Encounters With Abigail

Chapter Thirty- Eight

Alex

When my eyes open, everything is over saturated I cringe at the bright sun directly above me. My brain is sluggish trying to make sense of where the fuck I am.

The sudden realisation hits me when my hands sink into the soft sand beneath me.

Bolting upright the soft waves come into focus along with her...

"Mum" I choke out and scrambling to my feet and stumbling toward her. Mum is wearing exactly what she was the last time I saw her alive.

An ankle length yellow dress, -that I have watched hundreds of times tangle around her legs as she struggled to live - which ties at the shoulders. Long straight deep brown hair blowing gently around her waist.

The dress is currently soaked up to her knees as she the wades water smiling that radiant smile I remember so fondly.

My feet are nearly in the water when she bellows "stop! It's not your time. Don't you dare step a toe into this water."

I know this can't be real, it's just some fever dream my oxygen deprived brain has cooked up but her voice is exactly as I remember.

My ass hits the sand as I begin to crying staring at my biggest regret, I killed her. This fantastic woman is dead because of me.

Mum glides toward me stopping at the shoreline, her soft eyes fill with tears. "Alexander, my son I am so proud of you." I begin full on bawling, knowing I don't deserve any of this kindness.

"You have worked so hard to make a life for you and Anna I am so proud to call you both my children." It's almost impossible to breathe through my sobs.

"I'm so sorry mum. I will never forgive myself. I'm so unbelievably sorry. I took you from everyone who loved you... from dad"

She kneels down so we are eye level soaking her dress up to the waist. "Alexander, if you dare ever apologise for that accident again. I promise I will smite you where you stand."

A wet laugh bubbles from my mouth before I manage to say "mum, I miss you every single day, time isn't helping I can't get past it. I won't ever not miss you."

She smiles making more tears tumble from my eyes "I miss you too, I never thought I would miss something as immeasurably as I long for my babies." Mum wipes a tear from her cheek my heart breaks at the sight.

"I tell myself that one day we will be reunited but not before you both have a long happy life" my eyes grow heavy, and I know this beautiful fantasy is about to end.

"I love you" it's all I can mumble as the heaviness fills my whole body.

"I love you too son, but you don't belong here, I'll see you on the other side." Mum stands wading back into the water, the haziness just overtakes her when I'm dropped back into the darkness of my head.