The Next Step - Life's Challenges

Chapter 11: Abortion?

     "michelle... michelle... MICHELLE!" yelled a quite frightening whisper voice. I was scared, it was dark and gloomy. I seemed to be along a forest path. I looked around for Eldon but he was nowhere to be found. I kept seeing horrible things. There was an abandoned building with the ceiling caved in, there was someone inside, I could see them through a hole in a wall that had collapsed, their leg was being crushed by the fallen ceiling. I tried my best to help but every step I took closer I seemed to be getting further away from the building, then it all vanished.

     I kept walking until I came across a burning car, there was a person kneeling in front of it. I could hear crying as I approached. I put my hand on their shoulder to help comfort them, the figure turned toward me and to my surprise it had no face. It was a pitch black void where their face should have been. I opened my mouth to scream but nothing came out. I shut my eyes tight and then I opened them again, everything was gone, the burning car and the man... Gone.

     I continued walking down the long path, I grew tired as I walked along the path. I finally had to stop and catch my breath. I looked down and saw the reason that I had grown tired so quickly. My stomach was blown up like a baloon. I fell liquid dripping down my leg, then a sharp pain shoot through my crotch and stomach. I heard someone calling my name from behind me, I turned around to see Miss Kate.

     "Michelle, your water broke! we need to get you to a hospital!" Miss Kate said.

     I looked down to notice that my water had in fact been broken, when I looked back up I was in a hospital bed surrounded by friends and family.

     "Aww! It's so cute!" Emily said. I looked down at the baby to see for my self why he was so adorable. I was in the most shock... The baby was just like that figure by the burning car,  it had no face, just a black hole where it's face should have been. I screamed and quickly looked up to all my friends and family. memebers and I almost fainted... they too had no face, everyone had a black void for a face. I looked over to the door of the room and saw the same figure from the car accident peering through the door window. It tilted it's head and gave me a slow wave with it's long dark hand. it opened the door and walked in, it put it's finger to it's pitch black face and said "shh", then it turned off the lights... That's when I woke up.

     I woke up in a cold sweat. I shot up into a sitting position and called for Eldon.

     "Eldon!" I yelled.

     "shh shh. It's okay, it's okay I'm right here." He replied. I must have been in such a deep sleep that I didn't notice that he was already holding on to me. He must have noticed me tossing and turning in my sleep. I might have been mumbling a little bit also, I have been told that I do that sometimes.

     "...It felt so real..." I mumbled. Eldon held me tighter and gave me a kiss on my forehead, then I continued.

     I explained in full detail what had happened, as I went on about all the ridiculous events that occured. I had frightened myself with my own dream, I could tell that I had frightened Eldon too. We spent the next half hour or so, talking about the dream and what it might have meant, then I finally built up the courage to ask him.

     "Babe I know this might be a hard topic, but we need to talk about this. For the past week all I could think about was us, our lives and how this baby is going to affect us. I'm not ready for a child and I know that you aren't either. I don't want to bring an accident into this world. I don't want to have to live with the fact that we can't give this baby what it needs." I said. I was starting to tear up, I was so glad that I could finally get it all off my chest, it was eating away at me.

     "...What are you saying?" Eldon asked with a confused look. He must have answered his own question in his head because I saw his expression change.

     "...An abortion?! Are you psycho? That's murder!" He yelled. I had never looked at it like that, it is murder... but if I wanted my life back then I needed to do this.

     "...Besides, We are both well off. Our families aren't exactly poor Michelle, and if I really need too then I will go out and find a job to help out... I could work with Chloe or something. Plus I know for a fact that all of our friends would help us out." He finished his statement. He had a point,  but I'm still very uneasy about the whole situation.

     "I know it's wrong... but think about yourself, think about me, think about us. I might never dance again. I have to wait nine months, then I have to be there for it until it's eighteen years old, I'm not even eighteen yet. And you. You might not dance again either. You said you were going to stay by my side the whole way through. How are you going to manage me, the baby and maintain a dance career?!" I replied. Eldon hung his head and went silent for a moment, I did the same as I played the different scenarios over and over again in my head, all the different ways that our lives could turn out, asking myself questions that had unsure answers; what if I do get an abortion?... Where would we live?... What if Eldon and I split up?.

     "...Maybe you're right... Maybe it would be best for us. I couldn't stand to watch you quit dance because of my stupid accident..." Eldon said, snapping me out of my little trance.

     "Hey, Wow! Time out. This is just as much my fault as it is yours okay? We were both pretty stupid that night to not use protection. We share the blame equally." I exclaimed, making it clear that this is both of our faults. He nodded his head and gave me a kiss.

     "Well I'm glad that we talked about this. I'm going back to sleep." He said while wrapping his arms around me and giving me a kiss. I turned on my phone to check the time. The clock read "3:54 AM". I turned off my phone, snuggled up with Eldon and finally fell back asleep.