River and Abbey Draft 1

Chapter 7

Lmk what u think 

Also I'm havin fun w draft 2. In case u, stranger hooman, givsa shite 

"Yasmine?"

The blonde girl looked up. She held a broom in one hand, a dustpan in the other. It was the morning sweep of the dining area, and Abbey had crossed from her section to Yasmine and Kieran's section, which she never went to. It was like making the journey across Middle Earth, littered with unfamiliar tables and chairs. Wisps of Yasmine's hair were escaping her bun, and she looked positively beautiful in the morning light- if a little disdainful.

"Yes?"

Abbey shuffled. "I was wondering- uh, could you explain what happens when you remove people's memories? Is it- is it permanent?"

Yasmine raised an eyebrow, but didn't pry. "Well, I can make it permanent. That would be like erasing their memories. It's like I... I burn them away, of sorts. Or," she shrugged, "I could just put a temporary block. But the longer the amount of time the block exists, the further the memories get. Eventually the block will become permanent." She paused, visibly swallowing her curiosity, and then gave up and asked, "Why?"

Abbey shrugged too. "I don't know. Just asking, I guess. Thanks, Yasmine." Turning, she headed back to her section, lost in thought. Once or twice, she caught River looking at her, but he never asked although he must have known what occurred. She caught Nicholas glancing at her too, and about a dozen other Web members doing the same thing.

"It's really freaky," she hissed once, pulling Nicholas aside, "How everyone knows what one person knows."

"Hey," he said defensively. "Sorry, can't help it."

"What is going to the toilet like?"

He snorted. "Please. No one wants to see that."

Scowling, she continued toweling the plates. "It's not like you have a choice."

"You learn to block it out," he said. "And to be honest, everyone wants River's gift."

"What's that?"

"He can block it out," Nicholas said, and nodded like he was jamming out to some beats when he saw the look on her face. "Uh huh. That's right."

As noon approached, Abbey's heart started pumping faster and faster. Adrenaline swirled like currents of electricity through her body, tiring her out so much that at one point, she simply lay down and took a twenty minute nap. All her things were packed. She'd done so the night before, having firmly decided that she would be going with her family.

So why did things feel so wrong? She found her eyes traversing every part of the room. Would she forget what it felt like to sit on the couch? Would she forget what it was like to collapse exhausted every night on the bed? Would she forget what the hotel uniform looked like, would she remember if she saw it again?

How can you miss something you will never remember? something in Abbey's heart wondered.

The answer is, you can.

River's laugh echoed in the back of her head, travelling all the way down to her dark chambers of her heart, the smile striking a match, the match striking doubt.

How could she possibly abandon her family?

There was a knock on her door. When she opened, her mother entered in a swirl of floral fabric, smelling like a familiar perfume. Suddenly, Abbey felt like crying. Pitching forward, she wrapped her mother in a hug.