Short-Lived

“Abby! You’re going to be late for your own graduation!” Abigail’s mother yells from the island in the kitchen. Abigail tosses clothes from inside of her closet, rolling her eyes at her mother’s screeching. She grabs her cap and gown and throws the gown over her shoulder. She slides her feet into her flats and heads for the stairs.

“Abbbbyyyy!” her mother yells again just as Abigail walks into the kitchen.

“Mother, for the love of God. I’m right here,” Abigail sighs, sitting down at the opposite side of the island.

“I don’t want to be late! You only graduate high school once. Here. I made your favorite,” she hands Abigail a plate of waffles, a beautiful smile plastered on her face. Abigail smiles back at her mother and grabs the plate. She starts on her waffles just as her father walks into the room. He walks up to his wife and puts his arm around her waist, planting a kiss on her cheek. He walks over to Abigail and kisses her forehead before sitting down next to her.

“So, two months until the start to the rest of your life. Are you ready?” he asks Abigail.

“I was born ready, daddy,” she responds, a piece of waffle dangling from her bottom lip.

“That’s my girl,” he smiles and takes a bite off of his own plate. Abigail eats as fast as she can before jumping up and grabbing her cap.

“Love you guys! I’ll see you on the other side,” Abigail says, running out of the front door and into the bright sun. She shields her eyes until her eyes adjust. She looks up at the blue sky and smiles. She runs her hand through her dark hair and jumps into the driver seat of her car. She revs the engine and drives down the road, the sun following brightly behind her.

The music booms from the windows of Alpha Mega’s house. The giant home lights up different colors like a chameleon. Abigail looks up at the big colonial, her eyes flickering purple, blue and red.

“Girl, come on! Let’s get in there,” Abigail’s roommate, Eboni, pushes. Abigail snaps out of the trance and prances up the wooden steps behind Eboni. They enter the crowded hall then walk into the living room. Eboni nods at a man across the room. He walks over to the girls and flashes a smile at Abigail. She blushes looking over at Eboni, who is chuckling with another guy.

“So, are you the Abby that Eboni’s always talking about? I’m Mike,” the guy with the smile asks Abigail. She looks up at him and nods slowly. He holds his hand out to her and motions towards the people dancing in the middle of the floor. Abigail places her hand in his. The warmth radiating from it makes Abigail feel safe and she basks in it. They get onto the dance floor and Abigail places her head on his chest, swaying with him to the music. Mike puts his hand on Abigail’s back and looks up at Eboni smirking. He puts his thumb up and nods over at her. The music continues and Abigail swings to the sound of Mike’s heartbeat and the whispering in her ear. She lifts her head and looks up at Mike. He smiles down at her and pulls her closer. She lays her head back on his chest and sighs peacefully.

Abigail sits on the run-down floor of the shared apartment she shares with Mike. She burns a brown tar substance on the round end of a spoon. Her eyes light up with ecstasy as she stares at the flame. She throws her head back just as the rubber band snaps around her arm. Mike walks into the room nonchalantly and tosses a little black notebook at Abigail.

“Babe, you said you needed one of these to write down the things you’ve always wanted to do down, so I found one for you,” Mike says to the zombie-like Abigail. She clutches it lightly to her chest and smiles, her eyes rolling to the back of her head. She lays her head back and floats to her world of make believe. Abigail twirls in a pretty pink dress as birds fly around her. They harmonize together as Abigail hums softly to herself.

Her vision goes fuzzy and the real world seeps through a blurred hole. Abigail walks through the small attic bedroom in the apartment. She throws her stuffed animals around her and then lays with them on the ground. The plant on her nightstand falls to the floor as she adjusts herself. Her giggles fill the room while she plays with the soil and leaves on the wooden ground.

Abigail closes her eyes and returns to the cottage. She lifts herself from the ground and runs to the door. The woods stand before her as she inhales the breeze coming from the open door. She walks out, running her hands through the bushes. She marvels at the wilderness around her when she hears Mike calling her name. He’s dressed in a formal getup, his hands gloved in white. He smiles over at her and waves for her to come to him. The sound of music and people chattering pulls her to him. She follows him inside and stares at the seven men in front of her.

“My princess, the ball is just about to start and you’re not even dressed!” Mike says as he pushes her up the attic stairs. Abigail’s vision comes back into focus and in her hands she sees the lingerie. Her smile drops as she walks into her room. She strips down to nothing and puts on the first set.

“Abby, you look beautiful!” a small voice says from the corner of the room. A mouse scurries out and towards Abigail. She kneels next to it, her frown replaced once again by her smile.

“Hey there, buddy. Do you like my new gown? I have three more to try on too!” Abigail slurs. She stands up slowly and twirls in front of the mirror. She sees the gown of her dreams; lacey and blue. Ruffles spill from the bottom. The mouse scurries away at the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. The tunnel in her vision returns and through the crack to her reality, she sees the parade of men followed by Mike. She lays down on the freshly made bed and awaits what she knows is coming. The small mice watch what they’re forced to watch day in and day out. Abigail calls Mike over to her, pointing at her punctured right arm. He smiles down at her and flicks a needle, shoving it into her arm. Her body becomes lifeless as the men crowd over her body and climb into the bed with her.

Hours later Abigail wakes up naked and alone. She lifts her body up and makes her way to the bathroom. She washes her face looking into the mirror. She closes her eyes and takes herself back to the cottage in the woods.

“Abby, you’re back. We had an idea while you were gone,” the small mice and birds say to her as they gather around her ankles. Abby smiles and joins them on the ground. The cold tiles in the bathroom make Abigail shiver.

“And what’s that, Mandy?” Abigail asks, picking her up in her palm.

“We did some research. You could runaway with us. We can keep you safe from Mike and the seven men,” Mandy says. She cuddles up to Abigail’s cheek, catching her tears.

“Abs! Come down here. I’ve got some more guys for you to meet down here,” Mike yells from the bottom of the stairs. Mandy and the rest of the animals look up at Abigail sadly. She stands up and shakes her head, bringing her back to the bathroom. She cleans herself up and changes into another set of lingerie. She fluffs her hair, pushes her shoulders back and makes her way down the stairs. Mandy and the others scurry back to the corners and hide. Abigail reaches the bottom of the stairs and gawks at all the new faces in fancy suits sitting in front of a pile of money. More money than she had ever seen at one time, she tries to catch her breath. She looks down at the table and notices her notebook sitting there too, unopened since the first list she made. She holds back tears, knowing she may never open it again. She shakes the thought and walks over to Mike.

“Baby, this is our last lick. They’re going to pay us $20,000 and all they want to see is you bleed a little,” he says, a conniving smile brewing. Abigail looks up at the top of the stairs and sees the group of animals looking down at her. A single tear falls from her eye as she turns back to the men. She prepares herself by closing her eyes, leaving the apartment and going back to the cottage. She walks slowly to the door of the cottage, blood seeping through to the wooden floor. She puts her hand to the wound on her stomach and trudges along. The sun beams through the door as it opens. The blinding light calls to her and she follows it. Mandy and the rest of the animals follow closely behind her.

“We did it Abby. We’re running,” Mandy yells at the top of her little lungs. Abigail turns to the cottage and sees nothing but smoke and flames. She gasps and the animals stop in their tracks with her.

“Abby, we have to go! Now!” Mandy urges, pulling at Abigail’s pant leg. She turns back to the light and continues to walk toward the light. Tears fall from her eyes as her skin begins to singe.

“Faster, Abby! Hurry.” Mandy continues, running alongside her as the flames begin to engulf her other reality. She jumps head first into the light and her pain immediately subsides. A bright blue light engulfs everything just as Mike and the men run from the burning apartment. Abigail lays bloodied and lifeless on the carpeted floor. She clutches her black notebook as the flames take over the walls and everything in between. The money swirls in the air of the living room, burning ashes throughout. The flames eat the entire apartment, leaving behind a bright orange hue as the sound of sirens fill the air.

“You’re finally free, Abigail. What are you going to do now?” a booming voice questions.

“Everything I’ve ever written down,” she smiles and falls gracefully through the thick white clouds, her little black book being carried by Mandy and her friends, following right behind her.