Danger Lurks in the Shadows
Please, read and review! Thanks!
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Chapter Three: Nightmare vs. Reality
Carter whistled as he casually walked towards the building of Abby's apartment. It was barely half an hour ago since he pleaded Weaver to let him take a half-shift, due to the unusually slow business in the er. As soon as he got the nod, he came home as fast as he could, hoping to surprise Abby. He excitedly climbed the stairs, smiling as he thought to himself. When he reached her floor, he noticed someone knocking on Abby's door. His heart skipped a beat.
"Can I help you?" he asked as he eyed the young man with slight suspicion.
The man quickly turned around, visibly surprised, and at the same time relieved. "Do you live here?"
"Yes." He answered. "Can I help you?" he repeated the question pointedly.
The man smiled at him nervously. "Well, I heard some noise so I decided to check it out."
A lump was beginning to form in his throat. "What kind of noise?"
"Like a thud. You know, like something falling." He paused for a second. "I've been knocking here for a few minutes now, but no one is answering."
Carter's blood ran cold. "Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?!" he scolded the man as he furiously tried to open the door.
"Hey," the man exclaimed as he raised his arms. "You were asking me all these questions, remember?"
In what seemed like hours, Carter was finally able to open the door, but not before giving it a few kicks himself. He rushed inside, leaving the stranger outside, wondering. His eyes wildly scanned the room, and finally her lying unconscious beside the couch.
"Abby!" he called out to her. A thousand terrible thoughts flashed in his mind. He tried to push those thoughts away. He bent over and check for her pulse. "Please wake up," He whipped his head around to see the stranger glancing from outside.
"Should I call an ambulance?" he asked nervously.
Carter nodded his head frantically. "Yes!"
He turned his attention back towards Abby. He checked for any visible signs of injuries, and found a small, bleeding cut on the side of her head. Again, the man outside interrupted his thoughts.
"They're on their way," he declared. Carter could only give him a slight nod of appreciation. He took of his coat and loosened his tie, and tossed in the corner. He ran into the bedroom, and moments later, he emerged with a piece of cloth in his hands. He put this on her head to stop the bleeding.
"It's alright, Abby. You'll be alright," he whispered. A few seconds later, she began to stir.
*********************
She was felt like she was drowning in a deep, dark pool of nothingness. So many thoughts filled her mind. Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind, pushing the thoughts away.
"They're here, they're here!"
She whirled around in terror, expecting for someone to jump on her. "Who are you?" she nervously called out. "Wh-what's going on?"
The voice echoed again, this time, it sounded more familiar. "I'm sorry, Abby.."
She took a sharp intake of breath as realization hit her. "Will!" She shouted, but no one answered. "Where are you?"
"No, I don't have it!" the voice shouted. "No, no, no!" A gun echoed loudly.
Her eyes grew wide as tears fell. "NO!!!"
Abby sat up straight, suddenly feeling nauseous from getting up to quickly. She looked around, disoriented. Finally, she realized that she was in her own room, and sitting in her own bed. The door to her room suddenly opened, and Carter came rushing in.
"Are you alright?" he asked. A look of concern was plastered on his face. "Abby, what's wrong?"
She then realized that tears were streaming down her face. She quickly tried to wipe it away.
"Tell me what happened last night, Abby," he pressed on.
She looked away. When she turned her face back on him, he saw that she was really crying now. He sat by her side and wrapped his arms around her. "Please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded her.
"He's dead, John, he's dead," she quietly sobbed. "They killed him."
Carter glanced at her, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"Will, they killed him," she exclaimed.
Carter tried to hide the doubtful look on his face. "How can you be so sure?"
"I heard it, I heard the shots. There were three." She said more forcefully. "There were three..." she repeated, this time quietly.
Carter gently stroked her hair and gave her a light kiss on the head. "Shhh," he said, "it's alright. It's probably just a bad dream."
Abby pulled away, and looked at him defiantly. "You don't understand!" she shouted. "I heard it, John, I heard it."
Carter moved closer to her. She finally gave in and hugged him tight. "It's okay, I understand." He guided her towards the bed. "You should rest, Abby. We'll talk again later." Without protest, she obliged.
"My head," she said as it she gently grabbed her forehead. "It hurts."
"Okay, let me get some Tylenol." He walked out of the room, and a few moments later, he came back with a glass of water and a bottle of medicine. "Here," he said as he gave the medicine to her. Again, he gave her a light kiss, this time on her cheek, before walking out of the room.
***********************
Abby woke up with a start. She panted heavily, as she wiped the sweat off her face. Every time she dozes off, the dream starts coming and haunts her. She looked around, and her gaze fell on the little note beside her bed. It read:
Abby,
I'm sorry, but I can't get off my duty. Weaver said she'd fire me if I didn't come in today. Anyway, I left some food in the oven, in case you get hungry. Call me if anything happens, okay? I'll see you tonight. I love you.
John
Abby couldn't help but smile. She glanced on the clock, and realized it was already nine in the morning. She sat up, and opened her drawer to put Carter's note inside. Her smile soon faded as she saw a familiar piece of paper inside, with Will's address written inside. Yesterday's events came flooding in her mind. She paled considerably, thinking about the nightmare still fresh in her memory.
"No, it's not a dream. I heard the shots, and I heard his cry. It wasn't a dream," she whispered, tears threatened to fall down her face again. She grabbed the piece of paper and carefully opened it.
****************
Sorry for taking so long. I just took time off from studying to write this. Today is the start of our exam week, so I hope you understand. I'm not sure if I can post the next chapter soon, but I hope to. Hmmn.. Maybe I would.
Thanks, and please don't forget to review. Cheers!
Please, read and review! Thanks!
******************
Chapter Three: Nightmare vs. Reality
Carter whistled as he casually walked towards the building of Abby's apartment. It was barely half an hour ago since he pleaded Weaver to let him take a half-shift, due to the unusually slow business in the er. As soon as he got the nod, he came home as fast as he could, hoping to surprise Abby. He excitedly climbed the stairs, smiling as he thought to himself. When he reached her floor, he noticed someone knocking on Abby's door. His heart skipped a beat.
"Can I help you?" he asked as he eyed the young man with slight suspicion.
The man quickly turned around, visibly surprised, and at the same time relieved. "Do you live here?"
"Yes." He answered. "Can I help you?" he repeated the question pointedly.
The man smiled at him nervously. "Well, I heard some noise so I decided to check it out."
A lump was beginning to form in his throat. "What kind of noise?"
"Like a thud. You know, like something falling." He paused for a second. "I've been knocking here for a few minutes now, but no one is answering."
Carter's blood ran cold. "Why the hell didn't you tell me sooner?!" he scolded the man as he furiously tried to open the door.
"Hey," the man exclaimed as he raised his arms. "You were asking me all these questions, remember?"
In what seemed like hours, Carter was finally able to open the door, but not before giving it a few kicks himself. He rushed inside, leaving the stranger outside, wondering. His eyes wildly scanned the room, and finally her lying unconscious beside the couch.
"Abby!" he called out to her. A thousand terrible thoughts flashed in his mind. He tried to push those thoughts away. He bent over and check for her pulse. "Please wake up," He whipped his head around to see the stranger glancing from outside.
"Should I call an ambulance?" he asked nervously.
Carter nodded his head frantically. "Yes!"
He turned his attention back towards Abby. He checked for any visible signs of injuries, and found a small, bleeding cut on the side of her head. Again, the man outside interrupted his thoughts.
"They're on their way," he declared. Carter could only give him a slight nod of appreciation. He took of his coat and loosened his tie, and tossed in the corner. He ran into the bedroom, and moments later, he emerged with a piece of cloth in his hands. He put this on her head to stop the bleeding.
"It's alright, Abby. You'll be alright," he whispered. A few seconds later, she began to stir.
*********************
She was felt like she was drowning in a deep, dark pool of nothingness. So many thoughts filled her mind. Suddenly, a voice echoed in her mind, pushing the thoughts away.
"They're here, they're here!"
She whirled around in terror, expecting for someone to jump on her. "Who are you?" she nervously called out. "Wh-what's going on?"
The voice echoed again, this time, it sounded more familiar. "I'm sorry, Abby.."
She took a sharp intake of breath as realization hit her. "Will!" She shouted, but no one answered. "Where are you?"
"No, I don't have it!" the voice shouted. "No, no, no!" A gun echoed loudly.
Her eyes grew wide as tears fell. "NO!!!"
Abby sat up straight, suddenly feeling nauseous from getting up to quickly. She looked around, disoriented. Finally, she realized that she was in her own room, and sitting in her own bed. The door to her room suddenly opened, and Carter came rushing in.
"Are you alright?" he asked. A look of concern was plastered on his face. "Abby, what's wrong?"
She then realized that tears were streaming down her face. She quickly tried to wipe it away.
"Tell me what happened last night, Abby," he pressed on.
She looked away. When she turned her face back on him, he saw that she was really crying now. He sat by her side and wrapped his arms around her. "Please, tell me what's wrong," he pleaded her.
"He's dead, John, he's dead," she quietly sobbed. "They killed him."
Carter glanced at her, puzzled. "What are you talking about?"
"Will, they killed him," she exclaimed.
Carter tried to hide the doubtful look on his face. "How can you be so sure?"
"I heard it, I heard the shots. There were three." She said more forcefully. "There were three..." she repeated, this time quietly.
Carter gently stroked her hair and gave her a light kiss on the head. "Shhh," he said, "it's alright. It's probably just a bad dream."
Abby pulled away, and looked at him defiantly. "You don't understand!" she shouted. "I heard it, John, I heard it."
Carter moved closer to her. She finally gave in and hugged him tight. "It's okay, I understand." He guided her towards the bed. "You should rest, Abby. We'll talk again later." Without protest, she obliged.
"My head," she said as it she gently grabbed her forehead. "It hurts."
"Okay, let me get some Tylenol." He walked out of the room, and a few moments later, he came back with a glass of water and a bottle of medicine. "Here," he said as he gave the medicine to her. Again, he gave her a light kiss, this time on her cheek, before walking out of the room.
***********************
Abby woke up with a start. She panted heavily, as she wiped the sweat off her face. Every time she dozes off, the dream starts coming and haunts her. She looked around, and her gaze fell on the little note beside her bed. It read:
Abby,
I'm sorry, but I can't get off my duty. Weaver said she'd fire me if I didn't come in today. Anyway, I left some food in the oven, in case you get hungry. Call me if anything happens, okay? I'll see you tonight. I love you.
John
Abby couldn't help but smile. She glanced on the clock, and realized it was already nine in the morning. She sat up, and opened her drawer to put Carter's note inside. Her smile soon faded as she saw a familiar piece of paper inside, with Will's address written inside. Yesterday's events came flooding in her mind. She paled considerably, thinking about the nightmare still fresh in her memory.
"No, it's not a dream. I heard the shots, and I heard his cry. It wasn't a dream," she whispered, tears threatened to fall down her face again. She grabbed the piece of paper and carefully opened it.
****************
Sorry for taking so long. I just took time off from studying to write this. Today is the start of our exam week, so I hope you understand. I'm not sure if I can post the next chapter soon, but I hope to. Hmmn.. Maybe I would.
Thanks, and please don't forget to review. Cheers!