The Tragic Tale of Abby Campbell, Part 3 for October Frights Blog Hop
Abby walks out, places the bags in her truck, climbs in and releases normal face. She is hyperventilating with the effort of that simple interaction. Her next stop is for gas, and while she doesn’t have to talk to anyone, she does have to hand the attendant some money. In this small town, you can’t pay by credit card, but the attendant will wash your windows. Getting gas requires normal face again but no conversation, so it isn’t as tiring. Finally, errands done, she drives back to the cottage. She unloads the groceries and collapses on the couch. It is getting harder. Holly fades away. Whisper Holly is nice to have around, but she wants real Holly back.
She wakes an hour later and hears people talking. She looks outside and sees some hikers with a baby strapped to the father’s back hiking the blue trail. The blue trail was closed, not simply re-routed, closed. She should not have to deal with people again so soon. Being closed means she shouldn’t see people on the trail. They shouldn’t be making noise and coming near her house. They should GO AWAY. The static humming in her head grows louder. She isn’t prepared to see people. She can’t hear anything but the buzz in her head.
Abby walks out and picks up a branch she sometimes uses as a walking stick. She doesn’t even try to put on normal face. These people shouldn’t be here.
“Hello!” the mother calls out. “We’re a little lost. Can you help us get back?”
“We’d really appreciate it,” says the Dad.
Abby walks closer and sees the baby’s face. It’s a girl. She looks to be about six months old and has no place hiking in the woods. Stupid parents. The baby has large blue eyes and a downy head of light brown hair, tinged with gold.
Abby’s vision telescopes down to the baby’s face. She can hear the baby cooing as if she were holding her to her own shoulder. The baby’s drool spills delightfully down her face and Abby moves to wipe it off.
“Your baby looks like my baby,” she whispers to the parents. She stares at the child.
“Oh, you have a little girl? How nice. We didn’t know anyone lived back here. We’re glad to see you because we sure got turned around. We meant to go on the green trail, but took a wrong turn somewhere,” said the Mother.
“You shouldn’t be here,” says Abby.
“Well, okay, we know, but it was an accident. Can you point us back?”
“No.”
“Can we use your phone?”
“Don’t have one.” Abby steps forward, removes an old tissue from her pocket and wipes the drool from the baby’s face. The Father steps back. Abby takes another step forward.
“She has blue eyes like my daughter.”
“Well, that is great. We are going to be turning around and following the trail back now. Thanks for the…help.” Dad and Mom back away.
Abby takes another step toward them. “She has the same hands.”
The Mom and Dad tiptoe backwards, concern on their faces.
“Why do you have Holly?” Abby whispers.
The humming in Abby’s head is so loud now that she can’t think at all. Something inside Abby shatters. How is it that these people have Holly? Then another thought, I need to rescue Holly. These bad people have Holly!
Abby lifts the walking stick and trips the Mother.
“Hey! What the hell was that for?” exclaims the Mom, just as Dad exclaims, “What the fuck?!”
Abby watches the Mother get up and wipe her hands on her pants.
Abby pushes her back down, hard.
The Father steps in, “Stop it, you crazy lady! Leave her alone. What the hell is wrong with you?”
Abby cocks her head, swivels it and stares at the father. He isn’t Stephen, she thinks. At least I’m pretty sure he’s not Stephen. He shouldn’t have Holly either.
The parents are running away now. Something must be done, Abby thinks. She sprints toward the Mother, raises her stick and smashes the Mother in the head. Mom falls down bleeding. Dad turns, cries out, and squats down to see to his wife. Abby sweeps the stick against his lower legs and he falls on his ass. He manages to keep balance enough not to fall backward on the baby.
Abby drags the Mother to her side.
“Take Holly off your back.”
“What? Who’s Holly? What are you doing?!”
“Take the baby off your back or I smash this stick into your wife’s skull again. She’s a bad mother and shouldn’t have Holly.”
“Don’t hurt my daughter. Don’t hit my wife again. We are sorry we trespassed. We didn’t know! It was an accident. Please, for God’s sake, stop!”
Abby holds the stick a few inches from the mother’s temple. “Take. Her. Off.”
The father takes the baby backpack off and places the backpack gently on the ground. He holds onto it with one hand and reaches for his wife with the other.
Abby takes a huge swing and bashes the father in the head. She takes another swing and smashes the mother in the head again. She drags the dead mother and the unconscious father to the lake and pushes them both in. The lake swallows the offering.
Other blogs participating in the blog hop: http://afstewartblog.blogspot.ca/2017/09/join-october-frights-blog-hop.html
That took a dark and fascinating turn.
Yes. She’s quite disturbed, but I think losing your husband and then losing your daughter to a terrible accident, which everyone blames you for, would do strange things to your mind.