Dawn rose weeks after the incident. What felt like endless nightmares for Abby, she actually despised going to sleep now. Her father had been entirely understanding the entire time.
Chopping wood early in the morning, as she was holding one of her books in her lap. Her mind wandered off once again— as this time her father would glance over at her more often.
" Abby? " He would speak.
Abby blinked and shifted her orbs to her father who looked with concern against his face.
" Hmm? " She would reply.
" …. You okay? " He questioned.
" … Hmph… Yeah dad.. I'm … I'm alright. " She replied, trying to form a smile, but it disappeared as quickly as she forced it.
He would nod and point towards a certain direction.
" Well… I got it here, why don't you… uhh go collect some berries. We've ran out and winter will be hitting us in about two months or so. " He told her.
Abigail said nothing, as she slowly rose towards her feet. Wearing some boots, along with another dress of hers, but this time it was shorter and blue. Her hair in a ponytail.
Without a word, she would walk into the house, as she was grabbing her basket along with placing her book back. Her dad noticed her demeanor, and looked up at the sky.
" …. God's help me… " He would speak to himself, before watching as Abby came back out with the basket in hand.
" Hey? " He remarked.
Abby turned around to look at him.
" …. Be careful. " He told her.
Abby said or did no gesture, as she would turn and walk away and head in the direction she normally did to get berries. It was now clear that Abby's father never let Abby go to town again.
In fact, every time he went to town, he would tell her to barricade herself within their home until he came back. The town was far away, so going there in the daytime usually meant he couldn't get back to the house until later afternoon.
Therefore, he was now more overprotective of Abby than ever. If she didn't come back in a certain timeframe that she now had, he would go after her.
It made Abby somewhat annoyed, as she was now being treated like she was all those years ago, when her mother first died. It was smothering, and overbearing to say the least.
So now, it felt like a repeated story that was happening all over again. Abigail's mind continued to ponder on it, as she went over and under fallen trees and rocks.
Searching around for berries, as she came across but a few. Which meant she had to go deeper if she was planning on finding some more. Though, her dad instructed her never to go behind the log bridge.
A bridge that was across the lake, which was nearby caves and also open to wildlife. Though, that field had much more berries, than any places around their home.
Abby immediately looked around and didn't notice the berries that she needed. Some of the things she found were poisonous, while others were rotten and old.
She would sigh, a bit irritated, as she then looked from afar and noticed the log. She knew she shouldn't, but if they didn't have enough her father and her would starve.
Abby turned to glance back at where she came from and would eventually decide to take the trip over. Looking at the waves below, and noticing the log was strong enough not to move.
Inhaling and exhaling before she would quickly rush over towards the other side. Wiggling on the log as she fumbled a bit and almost fell. Holding into the log with her basket.
Hearing the sounds of crackling, as she quickly rushed towards the other side, as she could hear a tree falling down. Abigail swiftly lifted herself up and leaped for the ground.
Panting a bit, as she turned and looked and noticed massive trees around her. Wild animals like squirrels, rabbits and little insects. She knew she had to be quick otherwise her father would blow a fuse.
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After some time Abby stumbled upon berries and collected as much as she could find. What she managed to be able to carry at least. Though she knew it would be enough.
As she proceeded to head back across, she could hear rustling in the bushes from afar. Her mind had continued to think on it as she moved forward in the right direction.
Though when she turned to look she noticed something from afar. Her orbs narrowed down and quickly she rushed over to see what it was. It looked too big to be a hallucination.
Soon Abby stumbled upon a massive cave big as a mountain. Her eyes shot open more, as she looked in awe. Something so astonishing lived so close by her little home.
Her mind pondered at the thoughts of how long this could've potentially had been here. She had no idea, as she saw the trail leading towards the cave.
Rocking, and slippers due to the cave being right beside the waterfall. It didn't make any sense, as she never knew this was here, and wanted to investigate.
She knew better however, and decided to leave it be, as she could even hear her father in the distance.
" Abby !! " He would shout with all his might.
Abby sighed, and turned to look in the direction of the shouting. She turned her head to look back briefly before she would then walk off and down back to the house.
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Days went by, then weeks, as Abby would sneak off to the cave, and play around the cave. She even began to talk to it as if it was a friend of hers. Telling the cave all her troubles, and what she really felt like.
Eventually, her father would leave for town again, hugging her deeply goodbye, before he told her to barricade herself into the house like usual. Abby nodded with a smile and waved him goodbye.
After seeing him disappear over the valley, from the window inside the home, she would remove the barrier stuff she placed and travel towards the cave once again.
This time she could be there longer because her father wouldn't be back for several hours. However, Abby never went inside the cave, as she had approached the entrance and felt the coldness of it.
The breeze inside felt like ice, as she inhaled deeply and took a fire stick and walked with it inside the dark abyss.
She didn't know what she was looking for, but she wanted to see what was inside. Her curiosity always got the better of her, as she looked around and saw nothing.
Her thoughts ran through her mind, as she didn't know what else to expect.
" …. This cave…. It's — too massive for a bear… look at the height of this thing… " She thought aloud.
It was directly hollow as she could hear herself speak, and it intrigued her as she spoke a bit louder for her voice to echo.
" Hello! " ( Hello! Hello! Hello! )
" I am trapped! " ( I am trapped ! I am trapped ! )
She would giggle at the thought of her voice, as she would start to pick up her pace inside the cave. Stumbling down a little cliff as she would look up as her orbs widened.
Seeing carvings on the walls, and bones at the bottom as she was stunned. The feeling was beginning to get uneasy, but she continued to press on.
Abigail would reach a small little opening, and notice the smell which repulsed her. Her mouth started to cough, as the air became thick.
Almost as if she could smell something burning, looking down she noticed what appeared to be some scales, of skin of some sort. Slowly she touched it, as it felt rough, and also hot.
Then, suddenly she could hear a small growling, as her little flame turned to the noise. Deeper into the cave it was nothing but black less surrounding her.
Gulping hard, she stood frozen, as she didn't know what she heard, but she didn't know if she should run or move at all. As she continued to stand there, she could hear it again but louder and more consistent.
Abby, heart not beating loudly, as she felt something was lifting up higher and higher, as she saw a massive narrow scaly eyeball look directly at her. Abigail without warning didn't bother to scream as her inner body did it.
She quickly turned heel, as the creature would apparently move, but once it did the entire cave rumbled like a massive earthquake. Abby now screaming as she ran, as the creature seemed to be following her.
Abby would eventually fall into a ditch inside the cave, as the creature howled like a massive shockwave that echoed through the cave. Creating rocks and debris falling from the ceiling.
Abigail somewhat trapped covered her head, as she tried to stop from being consistently hit with rocks and other things. Her eyeball did manage to look at the scaly beast that was more massive than anything she had ever seen.
The creature howling loudly with a screech of anger, as its long massive tail was the last thing that Abby saw leave the cave. Abby coughing hard from the dust and debris as she would try and quickly get up from the ditch.
Though the tail had hit a shaking rock avalanche, that ended up hitting Abby in the head, making her go unconscious.
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After some time, the sounds of a loud howling roar that shattered the heavens woke Abby up. Coughing, and choking on the smoke and brimstone around her. The rocks somewhat on her, as she struggled to break free.
Tossing some here and there, as the side of her head was somewhat bruised and bleeding. She looked around and noticed the creature was gone now.
After some struggling she had finally gotten out, and to her horror she noticed that the creature had set the forest she was in on fire. Flames consuming everything around her, as she smelled the same smell earlier in the cave.
" …. Brimstone… " She whispered to herself as she quickly rushed out of the cave. She didn't know how long she had been in the cave, but from what she could see the sky was becoming increasingly dark.
Her orbs shattered bigger as she thought about her father.
" Father!! " She shouted as she picked herself up and rushed as quickly as she could out of the cave. Everything around her the flames were picking up, and the sky was smoking.
Abby noticed that the log she had taken to get her here was now broken, as she looked in horror at the surrounding area. Flames as high as the eye could see, and close to her home.
All she knew was she needed to get back home and see if her father was safe. What was more scary was her believing he went out looking for her, and she couldn't let him do that.
Though she had tons of thinking she could do, she ran around the river as quickly as she could. Going through poisonous bushes, and around ditches to reach the other side.
" Father!! Father!!! " She continued to scream, as she looked up at the sky and saw the green scale-like creature with its massive wings consuming the sky.
For the first time she had finally seen a dragon.
Abby would fall once again as she was looking at the dragon, as the dragon came closer towards the ground and used its flame to burn up more of the surrounding area.
As the flames grew and spread, as trees came tumbling down as Abby screamed. However, she felt a quick grab of the arm as she shouted and started to hit them without looking.
Bringing back painful memories of hers, about the two men, as she felt someone shout at her.
" Stop! Abby! It's me! " Her father would exclaim, as Abby opened her orbs and saw her father holding her arm. He looked dusty and dirty, as she trembled with fear.
" … D…Dad.. "
" Come on! Quickly! " He shouted to her as he picked her up and the two rushed back to their home. Although the dragon was swooping around and burning everything in sight.
Both of them ran as fast as they could, as another tree was falling down. Though Abby's father was not about to let Abby get hurt again.
" Watch out! " He screamed as he shoved her out of the way, as Abby screamed and fell on the ground.
The loud noise smashed down, as she looked around in a panic for her father. Her father quickly got up from the debris as he felt his leg snapped.
Collapsing in pain, as Abhy went to his side, as he shoved her away.
" No! …. Argh… A.. Abby… you gotta go. "
" …. What?! Dad! No! .. I — I'm not leaving you! " She argued back, as she made him wrap his arm around her neck. Trying to carry his weight as the two of them tried to rush to their horses.
Though the entire forest was turning into a scornful pile of rubble. Abby's father looked over at her as she tried to shove her again.
" Abby! Go! I'm not gonna tell you again! You— you can't save me, now go dammit! "
Abby felt tears creep inside her as she shouted back at him.
" And.. I told you no! Dad I can't lose you too! I need you! We just gotta make it to the horse! Come onnnn! "
Trees tumbled down more, as the dragon swooped around as it seemed to spot Abby and her father. Her father looked up at the dark smokey sky, as he looked at Abby.
" Abby —- "
" Hush! We're almost there! " She shouted.
" Abby!!! It's— it's coming! " Her father yelled.
Abby looked up and saw the dragon start the flames within its throat again, as Abby's orbs widened and Abby's father quickly placed Abby on the horse with his last bit of strength.
" ….. I'm sorry Abby…. But this is where you and I say goodbye… "
" Huh?! No! Dad, come on! " She yelled, trying to also yank him on the horse, as his left leg was busted and broken entirely.
Bleeding down his leg, as he looked at Abby and became determined.
" Abby enough!!! ….. look at me! " He yelled at her directly as she looked down with tears in her eyes.
" Live. " He stated.
Abby is staring down at her father.
" … Live… for us. … I love you… " Abby's father remarked as he held back his tears, as he hit the horse on the ass hard, as the horse neighed loudly.
Abby gripped the horse tightly to not fall off, as she screamed and looked back at her father, as the horse rode off with Abby.
Abby with tears in her eyes, watching her father as she rode away, as the dragon took one more breath, and incinerated Abby's home and everything around it— including her father.
" DAAADD!!!! "