HIM

CHAPTER 4.

The sirens were loud and quickly  woke Gabby up. It had only been a few hours before  she fell asleep  and the room  was still dark. 

Gabby could not sleep after the first two nightmares. She saw him touching her again and it felt real. Every word he said sounded real. He was in the same house as she was when she finally hurt him and she thought it would be a solid reason to come for her. She turned her body from looking at hope to look towards the other bed, Maddys bed and Maddy was not there on her bed. But neither was Jason. Other than moms room this was the only other room so where could they have slept? Maybe there still awake?  She heard voices low but she was sure they were real. Real… the word reminded her of her dream. No NIGHTMARE. She needed to feel comfort in every way and lying in bed did not help so she walked down stairs.

She stood by the living room door shocked. The cops where there. She hesitated but she still walked in. everyone’s eyes turned over and glared at her. His body was still and motionlessly looking at her but this time his eyes read nothing. Completely nothing. One of the officers came towards her and cuffed her. Shocked by them she looks around and maddy is cuffed as well. Maddy nods and her eyes catch Gabby’s. Maddy's eyes reassure her   that everything will be okay. She hopes she can still trust Maddy like in the old days. But I am not the old me. I can never be. An ambulance
at the house and they carry Eric in. why do they care about that son of a bitch? 'Anyone coming with him?’ the nurse sweetly asks but no one answers back. She slowly walks away trying to consume the awkwardness of the situation. After Edward is taken they push the twins into the police car and drive off. They both knew what crime they were likely to be accused of.

‘ I can’t believe I left hope all alone’

‘Moms still home and so is Jason, I know they’ll be fine’ Maddy replies with all certainty

The drive to the station is fast and silent. The twins are pushed out of the car in the moonlight of early dawn and dragged into the sheriff is office. That was the last place Gabby would ever want to be. She looked over into Maddys eyes to try finding faith that she could hold on to but all she could read was Madddy's fear for the outcome. God, it’s not even her fault. It is mine. I am the one causing pain at a time that I should bring happiness because I am finally out of darkness. Am I? Maybe am the dark one that needs to be avoided.  Gabby and Maddy sit in the office and are locked in. the room is dark and even the moon is not bright enough to light it.

‘Maddy I am so sorry. I shouldn’t have come to the house’ Gabby said letting shown a sob

‘To be honest, I don’t know what the hell he made you go through but I promise that even if I have to go through death to know that you will have your old self again, I will.’

She said it and made it sound so easy but deep down Gabby knew the old her had died. Never will she rise from death. Gabby would not let that.

‘I will get us out of this, and I swear I won’t cause any more trouble I’ll leave’ she says back holding in her sobs

‘Where will you go? We need you around. I need you around’ Maddy lays her head on Gabby's shoulder and listens to both their heartbeats in the silence. Like a battle  between  fatigue  and stress, sleep couldn't  find its way in between. Not through Maddy's imaginative bed time stories or Gabby's silent prayers.

Hours away from the darkness, with the room brightened, the Sherriff walks in. His motion takes the girls attention and successfully makes the comforting silence a war zone of awkwardness and terror.

"What went down with your father?" He asks. Not really looking at them. Trying to seem the least bit interested. He was good at that. Setting his innocence in almost every scene that did him good. Gabby should have seen this coming. 

"We have the right to remain silent  or everything we do or say may or may not be used against us" Gabby casually  says for the both of them.

"We're  still waiting on our layer" Maddy says with a smile on her face.

It's only been a day of having Gabby back but smiles have been rare since.  Even now Maddy's smile is only a cover up. Nothing true. Nothing worth holding on to.

The girls don't talk about what happened. How Gabby lost it. Her life hostage.  Not that they've become hostile with each other. Not that the familiarity is lost. They still feel like they did. They're not strangers. Even in moments where they can't trust each other they're not strangers. Even if one of them is now a mother. Even after Gabby's psychotic display of revenge. They're still sisters with a bond. They're the same. They thought the same thoughts, to hurt Eric in the same way. They're both damaged. They both cause damages. At the thought of danger their blood boils with adrenaline.  Ready for the challenge.  Gabby might have not always been this way but the devil has become a part of her. Something that was always a part of Maddy. In a way they got to live in each others shoes not exactly living the same lives. But with so much indifference, feeling as lost and damaged as the other. Miles apart but hurting and holding on to each others parts. Not wanting to live till tomorrow but having enough to believe you can get what is old again like it's something new.

They don't talk about all that bothers them, choking their youthful minds with despair. For both their sakes they de-patch. Starting a conversation off of memories never  lost or forgotten. Like love sick girls that can never get over their love. Keeping caution not to mention Eric. Only what was fun and had non of his involvement. Which was fun because he was always present.

"If we could just skip into another life I swear we would do all that again" Maddy laughs her thoughts out as they reminisce over the few glorious moments.

"It feels so good to live through our memories in a moment beyond a photo" she  hugs Maddy tightly and it feels like their one again,  their two halves have finally been combined after so long. It isn't surprising that in the midst of trouble and sadness they find joy. Momental. Short lived. Never lasting. But this has always been what's made them the afterglow.

I will hold on tight until this darkness disapears

Thinking of darkness, the sheriff walked in with his dark shadow following. The room is brighter but his presence takes that feeling away.
A lawyer walks in from behind him which signals it's time to talk about last night scene. To remember terror.

"I want the whole story" the Sherriff says, looking at them both with a very expectant expression.

From below their seats they reach out to give each others hands a squeeze.

"I did it. I found out how bad he hurt Gabby and I lost it." Maddy takes fall and squeezes her sisters hand to show her it's okay.

The Sherriff cuffs Maddy and takes her out of the room. Gabby sits there unable to protest. Only thinking this is her mess and she has to clean it up.