Lost Soul, Now Found

Lost Soul, Now Found (Chapter 14)

"Can I go with him Bray?"

"You're a grown woman, you can do what you want. I have no problem with it. Luke on the other hand... He usually prefers his walks alone. I guess that is his quiet time alone with his thoughts."

Abigail walked out of the house and saw Luke walking off in the distance. She wasn't sure if she wanted Luke to see her, but she caught up to him so that she wouldn't lose sight of him. The sun was starting to set and she could see the light of Bray's lantern. She followed Luke until he stopped at a swamp, he sat on a big rock and just listened and looked at everything around him. The sounds around him, he hoped would distract him from the thoughts that were constantly going through his head. He placed a hand over his heart, it physically hurt, the guilt he had been feeling for all of these years, it was catching up to him, eating him up inside, and it had slowly broke him down day by day. It hurt him physically and emotionally, things would never be the same with Abigail again. He took a rock that was nearby and squeezed it as hard as he could, he did this all the time until his hand hurt from squeezing so hard. It was a different kind of pain that would temporarily distract him from the emotional pain. Abigail was still unsure if she want him to know that she was there. This was his secret place, no one else knew about it. She had wanted to talk to him, and this may be her only chance to really talk to him. She slowly started making her way over to him. He heard footsteps, but thought maybe it was a wild animal. He quickly turned his head and jumped when he saw her, she did the same.

"Oh... Sorry Luke... I didn't mean to scare you?"

Luke only seemed more upset now that she was out here.

"What are you doing here?"

"I have to talk to you Luke. I followed you out here."

"Did Bray send you?"

"No. I came out here because I wanted to."

Luke looked down into the water.

"Looks like my secret place isn't so secret anymore. I always came out here to get away from everyone else."

"Why?... Why do you come out here all alone?"

"Because sometimes I just need to be alone with my own thoughts. I never know when something is going to become more than just a thought... Sometimes my thoughts become words... There are certain things that I do not wish to say around other people."

"Like... Some kind of secret that you don't want the world to know?"

"Exactly... You should not have come Abigail."

Abigail looked hurt by his response.

"Why? I'm so confused Luke... When I first came back here, you didn't want anything to do with me. Then a few days pass and it almost seemed like we were friends again, you were there for me when my so called parents showed up... I was so afraid... So afraid that I would end up in a mental hospital again, it upset me, but you were there to calm me down. Then I don't know what happened... I went to talk to you later, but you became cold and uncaring all of a sudden and shut me out. I'm just so confused... One minute it seems like you care, and then the next minute you don't."

"Or maybe... I've always cared, but you don't know what I'm going through."

"Then tell me... Tell somebody. How is anyone supposed to know what you're going through if you never tell anyone anything, and you keep going off on your own?"

"Why did you have to come out here?! I didn't want anyone to know where I go. You're living at the house again, and now you decide to come out here. Will you ever stop haunting me? Will you ever leave me in peace?... I can't take this anymore... I just want the pain to go away!"

"Luke... I don't understand..."

"You will probably never believe that I've always been in love with you because I was the one that caused your death... I was the one that upset you that night... I never should have said the things I said... I pushed you into the arms of a dangerous man. I tried to warn you about him, but all I did was lead you to your death... If Bray ever found out, if he did kill me for causing your death I don't know what he would do... I've lived with this pain and guilt inside of me for fifteen years now. All of a sudden you're back... To haunt me I'm sure. I deserve it, I deserve eternal suffering. I can't take this anymore... All I want is for the end to come so that maybe then my suffering will be over. To have you back... Is a blessing and a curse. A constant reminder of what happened before. I've missed you... So a part of me likes that you're here. I just want the pain to end... I want this life to end so that I may finally be at peace and try to find happiness again... For fifteen year you've been gone... I've forgotten what happiness feels like."

Luke had finally said what has been eating away at his heart and his mind for fifteen years. Now he broke down, he put his hands on his face as years of pain finally escaped him. He finally let the tears flow not caring anymore.

"There... Now you know everything. I assume you're going to tell Bray now?"

Abigail didn't say anything, she was heartbroken, she could feel Luke's pain. He thought she had come back to cause him more pain than what he was already feeling. She had heard everything he said, what killed her was when he told her that he felt responsible for her death and that he forgot what happiness felt like. She had tears in her eyes and was crying with him. It seemed like she finally understood why she was getting a second chance, it wasn't just for her, but she had to find Luke and learn the truth. To come back and let Luke know that her death was not his fault and to hopefully eliminate any pain and guilt that he felt. The one thing she knew she had to do was help Luke feel happiness let her heart take over and let her actions speak louder than words. She was closer than Luke thought, she gently touched his face getting his attention. She looked into his eyes and saw all of his pain and guilt, it had broken him.

They were now standing face to face. Abigail slowly leaned in and shared a gentle kiss with him. Luke was more shocked than anything else... The last time this happened was when they were kids and she tricked him. An old familiar feeling returned to him. His childhood crush on her had never went away, the only difference was that he realized that he had fallen in love with her. He felt something else, his happiness slowly returning as he wrapped his arms around her and deepened the kiss. All he had ever really wanted was her forgiveness since he always felt responsible for her death, but now it seemed like finally after fifteen years, his pain and guilt was finally off his heart and mind. He could finally feel the love and happiness returning to him. Finally they broke the kiss, Luke was speechless, Abigail looked at him in concern, finally she had gotten him to speak to her, but she never knew that he hid such a dark secret for so long. He had kept his thoughts and emotions hidden from the world for fifteen years, he was a man broken by guilt, she only hoped that she could fix him. Already after she kissed him and looked into his eyes, she could see signs of the Luke she had grown up with.

"Luke...?"

(To be continued. I hope that everyone enjoyed this chapter. Thanks for reading. Review.)