10. NOTHING STAYS THE SAME

Another week went by before Abby allowed Jane and Alec to return to school and none of the teachers seemed to mind either. Apparently, no one wanted the twins around. Abby was still terrified to let the children out past the walls of their blessed home, blessed by the blood of Sarah, blessed for their own protection.

Waking up was the hardest part for Abby. In the space between sleep and consciousness there was always a moment where Abby believed that Sarah was still alive, that she would be out in the kitchen getting ready to go to work. Then reality would hit her like a ton of bricks. Sarah was gone and she wasn't coming back. Abby continued to have nightmares every night; sometimes of Joseph, sometimes of her parents, sometimes of Sarah; always the guilt that somehow she was responsible for their deaths.

But Abby knew that she couldn't let fear rule her life, or the lives of the twins. They needed to get an education. For the first time since Sarah's death, Abby walked the children to school. When they showed up, all the other children in the school yard stopped and stared. They looked… afraid.

Abby bent down to be at her niece and nephew's level. "I need you two to be good today. Don't give anyone any reason to be upset at you. Just try to go unnoticed." Abby looked around the yard again seeing everyone staring at them. She knew that going unnoticed would be impossible. "I love you." She wrapped the twins in a tight embrace and they told her they loved her as well. They ran up the front steps to the school and Abby watched as they disappeared into the building.

She began the long walk down Main Street towards the factory. What little money they had would not last long and Abby needed to find a job. She remembered Cotton offering her one if she ever needed it. As much as she didn't want to, she was going to ask him for help.

She stepped into the rustic building filled with ladies at their sewing machines. When any of them looked up and noticed her, they did not take their eyes off of her. Apparently their family had been the talk of the town all week. It made sense, killing a witch was very exciting to them. Abby pushed past them and ignored the stares. She made her way to Cotton's office. He was sitting at his desk overlooking some papers. When she showed up in the doorway, he was surprised.

"Abby! My, it's nice to see you again." He said the words but he didn't mean them. "What can I do for you?"

Abby sat down in the chair in front of his desk and looked him straight in the eye. "A while back you once told me that if I ever needed a job that I could come to you. Well now I've come to you."

Cotton nodded and swallowed, trying to buy some time to think. "Abby, you know that I would love to help you in any way that I can but as of right now my staff is full and we don't have any openings."

"What about Sarah's position?" Abby wasn't about to give up. "Don't you have an opening now that she's dead?" Abby wanted the words to sting Cotton.

His face turned a shade of red and he avoided her eye contact. "Abby, I'm sorry. There is nothing I can do for you."

Abby snickered. "Why does that not surprise me?" Then she stood up from her chair and left the old building. Abby felt foolish for coming to Cotton for help but was satisfied that her thoughts about Cotton being a coward were confirmed. She knew that the only reason he wouldn't hire her was because he was afraid of what the townspeople might think.

Abby spent the rest of the day at home. She looked at the tub in the bathhouse and wondered what she could get for it if she sold it. However, she held off on that idea because Cotton might come by to take it away- now that he had no motivation to try to impress or provide for their little family. Abby sat down in the chair and stared at the tub. The last time that she had been in it things had been so different. She found herself wishing that she could turn back the hands of time and just change one little thing. Perhaps go back to when Jane attacked Betty Parris. If only Abby had gotten there just a few moments earlier, she could have prevented the whole thing from happening.

As Abby flogged herself for not being there sooner she began to cry. She held her face in her hands as her tears spilled over her fingertips. Abby would never be able to go back and make things right. She grieved as she realized the concept that nothing would be the same, no matter how hard she wished it.

Suddenly, Abby heard a noise outside so she went to investigate. Jane and Alec were walking down the path towards their home. Jane walked more quickly while Alec followed behind.

"Hey, what are you two doing home so early? I was supposed to come get you in two hours." Abby was puzzled.

Jane looked up confidently and answered "They let us out early today."

That was unusual. Abby looked at Alec who was staring at the ground. "Alec, is that so?"

Jane shot Alec a hard look before he answered, "Yes ma'am."

Abby still found it to be peculiar but she trusted them. "Alright, well get inside and help me clean up." They did as they were asked.

That evening they had a sparse meal. She and the children picked some wild raspberries and they had a small amount of bread left. Abby's mind was constantly trying to think of a way to provide for them. She let Jane and Alec eat the majority of the meal and to try to stifle the hunger pains she decided to go to bed early.

"I'm going to sleep now and I expect you to join me shortly. Is that understood?" Abby asked.

"Yes Abby! We'll be in soon." Jane smiled her angelic face up to her aunt.

Abby smiled at them and went into the bedroom. She climbed into bed and got settled under the blankets. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. She wasn't surprised to see Sarah in her dreams. She was ready for Sarah to blame her for her death but this dream was slightly different. Sarah looked frightened instead of angry. Tears rolled over her cheeks. Abby tried to ask her what was wrong but no words escaped her mouth.

Sarah walked up to Abby and put her hands on her shoulders. Her mouth was moving, trying to make words but no sound came out. Abby tried to understand her but she couldn't. Sarah shook Abby by the shoulders and began crying even harder. Abby struggled to concentrate on Sarah's lips, trying to figure out what Sarah was saying. Finally she caught it. Sarah was mouthing the words "Wake Up!"

Just then, Abby woke up to Alec who was shaking her by the shoulders saying "Wake up! Aunt Abby, please wake up!"

"What is it Alec? What's wrong?" Abby was suddenly alert.

"Jane left the house and I know we're not supposed to go outside. We were watching the fireflies from the window and Jane wanted to catch one." Alec looked very upset.

"I told her not to go, Aunt Abby, but she wouldn't listen to me!" Alec was breathing heavily.

"It's okay Alec, I'm sure she'll be right back." Abby smiled, trying to comfort him.

"No, you don't get it!" Alec was getting frustrated.

"What don't I get? Explain it to me." Abby ran her fingers through his brown hair.

"School didn't let out early today, we left early." Alec knew he would get in trouble for this but he no longer cared.

"Why did you do that?" Abby asked sternly.

"Betty Parris and her friends were taunting Jane and me. I told Jane to just ignore them but they were so horrible! The things they said…" Alec's eyes began to well up with tears.

"What did they say?" Abby pushed.

"They said that our mother deserved to die for being a witch. They said that she was an evil whore and that she's going to burn in hell for the rest of eternity. Is that true?" His tears spilled over his innocent cheeks.

Abby was horrified that children could be so cruel but she knew they must have heard it from the Reverend. "No Alec, that isn't true at all! Your mother was a good woman and she is in heaven with your father right now. Don't believe them Alec- they are just trying to hurt you." Abby wrapped Alec in a tight hug and kissed the top of his head.

He broke away from her embrace to look up at her. "There's more."

Abby tried to prepare herself. "Tell me."

"Jane got so mad at Betty for saying those things about our mother. She lost her temper again. She… made Betty hurt."

Abby's eyes widened in disbelief and her jaw hung open. NO! She screamed in her mind. This can't be happening again!

"That's why it's not safe for her to be outside, past the protection of our home." Alec wiped the tears from his cheeks as Abby finally understood why Sarah had told her to wake up in her dream.

Abby jumped out of the bed and ran to the front door. "Jane!" She called out into the darkness but there was no response. She looked over her shoulder at Alec and said "Stay here!"

"No! I'm coming with you!" Alec's expression was firm; he would not be left behind.

"Okay, but stay close to me." Abby commanded.

The two of them ran out into the darkness with only a lantern to guide their way. They continued to call out to Jane but she didn't respond. Finally, Abby thought she heard a muffled cry.

"Jane?" Abby ran in the direction that the sound came from and Alec ran right alongside her.

The next scene that came into view was enough to make Abby sick. There was a mob of townsmen gathered around in a circle. Jane was lying on the ground in the middle of that circle. They had been taking turns kicking her and hitting her. Her little body lay on the ground bruised, bleeding, and broken.

Alec went into a rage when he saw what was happening. He ran towards the men, kicking and screaming "What did you do to my sister?" He tried to fight them away from her but they began to beat him too. Some of the men carried sticks and began beating Alec with it. Abby was sure she heard a rib crack. She ran to the mob to try to save them but two men grabbed her and held her back.

"My God, they're only children! Stop this madness! STOP!" Abby was horrified at the fact that they could be this cruel towards two thirteen year olds.

A dark figure stepped out of the shadows with a lantern hanging in his hand at his side. He lifted the lantern to his face and Abby recognized him at once. It was Reverend Parris.

"These are not mere children." He said to Abby. "They are the children of a witch and they are witches themselves. The two of them attacked my daughter again today at school so we know that it is not only their mother that was capable of such evil. If you know what's best for you, you will stay out of this. Otherwise we will find proof that you are a witch too and you will suffer the same fate of your sister." His face was grim in the dark light.

Abby didn't know what to do but she would not stand idly by as these men beat her niece and nephew to death. She had made a promise to Sarah to protect them and she meant to keep it. Alec was now on the ground alongside Jane. They were still being kicked even though they rendered no response.

Abby's mind raced. What could she possibly do to save the children? Who could she possibly turn to for help? And then she remembered. She did not know what kind of deal she would be making here. She did not know what the consequences of her decisions would be. She only knew that this was her very last option, and she was desperate.

Abby tilted her head back and screamed the name into the night sky. "ELEAZAR!"