Being Anna Marie

being anna marie part 28

I continued gazing into a face extinguished of life for immeasurable minutes, my heart seemingly ripped out lying in the mist of so much blood. I couldn’t seem to move, to alert anyone to what had happened, not even flee a scene I had unwittingly caused to come to pass. I just felt… empty, numb. Liquid still ran unnoticed down my cheeks, my body completely deplete of its former invigorating strength. With a single slash to the throat I felt as if I had died along with Abby… or maybe it’s just that I wished I had.

The slam of the kitchen door behind me finally halted my bizarre actions of brushing Abby’s crusted strands back from her colorless features, my form too weak to even attempt to defend myself. My curls glided over one shoulder as I twisted to see my assailant only to glimpse Gabe’s beaten body leaning exhaustedly against its frame. Blood splattered his clothes, dirt lined what little skin that was not covered in bruises, and his curls stood on end. His beautiful eyes met mine and held, his sight not yet noticing who lay before me.

“Anna, I got to you as fast as I could,” he began only to lapse into silence as he stumbled towards me finally noticing the massive amount of blood, the ruined furniture… and the tips of Abby’s feet. “Abigail?”

His anguished whisper did nothing to halt my emotions from resurfacing, if anything watching Gabe; my strong warrior fall apart only seemed to unravel my composure even farther. He walked slowly towards me, his sight frozen on what was left of his little sister, tears trickling from his chin until broken he fell to his knees beside her.

“Abby,” he whispered, his fingers replacing my own, his tears adding to the blood covered floor. I slowly backed away from such unguarded emotions feeling no better than an interloper. Such expressed sorrow for a slain sibling felt too private, and I certainly had no right to intrude. I, like death itself snuck its way into this dwelling and allowed an angel to be brutally ripped from this earth.

“I am so so-sorry Gabriel,” I finally managed over the lump in my throat. “I-.”

His bleak reddened gaze met mine, “what happened? How did she-,” his voice trailed into silence as his despondent lenses fell back to his sister’s body.

My lips trembled, my voice hoarse, “they came out of nowhere. We separated.” My head fell in defeat while trying to make sense of the illogical. “I told her to remain hidden because,” I paused as my voice broke, “I thought not being near me would keep her safe. I didn’t think they would find her, that they would use her to get to me.”

His hand was shaky as it brushed against Abby’s cold cheek before he admitted, “I felt your fear.”

“I tried to reach you or Andrea-.”

His arm rose to wipe the tears from his eyes while unknowingly smearing his cheeks with blood, “they planned this from the start. The moment I made it to campus they attacked me. I barely made it back here a-,” his voice stumbled over the word as he stared upon what used to be his sister, “alive. They wanted your guardians occupied-.”

“So that they could capture me without interference,” I finished for him, my voice deadened of emotion. “I never should have come here, tonight.”

He shook his head in denial, his expression dejected and yet rational even in the wake of such tragedy, “you shouldn’t blame yourself.”

“Well someone sure as hell should. Look at my house!”

We froze in the wake of such fury thrown at us from the front entrance as Gabe gazed horrified up at his mother standing just inside the doorway. “Mom?”

Motionless I watched in silence, my mouth agape as she took in all the chaos surrounding us while knowing inwardly Abby’s body still remained hidden; the overturned couch blocking most of her form, and yet internally dreading the horrid moment when their mother’s eyes would fall upon her deceased daughter, for I knew the instant brown eyes gazed upon Abby’s damaged throat all hell would break loose.