snapshot •josh dun

twenty two

It was 4 a.m. Abigail couldn't sleep. Tears fell down her face as she sobbed and sobbed.

Why her? What had she done to God? To anyone?

Her bed felt cold and alone. She couldn't handle it anymore. This disease, it plagued her in all shapes and form. She wanted to fight. To battle this. To take it head on. But she felt so weak. So powerless.

The medicine had been working, the new treatment was doing it's job. But she was so afraid.

The fear never goes away. You carry it on you like a ball and chain. It rests on your mind everyday.

Abigail knew one person would be up to share the weight.

Tapping Josh's contact on her phone, it rung out three times before Josh picked up.

"Abigail? What's up? Why are you up so late?" Josh answered, clearly tired but also sounding happy to be talking to his girlfriend. By this time Abigail had begun pacing the apartment.

She noticed the dark. The way she bit her lip and clenched her teeth. the way she looked up at the white speck on the ceiling and tears welled themselves up in her eyes. The way her breathing became slow.

"Abigail?" Josh asked again, more concerned now.

She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out. The tears spilled over. A sob escaped her lips and crawled its way into Josh' s ear on the other line. She fell crashing to the ground, pressing her cheek against the cold wood. Nothing could calm the storm.

Josh hung up, and within mere seconds, he was at the door. He used his spare key and busted in, leaving the door open. He dropped to the floor and sat next to a sobbing girl. He tried to comfort her, but it only set her off more. She ripped from his touch and yelled.

"Why me?! Why me?!" She sobbed, her voice cracking, her face wet, mouth contorted into an ugly shape, ruled by the chaos of sadness. She sobbed and began punching her leg in anger. Josh was now crying as well, and quickly grabbed her wrists, tearing the fragile bones away from hurting Abigail's body.

Muffled cries could be heard as Josh embraced Abigail. She cried and made a home in his touch. Her forehead rested against his stomach, and Josh hunched over her frail body, both crying. Tyler and Jenna were now standing in the doorway, silently crying, holding each other and staring at Josh and Abigail.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. God, I'm so sorry Abigail. I wish it was me." Josh cried, rubbing her cheek.

The dark provided no solace that night.