Counting Down (24 page)

Abby ignored Kyle’s rant and glanced around the room at the stunned faces that surrounded her. “Don’t worry. I have a plan. Besides, it’s not that bad.” Her words were directed at her uncle and Alex, plus the image of Kyle that lived only in her mind.

She felt the pain throb up into her shoulder and down into her fingers. She welcomed it openly. It was a comforting change from the endless dull ache of emptiness that consumed her every waking moment. She clenched her fist, watched as the blood ooze forth.

Abby motioned for Hanna to come stand by her, winced once at the pain. “It’s your turn to shine now Hanna.”

The little red head gawked at Abby as she stepped forward. “I… I don’t know if I can fix that like Evie did the apple. I don’t even know where to begin.”

Abby tried to send the girl encouragement with her smile. “It’s in you somewhere. I know it is. I can feel it. You can do this Hanna. Just concentrate. Imagine the wound healing up, the skin fusing back together like two sides of a zipper.”

“Gross,” Jake groaned. “What an image.”

Abby ignored him and nodded to Hanna. “Go ahead Hanna. You’re our Healer.”

Hanna visibly gulped and placed her hands over Abby’s wound.
Blood dripped down Abby’s arm along the ground, spotting the grey linoleum tile with stains of deep red.

They didn’t have to wait as long this time. In less than a few moments the room lit up with Hanna’s blue glow and a small flash sent Abby rocking back on her heels. When she looked down the wound was nearly gone. All that remained was a fresh pink scar that felt tender but not quite painful.

“Did it work?” Hanna’s eyes were still clenched shut.

“Open up and have a look.” Abby laughed as Hanna opened one eye and then the other.

Abby held out her arm and allowed the younger woman a moment to examine her handiwork. She then moved to show the other members of the group, displaying her freshly healed skin like it was a trophy.

Abby stopped at David, narrowed her eyes and bent down to his face. “Keep your doubts to yourself from now on.” It was a warning but he only glared, turning the corners of his mouth up in a cocky grin.

“Okay. I didn’t see that coming,” Kyle said from within the depths of her skull. “That will be an extremely useful talent to have around.”

“Told you I knew what I was doing.” Abby grinned, realizing then that she had gained quite a bit of respect from the rest of the group. Well, with the exception of David anyway.

She caught the eye of Alex and Jim, receiving nods of approval from each of them.

“What about us then?” Jake straightened in his seat. “What do you think us yellow guys can do?”

Abby hadn’t had the opportunity to think about that question as much as she would’ve liked. The other two gifts seemed easier to pin-point. They made sense. She knew the three men were all supposed to be builders of some kind; people who constructed and engineered. But she had no idea what kind of active talent the three of them should possess.

“I don’t know yet Jake.” Abby pulled her sleeve down to cover the scar on her arm. “I need to think a little more on that one. I suggest the rest of you do the same. Let’s not forget we’re supposed to be a team.”

“Oh really? Isn’t that convenient? We do all the work and you take all the glory.” David leaned his elbows on the table, sitting his weight forward in a challenging gesture. “What can you do then? You had dreams. So did the rest of us. You had the sense to run to Kansas and hide in your uncle’s bomb shelter, which let’s face it, is a no brainer. How can you contribute actively besides sitting around here giving orders and watching everyone else create little miracles?”

Abby opened her mouth to respond when Kyle’s voice invaded her thoughts again. “You don’t have to answer that. There’s no getting through to that guy. He just wants to get a rise out of you. Don’t let him have the pleasure.”

Abby nodded to her phantom Kyle and glared towards David with disdain. “I guess you’ll have to wait and see. You should think more before you speak David. And try to have a little faith.”

David exhaled a derisive snort.
“Right. Whatever you say queen Abby of the White Light.” His hands popped
up
to taunt her with a fake bow.

Abby felt her temper flaring up and had the sudden urge to throw something at David’s smug face. Alex caught the look, obviously sensed the anger brewing under the surface and came to her rescue immediately. “Why don’t we all relax a little? I think that’s enough work for one day.”

Abby sent David one last threatening look then headed back to her bunk in silence. She had done her job for the day and was suddenly tired. That might also have been due to the stress of being wounded and healed in less than ten minutes time.

“Thanks Alex. I really can’t stand that guy.” Abby kept her voice hushed as he walked with her to her bunk.

“I know. He’s a dick. I don’t think he likes not being the one in control of everything. He acts like a cult leader with the others when you’re hibernating in your bunk. Constantly telling them what they’re doing wrong, spouting off nonsense like he’s propagandizing for their loyalty. He’s like a dictator.”

Abby
snorted. “That son of a bitch. I’ll set him straight.”

Kyle’s voice was a booming yell in her head. “You will not. He’s not stable and I don’t trust him. Let someone else do it.”

She brought her hand to her temple and pressed. “Ah… not so loud.”

Alex grabbed her upper arm, concern written on his furrowed brow. “Abby? What is it?”

Abby shook her head and groaned inwardly. “It’s nothing. I’m fine. Just a little headache.”

“You should rest then. Get some peace and quiet and take a little nap.”

“Yeah.” She leaned back onto her bed and sighed. “That’s a good idea. Don’t let that guy get out of hand though okay?”

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll say something to him. You relax now.” Alex pulled her blankets up over her shoulders and closed her curtain

Abby drifted out of consciousness quickly, sinking into a world of dreams where Kyle was more than just her personal phantom; more than just a delusion of her tattered, grieving mind.

Monday, December 31st 2012, 11:19pm

I
t was New Year’s Eve and Abby wasn’t feeling at all like celebrating.
She was more content to hide in her bunk and listen to her figment of Kyle then to drink and play cards as the clock ticked down to 2013. Besides, there was no one she wanted to kiss at midnight. No one alive anyway.

He spoke to her softly. Or at least she imagined his voice sounded soft. The tone of his words made him seem tired and maybe even a little miserable. “Why don’t you go out and have some fun with everyone else? There’s beer to drink and knowing Jim, at least one shot of tequila for everybody.”

“I’m not feeling much like a party at the moment.” She methodically recorded the things she I had learned about the Gleamers over the past few days, jotting down experiences in detail on the pages of the leather journal Kyle had given her for Christmas. They had been able to feast on fresh fruit salad for the past two days thanks to Evie and Abby had a half a dozen new scars to show for Hanna’s newfound confidence.

“Why not?” He yawned at length before going on. “I think it sounds like fun. I could use a shot of tequila.”

“Ghosts can’t drink. Or more accurately, figments of my imagination can’t drink.” Abby continued her work, fixing her attention to the black ink marks she made on the page. “Do you seriously need to ask me why I don’t feel like celebrating New Year’s right now? Isn’t it rather self explanatory?”

“
Come on
Abby.” He was annoyed but he didn’t yell. “You were picked to live. Yes, the world ended, but you didn’t. Stop punishing yourself.”

Her face remained expressionless
, her voice calm as she kept writing
. “I think I’ve gone through enough traumas lately. Why would I want to punish myself?”

“For surviving.”

Abby stopped writing and stared at the wall without actually seeing it.

Kyle continued. “Look, I’m just saying you can’t pretend to live. You walk around here like everything is okay and everyone knows it’s not. Every single person in this bunker has lost someone now.”

She continued her thousand yard stare at the wall and thought of Alex’s parents lying dead amid the rubble of their home.
She had met them only once but they were nice people with a charming house in Cape Cod and a little black poodle they called Petunia.
Abby had overheard Alex talking with Evie about his family earlier, relaying a light hearted story to cheer Evie up while the dark haired girl shed tears over the people she had lost.

Abby wasn’t the only one suffering. She knew that. Which made it a million times harder for her
t
o spend time with any of them. They gave her sympathetic glances while she could barely look them in the eye.

“You’re not responsible for their pain,” Kyle said. “It’s not as though you could’ve stopped the end from coming and there was no way to save everyone we loved.”

“We could’ve given the rest of the world some warning.”

“They had warning.” He sighed. “And a few of them did make it. What would our warnings have accomplished anyway? Should we have unleashed our burden on them so they could spend their last moments in panic, killing each other out of fear? Is that how you would’ve wanted to spend those last days?”

“That’s different
though
. I believed we’d survive. All of us. I was afraid, but I knew I was safe too. Because of you… and all the work you’d
done
. I knew my life wasn’t going to end.”

“Well it looks like it’s over now. Isn’t it?” He was goading her.

“No, it’s not.” Her words were forced, laced with regret.

“Glad to hear it. And that is a good thing
. Sweet Abby, you
didn’t want to die up there. You weren’t meant to.”

“
But
you were? I would’ve rather joined you instead of facing all of this alone. Do you have any idea how terrified I am of going back to the surface? I’d rather suffocate down here than see
what’s up there
. I’m not strong enough to lead these people to anything but their deaths.”

“Yes you are Abby. You have all the power I have, all the gifts and strengths you need. The others would most likely have never figured out their abilities if it wasn’t for you.”

She shook her head, clenched her jaw
to keep from crying for the millionth time
. “You’re wrong. They don’t need me.
” She sniffed, collected herself.
“
Not to mention all of this is
all very
easy for you to say since
,
again
,
you’re dead.
You
left me to do it all on my own.”

“I haven’t left you. I’m right here.”

“
No Kyle.
” Her voice cracked. “You’re
just
in
my
head.”

There was a long silence before he spoke again. “If that’s true – if you’re sitting there talking to yourself – then somewhere inside your mind you believe you have the strength. You believe you are powerful and that you can do what you must. You’re giving yourself this pep talk then.”

Abby rolled her eyes. “Delusions can be a real pain in the ass
sometimes
.”

“Yeah, well the truth isn’t always easy to accept. Believe me, I should know.”

She closed the journal, tilted an ear to listen. “What do you mean by that?”