C5 Chapter 5: Abigail
Samuel. That’s his name. I never thought I could fall in love again, but it did happen. He’s a young teacher, originally from Boston. Now he’s teaching history at the Salem High School.
When I’m with him, it’s different than with Wilbur. He is calmer, more reserved; less brash and yet romantic. He’s someone I can imagine a life with. But while we are getting closer and closer, one thing becomes bitterly clear to me: He is a human being and will not live forever like me. In a few years he will ask questions, question my youthful beauty, and see me with suspicious eyes. I decide to tell him the truth. Samuel listens to me with horrified, wide open eyes. After a long moment of silence, however, he takes me in his arms, as if he never wanted to let me go.
Emily and I still see each other from time to time, but more and more often we fall back on the technological innovations that make life so much easier. I tell her about my pregnancy and that a lot will change from now on.
It was a good decision to tell Samuel the truth. Who knows if my little girl might be born exactly like Emily. A witch’s abilities are both a curse and a blessing. She may not age just as Emily and I do when she reaches full maturity. How will she handle it? How are we going to deal with this? One day we would lose Samuel. That just leaves us.
On December 23rd, our little Abigail is born. It seems like a miracle. She’s such a sweet child, innocent and pure. Finally we are a family and can lead a completely normal life.
A few years later.
On a sunny day in May our family idyll is to be destroyed. When I wake up that morning, I feel something’s wrong. Something terrible is going to happen and I won’t be able to stop it. I’m thinking about asking Emily for help, but I haven’t seen her for so long and I don’t want to put her in unnecessary danger. This is something we have to deal with on our own.
This feeling I have is the same as back then. At that time when I was living in fear and terror. That can only mean one thing: Elizabeth is back. And she’s coming for me. No, for us . She wants to destroy us. How did she find us? With all my protection spells, and after all these years …
It’s no use. We have to be prepared when she arrives. And even if that means … No, I can’t even think about it! But there’s no other way out. Samuel and I, we have to protect Abigail. At all costs!
When I tell him about my plan, he can’t hold back his tears. But he understands that it is important and necessary for all our good. I’m trying to be strong. But when I think back to all the good times and the moments in Abigail’s life that we would not experience, I also have to cry.
“It’s a protection spell, a very powerful one. I practiced secretly, just in case,” I explain to my husband. He just frowns. “We can trade our lives to protect Abigail, but we must be sure of this.” I stop for a moment and take a look towards Abigail’s room. She must never know. She can’t know what we’re going to do. One day she’ll understand. She’ll find out what she is, and maybe that will lead her back to Elizabeth. But just in case, we still have one last trump card in our hand.
“What will happen to us, Mary?” Samuel asks me in a trembling voice.
“You are human … If the spell works, you will protect Abigail’s life by sacrificing your own. Elizabeth won’t know, and only when Abigail’s safe will she wake up.”
“And then? What's gonna happen to her? Will she be all right without us?” It’s so typical of him that he only cares about Abigail instead of himself. We’re so alike in that respect. And I love him for that.
“You have a sister. Sarah,” I explain to him and he nods as if he understands.
“Abigail, I hope you’ll get along with your two crazy aunts,” he whispers and smiles sadly.
“She will. I’ll make sure of that.”
“You?” His eyes are widening.
“I’ll always be able to keep an eye on her with my magic. I don’t know if she’ll feel my presence, but I’ll be there.” I bite my lip to suppress more tears. “If you trade your life for hers today, I will be able to protect her a second time. If Elizabeth returns and Abigail is in grave danger, I will be able to help her one last time.”
Samuel smiles, but then he anxiously asks, “And if that’s not enough?”
“We must hope it never happens. Or that she will be strong enough to stop Elizabeth.”
In the reddish shimmering light of the setting sun, the time has come. I’m with Abigail and Samuel and I don’t want to see her come through the door. I couldn’t stand the sight of it. Her distorted face, her insane laugh – that’s not my sister anymore. When the moment comes, I nod to Samuel and begin my spell. With my last ounce of strength, I take away our pain. While the house goes down in the blazing inferno, we don’t feel a thing. With a feeling of satisfaction I smile, knowing that Elizabeth is not getting what she wants this time. That she’s wrong this time. And that I don’t have to see this monster, which was once my beloved sister, in her state of abyssal darkness.
