Playing with Forever

Chapter 28: Abby's Truth

The temperature warmed the last day of winter break, settling nicely in the seventies. Sam and I took advantage of the unseasonable weather by spending the Sunday afternoon in a park near his house, enjoying the fresh air.

We spent an hour doing homework and talking about nothing of particular importance until Sam stood up abruptly. "I do not want to sit anymore," he said decidedly. "Let us go for a walk."

I groaned. "No, I'm tired!"

"Lazy bum," he accused.

"I am not! My workout with Mina was brutal yesterday." She'd been away for most of break, just arriving back in town the day before, and had convinced a few of us on the team to meet up for a workout. I'd gone for the social aspect, mostly. After having two weeks off from volleyball practice, though, I felt the pain of the exercise more acutely than normal. "I'm sore!"

"Walking will loosen you up," he said.

I groaned again, but thrust my hands out. Sam grabbed them and hauled me up so we could stroll through the park. It was on the edge of woods, full of green smells and softly crunching grass beneath our feet. I had our AP English study guide pulled up on my phone, and I read it out loud as we walked.

I wasn't paying attention to where we walked as I focused on the phone, so I startled when I stepped completely into a shadow. I looked up and started to panic, the temperature dropping in the shade and my blood froze with fear. My body paralyzed as I looked down the tunnel I had just stepped into, fear shaking my vision. I had to fight the pull into the past. Memories surged into my mind, images blinding me with terror.

Useless. You're utterly useless.

I heard my voice whisper, "Sam."

Useless, unlovable princess.

"Come on, Abby. It is only a little darkness," Sam teased without turning around, oblivious of my fear. He simply wanted to explore the tunnel under the road.

"Sam." My shaking voice echoed off the cement walls, despite the fact that I was whispering to avoid it. The time my cries had echoed back in my ears again and again, his growl of laughter at my fear, it all flooded into my mind.

That's right, go ahead and cry, Princess.

"I don't do tunnels," I breathed.

The memories in my minds' eye flashed too fast, and it felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I started to hyperventilate. I leaned forward, curling in my shoulders and hugging my stomach in protection as my breathing grew erratic. Stop! Stop thinking, stop remembering...

I twisted around away from the darkness and ran.

You can't run from me.

Sam must have realized that I was serious, and I heard his feet on the pathway as he followed after me. He caught up quickly, and grabbed me from behind, just like he used to do it. I knew it was just Sam there in the present, but I could only see his face sneering down at me.

I fought, something I knew better than to do, but I fought.

You can't fight me, Princess.

Sam let go, holding his hands up in surrender. Panic laced his voice when he asked, "Abigail? Abigail, what is the matter?"

"Don't let him touch me!" I sobbed.

"Abigail, there is no one around," he said, hands still out as if he wanted to touch me in a reassuring manner, but was worried I'd fight him again. "What is wrong?"