Available Darkness Season 2

other such buildings she’d seen back home and along the way on their drive. Yet, Hannah was draped in an overwhelming sense of déjà vu.
    There was something about the office park, or the building itself, or …
    Hannah swallowed, realizing it wasn’t the park or the building or anything else.
    It was John.
    Her inner whisper came back.
    “He’s here.”
    “You sure you’re OK?” Greg asked, pulling the car into a space in front of the building.
    “Positive,” Hannah said.

    * * * *

CHAPTER 4 — Abigail

    Abigail stood frozen in horror after she killed Katya. She panicked, not knowing where to go or what to do. She had now murdered four innocent people, five if you counted Karen McKenna, which, of course, Abigail did.
    I’m a monster.
    Abigail thought about calling Larry, telling him what had happened, but the thought of his probable response was terrifying. He would be furious, and worse, afraid of her, too. She could feel his fear after she’d killed the family down the street and set their house on fire. Larry would never hurt her feelings by saying so out loud, but part of him had to be wondering when she would kill him. Abigail wouldn’t be surprised if Larry started locking his door when he went to sleep.
    I wouldn’t trust me.
    Abigail tried calling out to John in her head. He might understand, and be able to tell her what to do next.
    John?
    John, please, I need you.
    Abigail wondered if their connection was broken, or if he were simply too busy to respond. Tears streamed down her face as she stared at the remains of her only friend.
    “I’m so sorry,” she said, lying on the floor beside Katya, hugging her corpse.
    Suddenly, Abigail felt someone in her head.
    John?
    “No,” the voice said. It was Talani.
    “You made me kill her!” Abigail screamed. “She’s dead.”
    “Dead?” Talani said, seeming surprised. “What happened?”
    I did what you said. And then when I tried to save her, to turn her, you were gone. You left me! Now she’s dead!
    “Oh God, Abigail, I’m so sorry.”
    Why did you leave? Why?
    “Our connection broke. I couldn’t feel you anymore. I didn’t do it on purpose, I swear. I thought you had pushed me away.”
    Abigail said nothing, just stared at Katya’s body, wishing she could reverse the energy and put breath back into Katya. She would gladly surrender her own life to bring Katya back.
    She was nice. She shouldn’t have died. I should have.
    “It’s not your fault.”
    Yes, it is!
    “No, Abigail. You were trying to help her — trying to share your gift.”
    Gift? You call this a gift? It’s a curse! I wish John had never brought me back.
    “You don’t mean that, Abigail. You’re just scared.”
    I do mean it. I don’t want to live like this. I don’t want to be a monster.
    “You’re not a monster. You’re just with the wrong people. They don’t understand you. It’s not their fault. It’s not that they don’t love you. They just can’t understand you.”
    John understands me. We’re the same.
    “But he’s not there, is he?”
    It’s not his fault. He has to work.
    “Sounds like my father. Always working. Never had time for me. I never would’ve been turned if he had been home when the man tried to kill me.”
    What man? What are you talking about?
    “It was a man who lived next door to us. He knew my parents were never home. He came over and tried to … touch me. I fought back, and he stabbed me. Sixteen times before he left me for dead. I crawled out onto the street. An old woman saw me. She called an ambulance once she stopped screaming. I died as I was being wheeled into the hospital. Then someone brought me back.”
    Who?
    “A woman who happened to be at the hospital when I was brought in. She snuck into my room and brought me back. She saved me. Now I’d like to save you, Abigail. I want to offer you a place with others of your kind.”
    There’s more? How many?
    “There are four of us who are like family. But there are even more out there, an entire community of people like us. Like you.”
    All vampires?
    “No, not all of them. But all are different, and all are people you can feel safe to be yourself around. People who won’t look at you as the monster you’re not. Come, Abigail, please. Let me introduce you to them.”
    I don’t know.
    “Listen, Abigail, I won’t speak ill of your friends. But I will ask you if they are there when you need them most? Where are they now?”
    Talani had a point, even if it