All The Mixed Feelings (Van McCann)

Part 68

Van

I didn't think I'd ever been so scared in my life. As Larry and I stepped out of the car and made our way down Abby's driveway my heart was beating almost painfully fast and the adrenaline coursing through my veins was making my whole body twitch. I wasn't so much scared for myself, although I should have been, but I was terrified for Abby and what I might find.

"His car's not here," Larry stated.

I'd noticed. I was trying not to think what that meant. Hoping it didn't mean that he'd taken Abby away somewhere and I wouldn't be able to find her. I tried to hold on to the hope that he'd more than likely parked it out of the way so that no one would have seen him coming. So he could sneak up and take her by surprise like the fucking predator he was. The anger and fear was rolling off me in waves now.

"What now?" Larry said as we reached the door.

I put my finger to my lips and stepped up to the door, placing my ear against it, and the door moved inward slightly. The movement surprised me and I jumped back, looking at Larry. He shot out a hand and placed it against my chest, stopping me from charging in. I wanted to push him aside and burst through, but I knew I had to trust Larry. He was scared and angry too but he wasn't invested like I was. His judgment wasn't so clouded like mine with the desperate need to rescue Abby no matter what the cost.

Larry pushed the door wide open and we stepped over the threshold. The hallway was dark and the house was quiet. Too quiet. An eery kind of deathly silence which chilled my blood and provoked my mind to conjure up all sorts of stomach-churning images but I tried to push them away. I needed my head clear.

I put my hand out to touch Larry's arm to get his attention, then pointed to the open doorway of the living room, then I tiptoed over and peered inside. Nothing.

Then I heard it. Quiet sobbing. It was coming from the kitchen and the door that connected the hallway to the kitchen was shut. It was Abby. I could feel my heart shattering into a million pieces at the sound and I could no longer hold back.

I called her name as I lurched forward, pushing the door with enough force to make it swing back on its hinges with an almighty crash.

"Van!" I heard her voice before I saw her. The kitchen was dark and my eyes struggled to adjust up the gloom.

Larry burst in behind me and all of a sudden the room was bathed in light as the fluorescent strip on the ceiling flickered on. I blinked at the scene before me under the harsh lighting. Seeing but not wanting to see.

There was blood. Too much blood. Abby's pale dress was stained with it. She was slumped against the cabinets on the far side of the kitchen, her hair falling around her face and she was looking up at me through it with wide, frightened eyes.

"Abby!" I went to her, falling down on my knees, taking her face in my hands, brushing away her hair, my eyes flicking over every inch of her to see the extent of her injuries.

Her cheek was red and swollen and she had a few cuts on her face that thankfully didn't look too deep. However her lower arms had several gashes that looked deep and were still weeping blood.

"What has he done to you?" I said, smoothing down her hair, stroking her face, trying to calm her.

Tears made steady tracks down her face, her eyes dark and smudged with make up. Deep sobs burst from her, wracking her whole body, and she trembled. Her eyes darted wildly around, not resting on mine for more than a fleeting moment, but kept looking behind me, beyond me.

"Van... you shouldn't have come... you shouldn't have come..."

She was repeating it over and over, shaking her head. I could hear Larry saying my name as well, urgently, chanting it and getting gradually louder.