Beckoned Through The Dark

39 // Abigail // Caution

Clay and Lesego had no idea what was at stake here. There was more to the story than what met the eye.

Lesego hasn't even heard half the story yet, but she was already cracking.

I remember when she asked me how her mother reacted after she was arrested.

I didn't how to tell her that the police reunited her with family an hour later.

I had known about Karabelo for quite some time because we had been involved in a brawl before, so the moment that car returned, I knew the devil was in town.

Everyone else was still devastated, they did not notice the difference.

The day I met Lesego at the hospital, I was shocked, and sometimes it feels unreal.

The things I discovered could shutter everyone into pieces, and if Lesego got a whiff of the entire story, she would never recover.

"I'm sorry, what?" Her boyfriend asked.

Lesego and I exchanged a look, I'd forgotten how much he didn't know.

"What's going on here?"

"Karabelo paid someone to have Lesego killed in prison."

"What?!" They asked in unison.

Flip! I needed to get out of here, I'd completely forgotten that Lesego doesn't know the full truth behind the prison stunt.

"Abigail, I..." She ran a hand through her new hair, I could see she was battling to come to terms with the harsh reality of her life.

"I overheard Ryan speaking to Karabelo on the phone, and he mentioned something about an inmate that did not mind getting her hands dirty. My hus–" I clamped my mouth shut, and my heart sank when I caught Clay's questioning eyebrow. "I'd heard of Funeka before, so I knew who they were talking about. I made a deal with her outside person, and she agreed to bring you to me alive," I said, shame slowly flooding my conscience. I couldn't believe how much I'd gotten my hands dirty ever since I found out that Lesego and Karabelo existed.

I looked up, expecting to see the disgust in their faces, but I was greeted by Clay's soft eyes looking at me with gratitude.

Lesego moved to me without warning and pulled me into a hug. "Thank you," she said, holding me tighter. She pulled away and held my hands, looking at me with tears in her eyes and the warmest smile on her face. "Thank you so much."

I nodded wordlessly, tears blinding my eyes.

We were interrupted by a knock at the door, and we quickly stepped away from each other.

That one action a reminder that we were literally walking on eggshells.

Clay opened the door, and a young cute-looking white boy walked in, his face slightly flushed.

"Tommy," Clay greeted, and the boy nodded as his eyes searched around the room, softening as he caught sight of Lesego.

"Hey." She waved awkwardly.

"Listen, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you. Are you okay? Do I need to get the doctor? I can–"

"It's okay," she assured him.

"Oh, my God!" He clutched his knees and took a deep breath.

"Shouldn't you be home?" Clay asked as he finally closed the door behind him.

Tommy shrugged. "I had to make sure your girlfriend was okay first." Both Clay and Lesego shared a brief look before casting their eyes to the ground.

Really? They didn't have to be so obvious. It was clear there was still some unresolved issues between them

"I should get going," I finally said.

The boy turned around, his eyes widening as they landed on me. "And who do we have here??" He asked with a flirtatious smirk.

Clay slapped him on the head and pulled him into a side hug.  "Tommy, this is Abigail, a–"

The boy looked at me knowingly, and my nerves skyrocketed. As if reading my thoughts, he asked, "Thee Abigail?"

Both Clay and I tensed, not meeting Lesego's eyes. Tommy mouthed an 'oh,' finally picking up on the tension.

I turned to look at Lesego sitting on the headboard, but she was way too deep in thought, I doubt she heard anything that was said in the last few minutes.

I sighed in relief and looked at Clay, but he looked troubled too.

"Uhm..." I cleared my throat, gaining everyone's attention. "Lesego, I figured you didn't have anything to wear, so I've brought you some clothes." My eyes trailed down her dress, and she blushed. "But I guess I didn't need to."

"You mean this? No, I actually got it from one of the cleaning ladies who was here to change the sheets earlier," she said.

Both Clay and Tommy looked up, surprised, and then they shared a confused look.

"I'm sorry, what? What lady?" Tommy asked.

Lesego frowned. "She was an elderly woman probably in her mid-forties. Tall and slender, with a fair skin like..." she trailed off as her eyes fell on me. "Abigail," she said in almost a whisper.

All eyes landed on me, and then Tommy looked at Clay worriedly.

My blood ran cold, and the hair stood still on my skin.

Lesego tensed, and I could tell that she also felt the deadly presence.

She was here.

"What's wrong with you guys? You look cold," Tommy muttered.

"I have to go!" I said hastily and dashed for the door, and Clay followed me.

"I'll walk you out."

I was literally running, and he was trying to keep up.

I was just about to step into the elevator when he pulled me back roughly. "What is going on here?" He asked angrily.

"You won't understand. Just let me take care of it," I pleaded.

"You'd better," he said in a voice that sent chills down my spine. "Better yet, why don't you take care of your husband first? Les and I will deal with this." I gritted my teeth; he was really doing his best to get rid of me. And honestly, I didn't want to be here anymore.

"I'm on it."

"Then do it fast, because we are running out of time." He shoved me back and walked away.

His friend, Tommy, gave me an apologetic look. "Are you okay?" He asked as he helped me into the elevator.

I nodded my head. But truthfully, I was far from okay.