the judgement

2. Through fortune and fame we fall

Flashback.

Abigail wakes up out of her bed, stunned. The clown dropped the knife in fear. The metal thumped on the red carpet. Abigail screamed and ran away. She tried to open the door but it wouldn't budge. She looked back, at him. The clown laughed and looked down at his hand, too slow to even notice that he was bleeding oozing hot red. It came from his heart. He was invincible, yes, but he still bled. He felt as if he were dying, but he wasn't.

The clown pulled the knife out of his heart and looked up viscously, ready to pounce on his prize victim.

But she was gone.

*********

Abigail gasped and flung her eyes open. Only darkness. She pulled the sticky sheets off her and looked over to the clock. It glowed the time "2:21 AM". Abigail moaned and tried to turn over to get back to sleep. But why couldn't she just fall asleep?

A cackling of laughter hit the corners of her mind. Abigail's heart pace quickened and she shut her eyes to block the presence.

But it just kept on laughing. 

She heard the rain outside spray all over the windows like rocks being thrown vigorously. She wrapped the damp sheets around her and over her head. Her bedroom light turned on...

A flash of an outline over her bed.

The lights turned off. Abigail wanted to scream.

The lights flickered on again. The outline hovered over her again. It was an outline of it. Abigail screamed at the top of her lungs, hoping somebody heard her.

No one came.

She felt the weight of the clown on top of her. She could see the silhouette of a knife. Abigail could not stop screaming. She heard a brushing sound and then the eerie noise of a finger on metal, screeching.

Abigail moved quickly, rolling to the other side. The clown thrust the dagger down just next to her breast, missing by a centimeter. She breathed heavily and took the covers off her head quickly.

There he was, a big smile planted on his face. The clown.

Abigail screamed louder, a piercing cry. She heard footsteps progressing toward her room. Relief spread through her. But it wasn't over yet.

She rolled of the bed and attempted to sprint over to the door. The clown pulled her leg. She looked down and saw a red hand print clawed on her thigh. She cried and tried to escape it. Struggling so hard to escape made Abigail even more tired. The clown took the dagger once more and lifted it up. Abigail felt tears roll down her cheeks. She wiped them angrily. 

Abigail suddenly felt a wave of energy and slapped the dagger out of the clown's hand. The clown screamed like a baby crying. She got up and ran for her life, her hair swaying as she created a wind whilst she sprinted. She saw Austin running toward her.

"Abigail!" He cried, just about to hug her but stopping immediately. "There... There was a clown... I need water... I'm so tired..." Abigail fainted into Austin's arms. She heard a distant echo of her name, but she couldn't wake up.

Darkness swallowed her.

***********

Austin carried Abigail toward his bedroom in his arms. He carefully placed her on the bed, tucking her in like a fragile doll. Austin helplessly stared at her. She was so beautiful. Her hair was like golden sun rays and milk. Her skin wasn't perfect, but perfect didn't matter.