Indecision

Fiction | Ittoril

The group was outside again, and though the twilight air was cool, it did little to clear Abigail's mind.

Astrophel had been talking with the Empress for at least an hour, though Abigail could remember nothing of what they said. The whole experience was surreal. It didn't feel like she had just met the actual, genuine Empress of Leona. She was exhausted. She wanted to go home.

Home. Abigail looked up at the sky, and saw the sun had sunk below the horizon. She was late. Shit.

Abigail's heartbeat rose. The other four stood in a circle, discussing something. Abigail tried to pull Belle aside.

"I- I- I, um. I need to go."

"What? Why?" Belle asked, but Abigail was gone.

She was already racing towards the main square, her mind boiling over. She was late, and now her parents would have to stay behind and wait for her. They'd be waiting in the square while the rest of the Caravan moved on, and it was all her fault. She should've left earlier. She should've done what she was told in the first place. She should never have investigated that damned sound. She... She...

She wasn't thinking straight. Her mind was a blur of thoughts and feelings. Her blood pounded in her head, and she could barely breathe. She was panicking. She wanted to get out. Away. She wanted to run. She was scared and nauseous and wanted to go home, and so she had run away from Belle without a goodbye.

She was bumping into various people who were out late, muttering a quiet 'sorry' or 'excuse me'. She weaved between streets and alleys, partly trying to take the fastest path to the main square, partly trying to make sure Belle couldn't follow her. In that moment, Abigail didn't want to have to face her again. Everything was too much.

Eventually, the city opened up around her, and she made it to the main square. She stopped suddenly, silhouetted against the sky.

A panting figure came running up alongside her.

"Abigail, are you alr-" Belle began, before seeing Abigail's face. "Abigail..."

A cold breeze swept past the both of them. Abigail was hyperventilating.

"Abigail, what happened?"

Abigail was silent. Belle followed her gaze to the square. A couple seconds later, realisation dawned on her.

The square was empty.

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