What You Don't Know Can't Hurt You

Part 4

            Her eyes were just fluttering shut when she heard a small peep out of the corner of her ear.

"Abigail?"

"Rosey sweetie, I love you, but I am done for the day." She turned on her side and fluffed her pillow.

"Abigail, It's about Liam." Abigail shot up and stared into Rosey's eyes. The little girl was already having tears form in her eyes when Abigail lifted her up.

"Show me." She sprinted down the stairs, grabbing her backpack on the way out. Her breaths became sharp and quick.

"Liam!" No words back. "Liam, Please!" Rosey was crowded around at her feet, crying. Abigail wiped her face, trying to stop her lip from trembling with an unsettling laugh.

"Come on idiot, this isn't funny anymore." She saw slight movement in the corner of her eye. Her legs went off, but stopped when she saw a boy cradling his legs in his arms.

"Liam?" He kept rocking, "Are you okay?"

"It's here, the Thing." He look up from his legs and stared at her. His pupils were dilated severely and his lip was bleeding.

"I think we should head back to the house," Abigail told him pointing back behind her.

"We cannot do that. It will follow us there."

"What's this Thing?" Rosey whispered. Liam stared at her and took her hands in his.

"A bad bad thing. That piece of paper brought him here." he pointed to his head, "There is nowhere to go."

"Yes there is, back to the house," Abigail pleaded. Her eyes were swelling up and her nose started running. Liam jumped to his feet and grabbed the drawstring bag from his back and pulled out three tickets.

"For us to leave this place, a one way ticket to freedom." He was crazy. There was no airport here for miles on in and if there were how could he afford those? The family could hardly afford dinner, let alone three plane tickets.

"Where did you, nevermind, we cannot leave Dad here by himself-"

"We will come back, I promise. I need this Thing out of my head Abbie," he grabbed her shoulder, "please."

"We have no other clothes, or money, or even food essentials."

"Hey, hey, hey, it's gonna be okay. We'll make it. You, me, and Rosey, like always." Abigail glanced at Rosey lying on the ground with her mouth hung open.

"You have to let us pack and let Rosey say goodbye."

"Deal."

Abigail carried Rosey back to the house, careful not to step on the squeaking steps. She piled in just two shirts at the most and a pair of hand-me-down jeans. Liam is right in the way of there is no difference in bringing extra clothes or not. None of them owned more than the shirts on their back, but Abigail needed time to compute what was happening now.

Liam was going crazy. He hardly opened his mouth for years, and now he talks about some killer monster finding him. Secondly, they had no idea where the were going. That ticket could be just hours away or days from driving. Abigail shoved a pair of Rosey's rainboots in the duffle bag.

"Where are we going Abbie?" she yawned halfway through. Abigail cradled her in her arms.

"On a little trip, that's all, like a vacation." Rosey smiled hastily before setting her head back in Abigails lap.

"Yeah, like a vacation." the rest of the packing was just folding the clothes and putting them in neatly. Liam walked in the room with his head in his hands.

"Abigail, I feel strange."

"All those bruises he did a number one you."

"No it's not that it's that Thing, that creature. I never paid for those tickets, they appeared in my bag somehow." Abigail let out still breath.

"Then why are we even leaving if you don't even know where we are going?"

"I think this place could help me. I need more than some mental hospital to help me here."

"Maybe that's where we are going, you have no idea!" Liam hushed her.

"Shh, so maybe I am a bit clueless on where we are going, or what's going to happen. But Abbie, I will not stay here any longer than I have too." Abigail looked through his dark hazel eyes and pleaded.

"Dad needs us, he cares about us."

"No, Abbie, he doesn't. He cares about you and Rosey, he needs you and Rosey. I am just there as a throw doll." Liam stood up and threw his bag on his back.

"You can come with me if you want, but I need to go. Something is wrong with me and someone there might be able to help me." Abigail looked at Rosey, then at Liam, then at the door.

"How long will we be gone?"

"No longer than a week at most. I promise." she let out a defeated sigh.

"Give me five minutes." Liam nodded and left the room. Abigail rummaged through her draws searching thoroughly. She stopped when a small stack of pictures appeared, tied with a little band. Abigail was holding newborn Rosey in her arms, with her eyes shut and her smile toothless. The next photo was their mom and dad's wedding night. Their mom was stunning. Her hair flew behind her in the wind with her dress straightened down to her ankles in fully covered lace fabric. Abigail stopped at the last one. Liam had his face pressed against their mom's and both of them with their tongues sticking out. Every argument the three had about who resemble their mother the most, Abigail would never let Liam know he was a clone of her. He maybe did not have the same eye colour or the same auburn hair, but his eyes glowed with curiosity like hers and his cheeks were just as rosy. Abigail took the picture and walked out with Rosey.

"Come on."