Lies In The Darkness

Chapter Eight

"Hey, Abby. It's Paul. I know it's been a while and I just wanted to check up on you. I really do miss you. Do you think we could talk sometime? Maybe meet up at that coffee and muffin place you like if you still like it. Okay, well. I love you. I'll call you later."

That was the message Abby received on her answering machine the next morning.

Abby stood there with a confused look upon her face. Paul Melrose was his older brother who she had always looked up to and thought very highly of. When he graduated high school, he left town in a hurry not saying where he was heading exactly or what he was planning on doing when he got to the mystery place. Nothing seemed to be wrong the day he left, he was just ready to move on.

Paul was the handsome guy at school who spent time studying for tests. He always wanted a degree in medical science. He'd go to science camps during the summer (excluding the one summer he got sick with the flu). When he graduated, Paul got a scholarship to the University of Arkansas for Medical Science. It was the most exciting day of his life. But then he sudden;y packed his things and drove away from home. He didn't even enroll to the university or even give them a call. Hangers and wads of paper were the only things left in his closet. The furniture set still and his bed was even made up.

Of course their parents were curious and worried about Paul, but he never even gave them a simple explanation of what was going on in his new life. He did call once or twice every few months to let them know he was doing okay and promised he would visit soon enough. But five years had passed now and his parents had not seen him. Only pictures could help them remember him.

Abby was sixteen then and now she was desperately wanting to see her brother. She sat around the living room hoping to hear the phone ring. She really wanted to talk to her brother now.

"Come on." She begged the phone to ring.

But it was after noon now and Abby had given up. As she was cleaning her room and tidying up her desk, she saw a few envelops to colleges she wanted to attend to get a degree in photography. Photography...big passion. The envelops were titled "University of Alaska-Anchorage" (her first choice), "Westwood College," and "University of Phoenix."

Abby tucked the envelops back into one of the desk slots and sighed to herself. She straightened up the other books and papers that cluttered her desk. Her dirty laundry set in it's basket and she needed to go wash them now. After all, her favorite green blouse was in it. She picked up the basket and shoved some change into her pocket for the washing machine. With one more gaze of the phone, she left her complex and down the elevator into the lobby where she followed the sign reading "Laundry Service."

Abby pushed open the glass door and went to an open washing machine, dumping her clothes into it. There she saw her green blouse with the orange juice stain on it's front. She frowned and shut the washing machine door. She pressed a few buttons on the machine and inserted her coins. The washing machine roared to life to wash her clothes. Abby stood around the laundry room waiting for the clothes to be done washing.

"Abby!" Daniel exclaimed as he waltzed into the laundry room.

"Hey, Daniel."

"You don't look as hammered as Sergio."

Abby laughed. "Well I don't get drunk like he does, thank you."

"Of course not. Are you still full?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Daniel stuttered, "You ate that whole rib eye in like, ten minutes."

"I was hungry." Abby explained.

"That was noticeable."

Abby said, "My brother called."

"Paul called?"