Abigail

--- 20 ---

30th of September 1888, I was glad that I'd taken history at school, if I hadn't done that, I wouldn't know that tonight was the double murder, of Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddows. I did the same thing as the last time and cringed at the thought of Mr Ridley's face when he'd walked into my room that morning. My heart thudded from the left over embarrassment. 

I dressed fast and took off, taking the same route as I had done previously, when I arrived the same dark cobbled streets were all I saw, and the same eerie feeling was all I felt. I folded my arms over my chest to keep out the cold, it did little but it made me feel smaller, and less likely to be seen.

 I may have remembered the dates, and I may have remembered the place, but the time and exact location where fuzzy in my memory box, so unfortunately, I had to wait around and hope for the best. I hummed softly, picking bits of songs I could remember from home and mixing them all together to make my own song, it didn't sound great, not at all, but it filled the silence a little bit. 

I walked down a few alleyways on my tiptoes, I didn't want to make any noise but it was so dark out that I think if I did make noise I wouldn't be seen anyway. I still stayed close to the walls though, I wasn't supposed to be here and I hadn't really thought about what I was going to do if I managed to find him tonight, or stop him, I never really seemed to plan anything, and in that moment I decided that from now on, I ought to plan things better. 

A man walked past me and looked in my direction, nodding and mumbling a quick 'night' and tipping his hat before continuing, I held my head low and kept walking. I made sure to walk at a slower pace, so I would get lost in the distance between us, I'd just be another passing individual. 

I turned the corner and walked a few yards down the street. I stopped when I heard the shouting, and then I ran to it, and I hid, and I watched the man who just passed me, chase another man down the remainder of the street, and in the middle of the street was a body. I didn't have to go any closer to know who it was, I knew who it was. 

A hand planted itself on my shoulder and spun me around. "What are you doing?"  I looked up to see Mr Ridley staring at me, his hand gripping my shoulder tightly. 

"What are you doing?" 

"Following you."

"Why?" I asked, confused and lost as to how exactly he had managed to follow me all this way without me noticing.  

"Because I saw you leaving" He looked at the confusion on my face before elaborating. "I'd fallen asleep in the library and was just returning to my room when I saw you leaving in trousers and thought I ought to follow you.  Why did you come here again, after last time?" He looked at me confused, I'd go as far to say that he looked a bit hurt. 

"I had a feeling, I couldn't ignore it. I had the urge to come here tonight and I did now be quiet. " I said turning back to the street. He hadn't looked yet, I don't think he knew what was down there. 

"Excuse me?" 

I rolled my eyes and turned to look at him, expecting him to be glaring at me, he was. 

"We are going back."

"No I'm not d-"

"We're going back Abigail." He interrupted.

"No Mr Ridley." His large hand grabbed my upper arm and held it tightly as he pulled me back down the street, away from the crime scene. 

"Mr Ridley I can make my own way home"

"You're coming with me now so that you're safe, this is a dangerous place Abigail" He lead me back to his horse and waited for me to climb onto it. I didn't, in fact I crossed my arms over my chest in a sign of rebellion. 

"Abigail, get on the horse."  

I glared at him before climbing on to the horse, he climbed on after me, his front pressing to my back, and then we rode off. I sucked in my bottom lip for the entire journey, his breath warmed my neck as he looked over my shoulder to see the rode ahead. 

"This isn't the first time you've gone back, is it?" He whispered.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because I have to stop it from happening again." I whispered.

"It will happen whether you're there or not."

He said it mindlessly, but he was right, in that moment I realised it, some events are set in stone, there is nothing I can do to change them, no matter how hard I want to. I couldn't change certain parts of history, I had a feeling that the ripper murders were one of those parts. The murders were something I could no change. 

"So, the clothes on your floor that other morning- w- when I walked in to your room, they were yours?" 

"Well, I had worn them, yes."

"Okay."

He was silent after that, but it wasn't as tense anymore, the air seemed lighter, somehow. 

"Mr Ridle-"

"William." He interrupted again. 

"William, thank you for coming to get me,"

He didn't respond we rode past the palace guards, he stopped the horse before climbing off and going to speak to them, I climbed of the horse and lead the creature to the stables to put her away for the night. 

"Let me walk you to your room. " He said quietly. 

"Oh, you don't have to, it's not very far. " I smiled. 

"Abigail." He sighed.

"William, the front door is there and then its just a flight of stairs, I'll be fine." I couldn't help but giggle lightly. 

"Abigail, please, I want to."

 A/N:

Word count:1004  

Wow, Lucy is back, sorry I didn't update in so long, I had writers block along with having to focus on other writing projects and my college work, I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'll edit later as usual, and hopefully I'll update again soon, the rest of what I have planned for this book is very exciting!! 

-Lu :)