DELUSIONS (Sample) [PUBLISHED]

CHAPTER TWO

"I—I don't know," she whispered. She couldn't find the words she needed to comfort Tiffany with. After a few moments of silence, Abigale hung up the phone and let the tears fall.

She didn't want her best friend to hear her cry.

***

The sun hadn't yet risen when Abigale was awoken to a loud bang on the other side of her bedroom door. She'd fallen asleep in her clothes, too distraught to change out of them before her head hit the pillow. She quickly realized it was her mother's slender fist banging against the wood, and stumbled to open it.

"Mom? What time is it?" she asked, rubbing her eyes as the door swung open.

Her mother was already dressed in a blue t-shirt, dark pants, and a long coat that hid her curves. A baseball cap covered most of her hair, but her eyes were the thing about her appearance that really caught Abigale's attention. They shone with fear, something that she was quite accustom to after her parents fought. The bruise staining her right cheek dark was caked with foundation. It did little to hide the appearance of it.

"Hurry up. We have to leave," she said to Abigale in a hoarse voice. It sounded as if she'd been screaming.

"Now?" Abigale became alert, goosebumps prickling along her flesh. "It's still dark out."

Her mother pursed her lips together, her eyes darting to the darkened hallway. "Don't ask questions, Abigale. Just grab your things and meet me in the car."

She was gone before Abigale could question her further.

With adrenaline pumping through her veins, Abigale grabbed her packed bags like her mother had asked and exited her room without a second glance. She was too frightened by what had caused the fear in her eyes to care that she may never see her home again.

As Abigale raced down the front steps of her house, she could see her mother tapping the steering wheel of their Jeep impatiently with her thumb. She pretended not to notice as she wrapped her hand around the stiff handle and reluctantly pulled the passenger door open.

Abigale climbed into the vehicle and stuffed her backpack in between some boxes in the backseat. Then she turned to her mother, who stared intently in the direction of the house, as if she expected someone else to come through those doors.

"When you told me we were leaving in the morning, I didn't think you meant before five," Abigale said.

"I know," her mother replied carefully, her eyes still trained on the house.

"Then why are we leaving so early?"

Her mother cast her eyes downward to the leather-upholstered steering wheel. She pursed her lips together. "I decided I didn't want to wait, Abigale. It's a long drive to Arcata."

Abigale rolled her eyes. "That's not the reason, Mom."

"Yes, it is."

"No, it isn't."

"It is, Abigale. Stop arguing with me and get your seatbelt on."

"No," she replied, crossing her arms over her chest. "This is about Dad, isn't it? Where is he? Isn't he coming with us?"

Her mother's shoulders hunched forward. "No, he's not."

Abigale's eyes narrowed. "Why not? Where is he? I haven't seen him since yesterday morning."

Instead of answering her, Abigale's mother sat up in her seat and straightened her shoulders. All signs of weakness were gone from her mother's face. "I said, get your seatbelt on."

"Mom? Where is he? Where is Dad?" Worry crept into Abigale's voice as she noticed her mother's frigidness toward the subject. What happened yesterday? Why was her mother being so secretive?

"Never mind, Abigale," she said through clenched teeth. Her knuckles were pale from gripping the steering wheel so hard. "I don't want to talk about him."

"M—"

"—This conversation is finished, Abigale! Get your seatbelt on so we can leave."

Abigale clamped her mouth shut when she noticed the fury in her mother's dark eyes and slowly clicked her seatbelt in. The fact she wasn't telling her anything about where her father was made Abigale nervous. She was scared to push her mother too far. Still, she had so many questions. What happened to him? Why hadn't he contacted her yet? He always did, even when he and her mother fought. What was so different about this time? She knew him well enough to know he would never have let them leave without at least saying good-bye.

As she glanced at her mother, Abigale noticed the fear that pulsated off her in waves. Whatever happened between her parents had left her mother in that state, and it scared her. Her mother had never been fearful like she was then.

The Jeep pulled out of the driveway. Abigale clutched her phone for dear life as she watched her home disappear in the rear-view mirror. With a sinking feeling in her stomach, the sheer reality of everything hit her like a freight train. She might never see her home or Tiffany or San Francisco again.

Soon the U-Haul moving truck appeared behind the Jeep. Abigale didn't want to know how much extra incentive it took for him to drive this early in the morning.

She kept her eyes on the rear-view mirror, watching the driver take a bite of a sandwich stuffed with what appeared to be at least three different types of meat. Her own stomach grumbled at the sight of food, but she knew they wouldn't be stopping for a while. She didn't bother asking her mother if they could stop at the gas station they passed on the way to the main highway. She knew what the answer would be.

As they passed the green neon sign that said you are now leaving San Francisco, Abigale leaned back in her seat and let tears form at the corners of her eyes.

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Amy Crandall

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