Abigail | Putri Marin

Chapter 1

   The sound of children playing in the playground is loud in the air, some pushing each other on the swings, some playing by the sandbox, and some climbing the ladder to the slide. I see a little girl slide down the slide and come running up to me. "Mother! Mother!", Said the little girl with enthusiasm in her voice as she ran up to my arms and I spin her around. "Hello dear," I replied to her, giving her a grin as a sign to return hers.

   We both got inside the bus and I saw as her eyes watched the familiar road to our street. As the sky turns from blue to magnificent dark-blue-orange color with a hint of pink, we got out of the bus and went inside our little house. "Go clean up before dinner Grace." I remind the little girl that's still holding my hand, she replied with a nod and went inside the shared bathroom.

   I went to the kitchen and start the fireplace to keep us from freezing tonight and to warm some soup I've prepared earlier that day. I tidy the table as I saw my only daughter come to me in her pajamas. As we've said our prayers, we ate dinner and talked about our day. "It's time for bed sweety," I said softly to the girl who's already yawning in front of me.

   "Is Father not coming home again tonight Mother?", She asks with her sleepy voice. "No honey, he'll be back when you're fast asleep. Don't worry, I'll be waiting for him to come home." I assure her as I escort her to her room.

   The moon's light shines brightly through her windows. As the small girl climbed her bed, I sat by the side tucking her blankets to her. "Can you please tell me a story Mother?", asked Grace. "Of course dear," I said, I smile genuinely at the girl I called my daughter. "Do you want to hear the story of Abigail?", I asked while fixing her hair. "Yes please Mother", She said.

   The girl that was sleepy before turned her sleepy eyes to excitement at the thought of the story. "Centuries ago, a long time ago the world was a perfect place. Everyone lives together happily. Until one day, a meteor crashed down. Ruining half of the Earth, half of it was destructed and desert, there were no greens to see around, no water, just dry dirt all around. While the other half was still a beautiful piece, animals still live happily there, humans survived there, there are still sources like water and forests.

   But on that day, a family from the destructed side survived. They tried their best to live in the destructed world, trying day by day to reach the other side. As generations passed by, the population of people from the destructed side has grown quite much. They found ways to plant food and water in a limited amount. Though after years and years of searching, they've found nothing closer to the other side.

   Until one day, she came around. "Is it Abigail? Is it Abigail?", Grace screamed enthusiastically making a chuckle slip through my lips. "Yes Grace, it's Abigail. She is a brave, kind, and humble girl. She loves adventures and even more, her family. Her optimistic side has never failed to bring a smile to people's faces. But one of her weaknesses is, her curiosity.", "Curiosity killed the cat?", Asked Anna innocently. "Precisely."

   "Abigail! Come back it's time for dinner!", Abigail's Mother, Anna screamed to her daughter who was playing by the river with 3 frogs who are her new friends. "Alright, goodbye frogs I have to go to dinner. See you guys around!", She said excitedly with a smile never leaving her face as she crouched back up and ran to her house.

   "What's for dinner tonight?", She asked after coming through the door. "Mushroom soup, Ruth please help me tidy the table.", Anna said while rushing to finish up the soup. "Of course, Aunty", Ruth reply formally and did as her Aunt said. "Boys come down!", Said Sharen screaming to the boys upstairs. "Alright!", The boys replied and come running downstairs.

   "I call dibs on sitting next to Mother!", Joshua screamed as he was the first to reach the first floor. ", No I call dibs earlier first!", "No I call dibs!", William and Michael soon catch up to Joshua. "Boys behave! Or none of you will be sitting next to me, Joshua could you please get your grandmother.", Aunty Erika said with a monotone voice. "Alright Mother", Joshua replied respectfully and went inside the room on the first floor where grandma was knitting.

   "Children go wash yourself", Mom screamed one last time before bringing the pot to the dinner table. "Abigail, can you please escort the boys to the river", Mother asked with tiredness quite visible in her voice. "Alright, Mother", She replied with a smile, "Josh, William, Michael let's go to the river!", She yelled to the boys who started following her.

   The children went outside and start running to the lake, giggling filling the cold night air. After Abigail have washed every one of the boys' hands she washed hers as she told the boys to come back home first as the night was getting dark.

   Snap... The sound of stick-breaking catches her attention. She stopped washing her hands and looked up. Curiosity gets the better of her as she crouched back up and look around. The night was young and the sound of crickets and water from the river is visible. She looked to the other side of the river and saw two eyes shinning looking at her.

   She stared back at those eyes as they come closer to her direction. The creature that's hiding in the dark shadow reveals itself as a deer. It was a male deer, around 2,5 meters tall. The deer went and drink the water from the river as Abigail sighed with relief at the deer in front of her. "You should be careful deer, if the hunters found you, you'll be dinner to them!", Said Abigail to the deer.

   The deer was still drinking the water, "You must've had a long day huh? Well my name is Abigail, or you could call me Abby, I'm going to name you..", Abigail pause as she looked around for inspiration of a name. She looked to her house and see the light and the voices of laughter, "Joy! That's your name!", Abigail said excitedly as the deer looked at her for a moment then continue drinking as if he's telling her he doesn't mind with the name. Ironic how the name of the deer does not match the deer's first appearance.

   "Well Joy, it is nice to meet you!", Abigail stated as she gave the deer a big grin. The deer stopped drinking and started heading back to the forest where he came from, as he turned Abigail could see an apparent scar around the deer's back left leg. The deer slowly disappear into the night, "Abigail hurry up! Come inside it's getting late!", Yelled Mother from the house with worry in her voice. "Coming Mother!", Abigail said running back to the house.