I heard Abigail calling my name last night, as I was reading by the closed window.  I opened it and listened intently for a minute, just in case my mind was playing tricks. Coming from somewhere outside, barely noticeable as if it was just drifting on the wind I again heard her voice calling out.

It's been a bit since I last saw or spoke to her.  She didn't take the news of me leaving very well. I think she became too attached to me on our journey, which was more my fault than anything. I should have been clearer about my plans before we got to the safe house, and I should have distanced myself from her from the beginning. 

It was like all my past victims that I was required to get close to. A task which is never hard for me since I have the special ability to attract and enamor. It's like an imprint that causes obsession if you're with me long enough. The only difference was this time I actually cared.  I didn't want to hurt her, and I definitely didn't want to imprint on her. She cried and screamed as if the whole world was collapsing on her. Her face as I walked out is something I can never forget. It will probably always be etched into my memory.

I decided to go somewhere far away so she could never find me. Hell, I'm not even in the same country as her anymore, but still there it was. There was no mistaking that it was her. I was confused, and wondered how she had gotten here. How had she found me when not even the fear I once served could track me down.
I put down my book, grabbed my bag, and ran out to find her without stopping to think about how suspicious this whole situation was. If she was out there in that cold all alone then I had to find her. My immortal body could withstand the below freezing weather, but I couldn't say the same for her.

It had been snowing hard for the last few hours which made it somewhat more difficult for me to move around outside. I stopped and listened again before determining the voice was coming from the woods about 50 feet to my right. So without much hesitation I headed over and into the woods as my eyes adjusted to the strange lighting. Something felt off as I entered, but I couldn't for the life of me figure out what it was that made me feel so uneasy. 

After I had traveled about a hundred feet in I realized what was wrong. The voice which had gotten clearer now had an oddly robotic quality to it. It still sounded like her but was clearly... Wrong.  I still couldn't see anyone or hear movement of any kind. Just that voice repeating Abigail's nickname for me over and over again. I considered turning and going back as something clearly wasn't right about this, but I was compelled to keep going forward. If something was impersonating her, then I would find it and make it stop. If for nothing else than for the sake of my own sanity.

Then the movements started. Strange shapeless masses shifting in the shadows, and darting out of view when directly viewed. Sounds accompanied the sights in the form of small childlike giggles and urgent whispers from men and women's voices alike. I reached for my weapon hidden under my shirt, ready for the possibility of an ambush. The shadows didn't get closer but just stayed and swayed slightly from a distance.

Once I got to a clearing, the voices, Abigail's included all suddenly stopped leaving me in silence. I walked to the middle and scanned the tree line,  momentarily becoming startled at the large number of shapes silently regarding me from afar. I didn't quite know what was happening and that unknown factor made me slightly uneasy.
A sudden flash of light covered the whole clearing and showed me what was at the tree line: nothing.
The light got brighter and brighter until I could no longer see and had to cover my eyes from the intensity. When I finally uncovered them, I discovered that all the snow was gone and the trees had changed to reflect the colors of fall. I heard foot steps behind me.

When I turned I saw Abigail walking towards me from the treeline. She stopped just in front of me and I rushed forward and pulled her into a hug, feeling relieved and overjoyed to see her. It was then that I heard a whisper in my ear "It's all your fault." I pushed the person away because that wasn't Abigail's voice. Looking at them, I saw their form was changed. It was now my very first assignment with Lilith. He stood there and stared at me with dead eyes and repeated the phrase again. They then quickly changed into each person I had ever been assigned to, and each repeated "It's all your fault."  before returning to Abigail.

It was at this point that I knew exactly what was going on. I glared at Lilith in front of me and coldly said her name.  With that she returned to her real form and grinned at me. "Oh darling." she cooed. "I never could trick you, could I? You always know when your dear old mother gets up to mischief."
I asked her how she had found me, and she swatted her hand at me in a dismissive gesture. "Let's not dwell on unimportant details. What matters now is you."

I raised an eyebrow at this, and asked her to explain. "Well as you know, I'm horribly in need of new help ever since you separated Sierra's head from her body, and ran away from me again."
I started to reply to this but she again gave me a dismissive gesture and already started to speak again. "Don't you worry yourself now. I'm not the least bit upset at what you did to your sister. She did cross the line when she tried to murder you afterall."

I chimed in that she had done much more than try killing me, but she seemed to ignore me and start speaking again.
"Imagine that. A girl of such low breeding, making an attempt on the life of one such as yourself. Trust me darling, if you hadn't taken care of that pest, I most certainly would have." then she laughed a long cruel laugh.
I just stared at her for a long while before responding and asking her what she meant by low breeding. As far as I had known, Sierra was one of her best children.
"She was talented yes, but nothing compared to you. You are perfection. One of the only of your kind. Second in title only to myself."

I must have given her a confused face because she patted me on the head lovingly and smiled. "I only want for you to return to me. I have missed your presence more than anything else."
I told her that in no uncertain terms, would I ever come back to her after all she had put me through. She didn't look angry with me, just really hurt.

"You had to learn to handle those duties for yourself. How else will you be able to take my place when my time comes?"
I jerked away from her and stared in confusion and shock. Take her place? That was crazy.
She just smiled again and said "That is the reason you were made. The reason you have so much power. Much more than any of my children. You will replace me someday."

I will never be like her, and I will never take her place. I had no problem telling her this.
"You are my wild card. The way that we win the game. I am certain none of the others have such a backup. And I am certain none of them know of your significance. This will catch them all off guard."
I screamed at her that I wanted no part in her game, and turned to run from her. The last words I heard were "You can never escape your destiny." before I fell to the ground and everything went dark again.

I jerked up from the ground and found I was covered in snow, and laying on the ground in the middle of the clearing. She was nowhere to be seen and I was completely alone. I shook the snow off of myself and made the walk back to my room.

I don't know what any of that was. I can't even be sure that I wasn't sleeping walking or dreaming. That experience really shook me and the only thing I can think to do is go back and get Abigail. I won't let her be another of my mistakes.