Chapter 5

Abby let Owen's words sink in. Her mind began to assign motives...but she chided herself for thinking it. If Owen wanted to see his Mother it didn't mean he wasn't happy with her. Abby's thoughts turned back to Owen. She worried that he would expect something that could not be. She looked at him and spoke softly.

"Owen..." she placed her hand on his, "Is that a good idea?"
Owen paused.
"I don't know."

He knew what Abby was talking about. Many years ago...was it decades now? ...They had traveled to where Owen's Mother was.

The reason was that, despite their happiness, Owen had missed his Mother terribly in those first few years. He hated to think that she missed him...and maybe even thought he was dead. He had told Abby about his Mother's drinking and worried that she may be worse than ever because of him leaving. He and Abby had talked it over for weeks. He knew Abby was afraid she would lose him...that he would decide to stay with his Mother.

The memories came flooding back...

1985-Ames, Iowa

"I can't let her think I'm dead, Abby."
"I know...but Owen..."
"You don't have to worry...I would never leave you...I can't leave you."
"I know..." Abby lied, "but won't we be taking a chance?"
"We'll be careful...I just want to let her know I'm ok."

After much discussion, Abby finally agreed. The time came to leave. One early evening, the two children kissed once while sitting atop a barn, stripped their clothing away from their upper bodies, secured it around their waists, and leapt into the air. Wings sprang forth from their shirtless upper backs in an instant and bore them aloft with ease. They took flight for Los Alamos.

Neither Abby or Owen knew exactly how the whole thing worked...only that a thought was all they needed to produce...wings! Deceptively delicate, their wings didn't resemble birds or bats wings...more like extra arms with a cloth-like membrane attached which spanned several feet. The wings were quite powerful and could lift them into the air from a standing position on the ground if needed.

Owen thought Abby looked beautiful when she flew. She crossed her hands over her chest and pointed her toes. At times she would bank sharply and stretch out her arms as if giving herself over completely to the sky. All the while her hair swirled and flowed in the wind. He even loved the way she said the word "flew".

He assumed that seeing a pair of wings extending from a person's back would look odd...even scary to most people...but Abby looked like an angel to him.

They soared through the moonless night sky silently. Both were alone with their thoughts as conversation was difficult with the wind whistling past their ears. Owen had his uncertainty to keep him company and Abby had her fear. But they would often glance at each other as they swooped along. Both "felt" the other so words weren't really necessary at times. They were able to maneuver together as if bound by physical ties.

There was no fatigue in their limbs. They were able to cover great distances with surprising speed. Hundreds of miles passed below them the first night. They stopped as dawn approached and burrowed into the overhang of a riverbank for shelter. Abby had traveled in this way many times in her life and passed on the experience to Owen. Though being alone had been a terrible reality for much of her existence, those lessons served her well now.

Abby gazed at Owen as they curled together in their makeshift den and thought how wonderful it was to not be alone.

The sun left the world again and the two little vampires rose to continue their journey. After an hour of tireless flight, Los Alamos appeared before them and they settled down in a wooded area outside of town. Owen thought it was interesting how he never felt lost now. He always knew exactly which direction to go whenever he wanted to go somewhere.

Abby took Owen's hand.

"Are you ok?"
"Yes."

They crept into Los Alamos under cover of dark only to find the old apartment occupied by a different resident. Owen was crushed as they looked in a window at different furniture and pictures of strange people on the walls. He imagined the worst.

He and Abby settled down on their old jungle gym. Abby looked at it fondly as she remembered their first meeting. She glanced at Owen but he was too preoccupied to notice her nostalgia. She felt slightly hurt but realized her lover was in need of her comfort.

"We'll find her, Owen."
"How? What if something happened to her? What if..."
Abby interrupted him.
"You mustn't think like that..."
Despite himself, Owen couldn't help looking at Abby and smiling. Ever so often, she would use a word like "mustn't". He found it endearing.
"I know...but what do we do now?"
"We can ask someone."
Owen looked at Abby.
"I can't! What if it was someone that knew me back then?"
Abby leaned against Owen's shoulder.
"I'll do it."

Owen was eager to leave town...the memories here were not pleasant. But it made sense. Abby marched up to his old apartment and knocked on the door while Owen lagged behind in the shadows. Nothing stirred inside so she knocked again. This time she knocked in Morse code "H-I" and shot a mischievous glance at Owen. He suppressed a giggle.

Sounds of life were heard from behind the door. A muffled voice.
"What the hell..."
A rough looking man in his thirties opened the door. He immediately looked down at Abby with surprise.

Abby tried to put on a pleasant smile and broke the awkward silence.
"Hi."

The man still didn't speak. He leaned out into the hallway and looked both ways.
"What's going on? Can I help you?"
"Maybe...I was wondering if you knew the lady that used to live here."
He paused, rubbed his eyes, and looked around the hallway again.

"The drunk bitch? Sure...they kicked her out last year. I moved in because it's better than my old room."
Owen felt both anger and despair at the man's words. Abby could tell Owen was agitated and continued quickly.
"Um...do you know where she is now?"
The man smiled at Abby. Owen stiffened. Something in the man's manner made his senses come alive.
"You related to her? Sure...why don't you come on in and I'll help you out?"
Abby, looking pleased, took the invitation and stepped into the apartment. She couldn't help thinking this was going very well so far.

The man closed the door behind Abby and locked it. He turned to her and grinned as his eyes scanned her small frame.
"So what's a pretty little thing like you doing out in the middle of the night?"
"Just looking for Owen's...um...my Mother."
He sat down on a run-down couch beside Abby and reached for her hand.
"Well...we'll look for her in the morning. You should get some rest in the meantime."
Abby looked puzzled.
"I don't need any rest. I just want to know where she is."
He pulled Abby toward him.
"Now now little sweetheart...no need to get into a big rush. Let's just get you undressed and ready for bed."

He reached down and started to raise Abby's dress up and over her head. She frowned and almost knocked his hand away. But at the last second she realized she could just pretend to be tired until he told her where Owen's mother was. She could only think of how happy that would make Owen. She relented and allowed the man to lift her dress off her. He tossed it aside and looked at her standing in front of him totally naked. His eyes greedily roamed over her nude form.
"You're a pretty little thing, aren't you?"

Abby was getting irritated. She hated to keep Owen waiting outside wondering if the man knew anything.
"Can you please just tell me where she is?"
"Sure, sure...we'll make a trade. I'll tell you where she is...you just have to do something for me first..."
He reached out with one hand and grabbed Abby's waist. He slid his other hand down her belly and between her legs.
Abby's eyes grew wide as his fingers made contact with her.

"Stop!"