after discovering who she was. When her father came to the door, Ashley had tried to give him a hug but he was very cool with her and demanded to know what she was doing here. Hurt and flustered Ashley ran away from their perfect little house hoping he would follow…he didn't. Without realising what she was doing Ashley found herself telling Maggie all this and she sympathetically listened intently.
The train pulled up in Chicago and they stepped onto the platform. Maggie looked up and down hoping Abby might be there to meet her off the train.
"I'm just going to phone Abby to see where she is." Ashley stood awkwardly by her side.
"Hey maybe we could give you a lift somewhere, are you going home?"
Maggie started to ask her again, but was interrupted when Abby's cell phone went onto the answering machine.
"Ohh she's not around, I hope she's okay?" Maggie said concerned.