The Amour series (Book 1): The Embers of Amour

by LaRue, Coushatta

  Abby looked over towards the tub and grabbed a bottle of strawberry scented shampoo. She gritted her teeth and looked at the water in the back of the toilet. It was dark from the blood. She turned her head to the side and started to cup water in her hands and poured it onto her hair. She felt gross and shameful, however she had already started to feel better and cleaner. When all of her hair was wet, she put the shampoo in and washed it in the back of the toilet. It felt very strange. Afterwards she took a towel from a rack above the toilet and wrapped her hair in it.

  Pulling herself back towards the sink, Abby opened the mirror. Inside were cleansers, perfumes, ear swabs, makeup, anti-aspirin, and ibuprofen. She took the ibuprofen and anti-aspirin and some facial wipes. Closing the mirror, Abby then sat back down onto the toilet. She took out the medical supplies and sat them on the counter.

  Abby slowly pulled her pants down and gulped. She then took some scissors from a cup on the sink and cut off the bandages on her wound. She pulled it off slowly and then tossed it into the small, black trash bin next to the toilet. She gasped when she saw her wound and started to cry. It was completely black with dark bruises around it, and some traveled down towards her knee and up to her hip. Dark blood was dried on the bite marks as she saw the yellow goo again. She gagged at the smell and turned her face from it.

  Abby swallowed hard and cleared her throat. She did not feel much pain, though she was very shaky and lightheaded. She needed to hurry before she felt worse or had another seizure or felt pain again. She grabbed the bottle she had opened on the sink and took the lid off. She then held it over her wound and stared at it. She wondered if it was going to hurt as she slowly poured some onto the wound. It felt cool as it landed on the wound, but it also stung.

  Abby grabbed a rag from the bin beside her and poured some water on it. She placed the bottle back onto the sink and went to clean her wound when thunder roared. It made her jump, and she looked at the small window above the tub. The sky lit up, and Abby felt fear roll through her bones. She looked at her lantern and swore she saw it flicker. She shivered and sniffled as she cried. She softly dabbed at the wound cleaning the dry and fresh blood off of it. She saw a few pieces of skin barely hanging onto her wound.

  Abby grabbed the scissors again and started to chew on her bottom lip. Putting the rag onto her other leg, she reached for one of the pieces of skin. Her fingers twitched, and she pulled back and then reached again. She picked up one of the pieces and narrowed her eyes at it. She was holding her breath as she cut the piece off. To her surprise, it did not hurt. She cut off six different pieces of skin and threw them away. When she was done cleaning, she grabbed the alcohol she had found.

  Abby stared at it then put it back down and grabbed the peroxide. She poured some on the wound, letting it bubble with some dark blood and yellow goo. She looked at the window when lightning flashed again. Her eyes moved towards the door, and she stared at it. She was breathing heavily, and her lower eyelids were tensed. Her lips were stretched out, and tears were filling her eyes. She closed them as tears rolled down her cheeks. She grabbed the alcohol and opened it with shaking hands. She was so frightened of what was happening to her and scared that something was in the house with her.

  She was rocking in her seat, then as she looked up she whispered, “God damn it.”

  Abby grabbed a pink rag and put in into her mouth cringing. Without a second thought, she poured the alcohol onto the wound and then screamed. The bottle fell from her hands and hit the floor sending alcohol everywhere. She fell forward but pushed herself towards the counter and held onto it. She started to cry and wave her hand above her wound. She wanted to grab it and make the pain go away. She clutched her hand tightly and dug her nails into her palm. Her head was spinning so badly she feared she would faint.

  Lightning flashed outside as Abby started to sob. It took a few minutes for the pain to stop; and when it did, she turned her head to look at her wound. Her face was bright red. The wound was oozing something clear now, and the black blood was slowly filling it. She pressed her lips together. She felt very bleak. Abby opened her backpack and took some ointment out and put some onto her fingers. She put her fingers above the wound and hesitated a second before rubbing some on. It hurt so badly.

  Her head hurting worse than it had before Abby cleaned her hands with another rag and took the gauze out. She made a bandage for the top of the wound and placed it onto it gently. She then wrapped more gauze around it until she felt it was enough. She tied it on the side of her leg and for a moment just stared at it. She drank some water, keeping her eyes on the wound. She grabbed her necklace and squeezed it. She took in a deep breath and licked her dry lips. She had no idea if what she was doing would even help or if it would make it worse.

  “I can do this…” she whimpered.

  Feeling pathetic, Abby kicked her shoes off and then took her pants off. She then stood up over the toilet and pulled off her underwear. The smell of urine was very strong. She took a clean rag and poured water from her bottle onto it and began to clean herself. She felt foolish and embarrassed. When she was done, she tossed the rag and opened the bottom cabinet of the sink. She pulled out the bag of pads and then sat down on the toilet seat. She was thankful it had a nice fuzzy cover. She put everything back into her backpack. She looked at the bottle of alcohol on the floor and picked it up. There was still some alcohol inside of it. She put it into the bag and then stood in front of the mirror with her hockey stick.

  Abby took off her towel and her wet hair fell past her shoulders. She eyed it closely. She took the scissors from the backpack. Her broken finger felt stiff and painful. She looked at the scissors then cut her hair. It fell above her shoulders now. She looked at a small bucket on the sink and took some ponytails out and put some in her bag then used another to tie her short hair up. She felt exhausted again, and her leg was throbbing. She stuffed two towels into the back of her backpack then threw the backpack onto her shoulders again.

  The backpack made her back ache under its weight. Grabbing the lantern from the room, Abby carried it awkwardly as she walked back towards the bedroom. She felt very vulnerable, walking with no pants or underwear on though she did feel better than she had before. When she made it back to the bedroom, she shut the door and locked it. She put the backpack onto the bed and the lantern onto the dresser.

  Abby struggled towards one of the larger dressers and opened it. She smiled when she saw women’s underwear. Shuffling through the underwear, she found black cotton underwear. She wandered back to the bed with pain in her leg and sat down taking in a deep breath.

  Pulling the pads from the backpack, Abby put one onto the underwear. She then slowly put them on and sat there staring at the dresser. She had a blank expression in her sad eyes. There were pictures on the dresser. One was a wedding photo of the couple. The woman had dark brown eyes and a smile that would brighten up a room. The man only had eyes for his wife, and he looked so joyful. She felt crushed. When she stood back up and walked back to the dresser, she heard a strange sound come from outside.

  It was a loud banging sound followed by a strange screech. Abby stepped next to the dresser and stared out the window for what felt like forever, until thunder roared. She took in a deep breath. It must be the storm, she told herself. She looked in the dresser, until she found a shirt and some pants. Waddling back to the bed, Abby sat down placing the hockey stick next to her. She pulled off her shirt and tossed it onto the floor. She stared at the clothes she had grabbed, a sky blue sweater and a black undershirt. She looked down at her body and was unhappy with what she saw. She had lost so much weight that her ribs were starting to show. She put on the undershirt then the sweater. Groaning Abby pulled on a pair of sweatpants.

  The clothes looked horrible on her, but they would have to do. They would not be tight on her, and it would feel nice. Abby sat on the edge of the bed not knowing what else to do, until she smelt the vomit. She turned and saw some on the bed and pulled the top blank
et off and tossed it to the other side of the room. She then crawled onto the bed and lay down on her back. Her leg was throbbing, so she sat up and took out some of the pain medicine out of the backpack and took it. Blowing out the candles she lay back down and snuggled her face into the pillow and cried softly.

  Chapter four

  The sun was shining down on Abby’s tan skin as she looked towards the pond to her left. The sun was making the top of the water look as if hundreds of little stars were dancing on it. She saw people with their families and friends and loved ones around the pond and park. Some were having picnics, while others played volleyball or football. She watched a jogger with a small dog pass by her and a couple holding hands walking. Abby looked down sadly and sighed. She was wearing a pink summer dress that was tight around her curves. Her lips were sparkling pink, and her bright blue eyes matched the blue pins in her cropped cut auburn hair. She had painted her nails perfect neon pink, and her toes matched them. She was rubbing her hand on her chest leaving faint red marks. Her eyes were glossing with tears, but she kept her head high and forced a smile.

  Abby was sitting on the grass in the shade under a large oak tree, plucking at the grass around her. She had a book about the fall of Rome opened up next to her. Her phone was in her lap, and she kept glancing down at it and then back at the pond. She let out an angry sigh and dropped her hand into her lap to look at her phone. She had no new messages, so she dropped the phone, clicking her tongue. She eyed another jogger as he passed by on a small pathway. She exhaled as her eyes flickered. A tear rolled down her round cheeks, and she wiped it away.

  Abby was about to stand up and walk away when a shadow wandered up beside her. She looked up to see Aaron walking towards her with his hands in his blue jean pockets. His shirt was tight on his muscles, and his brown hair was cut short. His beard was neatly trimmed, and his caramel skin looked as if it were glowing in the sunlight. The sky was bright blue behind him, and a red bird flew above his head singing. He smiled as he walked up to her but frowned as he stood above her.

  “May I sit?” He asked with a soft voice.

  She nodded, and he sat down next to her and looked at the pond when she looked its way. She heard him take in a deep breath causing her to look down.

  “So… I got the job…” He told her with an uneasy tone. She looked at him with wide eyes then narrowed them and looked away. She rubbed her leg with her hand and nodded.

  “Oh.” She said flatty, holding back tears.

  He looked over at her and eyed her with remorse. He then reached over and squeezed her left thigh as she turned to him. He was giving her a longing look, and she could see her reflection in his eyes and how sad she looked. She looked at his jeans and shook her head as tears rolled down her face.

  “I’ve been an idiot, since I lost my job… and I let it get to me and cause stress…” He was trying to sound strong, but his voice was shaking as it trailed off. He cleared his throat before continuing, “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. You were only trying to help me. I just…” He choked on his words.

  She looked at his almond eyes and saw tears in them. She felt guilty. She took his hand in hers, and he squeezed her hand.

  “I felt weak, because I couldn’t take care of you the way I wanted, and it was because of what I was doing, but I blamed you for it, and it made me start resenting you. I’m so sorry… I was stupid.” He held back some tears as he choked on his words. He looked away from her with shame and rubbed his eyes with his loose hand. She opened her mouth then closed it and closed her eyes. She felt a knot in the pit of her stomach, and her throat went dry. She felt very shaky inside from the anger and sadness.

  “I shouldn’t have been so demanding…” she mumbled as her throat tightened. He looked at her suddenly and frowned. She forced herself to look into those eyes she loved so much and sniffled.

  “I was suffocating you trying to get your attention. When you lost your job, I knew it was hard for you, yet I still wanted it to be about me, and I was selfish, and I pushed you away. I shouldn’t have done that.” She started to cry and dropped her head into her hands.

  He put his warm hand onto her cheeks and rubbed the tears away. He was looking at her aching expression. He kissed both of her cheeks then her forehead and took in a deep breath.

  “It was not your fault. I couldn’t control my behavior. You did not know what to do. I was running away from the problem, and you were trying to fix it. I shouldn’t have kept hiding and being selfish. I let tension grow, because I was afraid. I did not want to admit it became a problem. And I…” His voice drifted off as he started to sniffle. She was looking at him with a mournful look when he pulled her close.

  “I made things worse, putting expectations on you. Blaming… and my denial… I was wrong, and I love you, and I know things can be better. I’m so sorry. I was wrong, and I know it and” Abby pulled him closer and kissed his lips, while he kissed her back. When she pulled away, she rubbed a tear from his face. She smiled and shook her head at him.

  “We were both selfish and weak… but things can be different if we let them. Things don’t have to be difficult unless we let them… we can defeat anything if we want to. We just have to take a step back and breathe and remember what truly is important. Our love and friendship is worth more than who is right… ” She smiled through tears as he kissed her again. He hugged her closely and grinned.

  “I start in two weeks. I am so nervous.” He told her as he kissed her head. She pulled back and looked at him then rubbed her nose against his.

  “You’re going to be a great firefighter. You’re going to be my great firefighter.” She kissed the tip of his nose, and they looked into each other’s eyes with love and shared a passionate kiss.

  He pushed her away suddenly and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box. She eyed it.

  “Oh yeah I got you this. Something beautiful for someone beautiful.” He smirked. She rolled her eyes at him and took the box from him. When she opened it, she let out a squeal. It was a silver necklace with a ruby heart surrounded by diamonds. This time when tears rolled down her face, it was because she was happy.

  “So you like it?” He asked nervously.

  “It is my birthstone, crazy. Of course I love it! I feel bad I did not get you anything.” She pressed her lips together and tilted her head at him with a considerate look. He lowered his eyes.

  “Yes?” He asked with a chuckle.

  “Oh I may have a gift for you after all.” She spoke with a lustful tone as she grinned. He pulled her in with a kiss. A loud gasp pulled them apart, and they looked at a middle-aged woman who was looking at her phone, crying. They looked at her confused and worried. Another woman next to her grabbed her and pulled her close as the middle-aged woman cried.

  “They said he started to have seizures and was ice cold. He kept vomiting and couldn’t control his bowel movements. Mom wanted to take him to the ER, but he refused. He passed out going down the stairs and broke his ankle. He’s in the ER now. They’re saying something is wrong, but they don’t know. They quarantined him.” Her words were a slur. Abby and Aaron looked at one another with lost stares.

  The other woman rubbed the middle-aged woman’s back and told her that everything was going to be okay as they walked out of earshot.

  Abby turned to look at Aaron, and she gave him an uncertain stare. He shrugged and stood up then helped her to her feet. He pulled her close and snuggled his head into her neck.

  “What do you think happened?” She asked. He looked at her and shrugged as he looked over at the two women.

  “Who knows, but it doesn’t concern us.” He kissed her nose, and they smiled at each other.

  The screaming was what woke Abby, but it was the gunshots that made her body jolt upright. Her eyes were wide, and her body was fidgety. Feeling anxious and irritated, Abby sat up. Her leg was throbbing, and her head was spinning. The broken pinky was sore. She winched in pain as she took in a deep breath. She rubbe
d her sleepy eyes and shook.

  Another gunshot followed by a woman screaming caused Abby to swing her legs off the bed. She regretted it when her left foot hit the floor. It sent agonizing pain throughout her body, and she had to bite her tongue not to scream. She ignored the pain and the sweat pouring into her eyes. She grabbed the hockey stick and shuffled awkwardly to a window in the room. She kept to the side as she peeked out. Sunlight was pouring into the room through gray clouds outside. It was not raining anymore, though the sky threatened to again.

  Her eyes first saw a blue truck wrecked into a large oak tree in front of a large yellow house. Both the doors were open. .Her eyes followed what looked like a blood trail towards the yellow house. The door of the yellow house had been kicked in, and a window was broken. She heard the scream again and her eyes darted to the road. She saw a tall, slender, dark woman running towards the truck. Her hair was a mess, and her clothes were ripped. Abby’s heart started to race at the thought of the infected chasing her. However to Abby’s surprise, it was not the infected.

  Three men were running after her, laughing. One was shooting a gun into the air, while another short blond-haired one came at the woman with a bat. There also was a very tall pale man with a red shirt, carrying a knife. He pushed her hard, and she slammed into the truck. She let out a howl as she crashed into the road. The man with the red shirt kicked her again, until she was lying on her back. The man with the bat bent forward and pulled at her shirt ripping it more. The man with the red shirt let out a howl, and they all laughed. The man with the gun started to look for something in the truck.