Well, this is basically all of Abigail's story. I hope you enjoy it, and thanks to Mystery00Meat and Amy for their amazing reviews!
Just a warning, this chapter contains some self harm and suicidal themes.
Chapter 12- Abigail
'Well, I was born in that house where Harriet was living. My mother died in childbirth when I was seven, and my father died in a cart accident when I was fifteen. It was hard being the only child once they were gone, and I suffered badly. My grandparents convinced me to move in with them, in London, which I did for a few months. I decided I'd try nursing, and stayed there while I studied for the next year and a half. I loved London and learning. Although, I didn't enjoy the nursing school. I didn't fit in there. All the girls would go out dancing and out for dinner after school, whereas I would go straight home. They talked. And I let it get to me.
'Soon, I was down and upset for a lot of the time while I lived there. My grandparents noticed, and tried everything to get me happier again. But nothing seemed to work. I threw myself into my school work, and I began to quickly edge nearer and nearer to being a fully qualified nurse. I forced myself to forget all the pain of my mother and father, and also of the girls and sisters at school. But soon it got to me and horrible thoughts ran through my head every second of the day.' Abigail paused and her cheeks turned silver.
'What's wrong?' Harry asked softly.
'I have absolutely no idea why I'm telling you all of this,' she murmured.
'I don't mind. I like this story,' Harry smiled, a slow tear running down his unshaven cheek to drip off his chin. Abigail gave an embarrassed smile and continued.
'One day in November, I'd had enough. Climbing into the bath of my grandparent's house, I took my grandfather's razor, tentatively making a small cut in my wrist. Watching as the red blood dripped into the water and stained it, I felt at peace. I made another cut, and another, until the water was stained pink with diluted blood. I laid my head back and closed my eyes. I was going to be with my parents again. My grandparents, worried that I'd taken too long, came in and checked on me. They pulled me out of the bathtub and bandaged my wrists tightly, scolding me the whole time. It hurt and I remember crying the whole night, my wrists stinging and my heart burning. I needed my parents, most of all, my mum.
'My grandparents kept a close eye on me from then on, even making me leave the bathroom door open when bathing. I hated it. School began to get harder, so I worked like crazy, trying to keep up and be my best, while inside I was aching. One afternoon I planned to finish myself. This time, I wouldn't hesitate to make the cuts deep. I told the sister I wasn't feeling well, so she sent me home. I cleaned out my cupboard of books. I wasn't coming back. I wouldn't be here to come back.
'As I walked down a busy London street on my way back to my grandparent's house, it began to pour rain. I fumbled to open my umbrella, dropping all my books to the ground. My umbrella slipped from my hand as I opened it, and it blew down the street and out of site. No one stopped to help me. I kneeled on the wet pavement as I collected up my books, suddenly beginning to cry. My tears mixed with the rain as I put soaked pieces of paper back where they belonged, and pens back into their holders. Again, no one stopped. No one noticed me. They all walked around me, some smirking, some laughing. It hurt. Tears fell faster.
'Suddenly, there was a hand on my back and I turned. A man, about my age and very handsome was standing there. He knelt down without a word and picked up all of my books, putting them in my arms. He wiped a tear from my face and frowned.
'Now what would such a pretty girl like you be crying about?' he had said. I cried harder, and he took me into his arms. 'It's okay love,' he whispered and soon, I stopped crying. 'Let me take you out for a late lunch,' he grinned, taking my arm. I smiled and nodded.
'His name was George. And he saved my life. I finished nursing school, and moved back to the house in the country with him, becoming Greenvale's nurse. I enjoyed being able to make people well again. With George, my life was happy once again. All the terrible thoughts vanished. He bought me a beautiful horse, which I named George, after him.' Abigail smiled and Harry smiled back.
'I met Melanie soon after, and she became like a little sister to me. I taught her to ride properly, and she loved it. I was busy, but always made sure I made time for her. She did everything she could for me, feeding my horse when I couldn't, and running errands. George worked in the sweet shop in town, and was also very busy. But he always bought Melanie sweets. Her father was a horrible, horrible man. I can't count the amount of times she'd cried to me about him. She always had injuries, some so bad I'd have to patch her up again. She rarely complained though.
'After he beat her quite hard, she moved in with George and me for a couple of weeks. George absolutely adored her. She had a very good voice, so I'd sing with her and we'd play piano. She was very talented at music. We'd go riding most of the time, which we both loved. She was my best friend. During early January I began to feel ill and not right. I was pregnant. I couldn't just stop working, so I kept it a secret from everyone. I was eighteen and two months pregnant when the influenza epidemic started and I began to get busy. I barely saw Melanie anymore and it saddened me deeply. I lived in a mask as I visited all the sick patients. Melanie's father died, and then her sister did. I prayed so hard that she wouldn't contract it.
'In the weeks before her sixteenth birthday, I was called to her house. She wasn't feeling well, and her mother was worried. Her symptoms weren't too bad, so I asked her to stay in bed. My heart ached as I walked out of the house. I was worried sick for her, and barely slept. On her birthday, her mother arrived at my house, as frantic as could be. Her Melanie had begun to cough up blood. I hurried as quickly as I could over to her house, my heart pounding in my chest. As I examined her, she watched me with sad eyes. I told her she was very sick, and she began to cry. As did I. Her symptoms were some that I had seen towards the end of a person's battle with influenza. I promised Melanie I'd be around in the morning to check on her. But I never got a chance.
'Melanie died that night. I'd lost my best friend. I cried to George for hours, and he shed a tear as well. For the next few months, the house was quiet. My belly grew, as my baby did. I loved to feel it kick, and in July, George and me had finally settled on names. Eleanor, if it was a girl because Melanie loved that name, and Edmund for a boy, after George's father. George proposed, and we decided the wedding would be in November.
'Melanie's mother arrived at my house, and insisted we move into their big house, as she was "going away". I agreed happily; I loved that house! I saved up as much as I could for it. We were due to move in, in early September.
'On August the second, my beautiful baby Eleanor was born. She was perfect in every single way, and I loved her very much. I'd take her for walks in her pram down to the creek, and tell her stories about Melanie and me, and tell her about how I met my George. One night, two nights before we were due to move to Melanie's house, while George and I watched her sleep, I took his hand.
'If anything ever happens to me, be sure to tell Eleanor everything about Melanie and I. Please,' I whispered, leaning my head against his shoulder. I had no idea where that had come from. But I hoped that if I was gone, my baby would have a friendship as great as I had once had. Melanie's life had been cut short, way too early. I wanted people to remember her.
'Of course,' he murmured, kissing my forehead and rubbing his finger over the ring on my wedding finger. 'But the only problem is, we are never going to be apart my Abby. You just wait, we'll be eighty, with twenty grandchildren, sitting out the front of this house, watching them play. With you in my life, nothing will ever go wrong. I am so honoured to soon be your husband,' he whispered, while tears streamed down my face. He leant down and kissed me, holding me close.
'I love you,' he whispered.
'I love you too,' I murmured quietly.
'The next day we packed the remaining things into boxes, keeping them all in the front room. I nursed Eleanor while George packed. That night a horrible storm blew up, and the fence fell near the creek. I went outside, trying to catch George, who was cantering around, getting agitated. George told me not to, but I did. I ran down to the swollen creek with a rope, trying to catch George. But little did I know, the bank was soft. It collapsed underneath my feet as I went to tie the rope on George, and I fell into the rushing water, a submerged log knocking me out. I drowned,' Abigail said sadly.
More tears ran down Harry's cheeks as he beckoned for her to continue.
'I watched my body rush through the water and be gone. I made my way home to George, but he had left the house, with Eleanor. That made me so sad. I stayed in the house for years, until Eleanor moved back in with her husband, Phillip. They had a child called Ingrid, who had Harriet. I watched them all grow up, unknowing of my presence there. I bonded with Harriet, and that's the end of my story I guess,' Abigail shrugged.
'Thankyou,' Harry whispered, 'thankyou for telling me all of that.'
'No problem,' Abigail smiled, 'I'm very glad you enjoyed it.'
'You've had a hard life,' Harry said sadly and she nodded.
'But George and Melanie fixed all that didn't they?' she grinned, 'and now I get to live with her again, thanks to you lovely boys.'
Harry smiled. 'No problem whatsoever.'