ABEL

Appearance

Abel had curly ginger hair, which he usually keeps short and well kept, due to his mother being a hair stylist. He has fair skin and freckles both on his face and shoulders. His eyes are green. He has a gap between his front teeth, as well as, in his 20s, missing teeth and many cavities, due to him never going to the dentist, as well as his unhealthy habits. He is below average height, and has a rabidly fluctuating weight/body size throughout his adolecence and adulthood. As a young child he was considered "overweight" according to doctors, and was a bit larger than other children at his school.

He has many scars all over his body from picking at his skin inpulsively, and in his 20s has self harm scars on his thighs and arms. He covers them with bandages in hopes to reduce picking at scabs. He usually dresses in second hand clothes, and clothing he makes himself. During the years he knew Gwen, he would dress in a more "dark" aesthetic, mostly including spiked chokers/wrist cuffs, ripped shorts, and a random old t shirt or hoodie, all of which were usually black or gray. Occasionally Gwen would dress him in skirts which he would also wear at times. Outside of knowing gwen, he usually just wore a t shirt and gym shorts. He always wears his cross necklace his father gave him as a child.

Storyline - Pre-Accident

Abel was borne into a very religious community, which he stayed in until he was 10 years old, attending a local religious school and attending multiple times a week. The town was small, and almost like a commune, sitting on the outskirts of another slightly larger rural town. He lived in a trailer with his mother and father. His father was a highly respected figure in the church, the head pastor, which made him in line to become one as well. From a young age, Abel dealt with religious ocd, having intrusive thoughts of committing sins and going to hell, along with praying multiple times a day, over and over again in fear he was not doing it right. This made him be most proactive in the church, and not taking any time for personal hobbies or relationships. He did not have any friends, except Edith. Edith had lived next door in a small trailer which resided 7 other children, her being the second youngest. She was kept inside and did not attend school. She occasionally wandered outside, but not for long, due to her being mostly blind. Her and abel would sit outside and pick weeds from the lawn, and every few days she would leave flowers she found outside his bedroom window. Abels father did not approve of this relationship, and saw the young girl as a demon of some sort, due to her albinism. Abel pleaded with his father to take her to church and save her, but he declined, saying she is a mistake and should have never been borne. Abel, fearing she was possesessed, then began mimicking his fathers sermons to her, in hopes God would accept her.

During his childhood, his parents were not very loving towards each other. Abels mother worked as a hair stylist, working out of their home. When she was not cutting the locals hair, she was mostly found doing housechores and acted as a tradwife of sorts. For as long as Abel can remember, his mother always had issues with alcohol use, though he did not understand until later in his life. He just knew around mid afternoon was when his mother was more "unreliable" and "emotional", so he distanced himself in these hours. Around the time Abel was 7, when his father was not home, his mother would often leave the house, unknown to Abel where she was going. This is around the time he started hanging out with Edith outside. When his father was out on week long missionary trips, his mother would often bring home men, to whom she referred to as her clients, in regards to her salon business. In these times, Abel was told to go outside for hours at a time, sometimes until nightfall, to not "bother" them.

While his mother was drunk, she would often break down in front of him, rambling on about nonsense he could not understand. He did not know better at this time, and thought this was normal for adults to do. One night, when he was 10, she confided in him that she was going to hell, for being unfaithful to his father. She says this is one of the greatest sins of all, that no repentance can save. As a result, this caused Abel crippling anxiety afterwards. He began praying nearly every hour, for his mother to be saved, and for also for him, as he feared her ungodliness would infect him. He also experienced intense panic attacks, where he felt as if God was killing him as punishment for him and his moms actions. A few months after she told him this, his mother began gaining weight and showing signs of being ill. Abels father caught on, and accused her of being pregnant. He listened from his bedroom as the two fought, and his father going on about how it was "impossible", due to them not sleeping together in years. His mother soon came clean to the affair, and his father told her to leave, and take Abel with her, as he didnt want to be in the presense of the "devils offspring". So on a warm spring day in April, the two packed up their things and left. Abels father did not even go to say goodbye to him, just staying in his bedroom until they left.

After this, Abel and his mother went to stay with his aunt in a nearby town. His aunt was nice to him, but not so much his mother. She often got in fights with her, saying she should have never ran off with that "religious freak" (referring to his father). His aunt was not religious at all, which infuriated his mother and terrified him, knowing she would go to hell as well. Despite this, though, his aunt treated him very kindly, and was very patient with him. Abels aunt did not own the house, it was his grandparents, and after weeks of disputing, his mother convinced them to give her the house, as they felt sympathy for her and her children. Abels aunt moved out shortly after, going to live with her long distance partner. She told Abel before she left, to get out while he still can, and to form his own beliefs and opinions instead of trying to replicate his father. This is what caused Abel to start to doubt his beliefs, but he continues the same ritual as before as a means to ease his anxiety.

Near the end of the summer, his sister Emilia was born. His mother also reached out to the father of her, who was completely unaware of her pregnancy at all. He then became Abels "step-father" of sorts, despite them not being legally married. He moved in, reluctantly, and began to help raise Em. He was never very proactive in Abels life, and not even Ems life either, and spend most days away at work or at a bar. The two never talked much, and Abel even feared him, due to him being prone to aggression, especially after he works. Abels mother continued living as she did at the trailer, doing chores all day and drinking every evening.

After being exiled from the church and community, Abel never attended school again. He would be "homeschooled", though did not actually do any of the online work, instead playing video games and watching tv. Abels mother did not care, as she just faked a portfolio every year to the board of education. Around 12 years old, he came across a baby bunny for adoption, whilst running errands with his mother. He would often go on errand runs with her, but stay in the car due to his fear of crowds and being around people, but would always beg her to take them to a pet store in town, to see the animals. They had never owned pets, as Abels father was allergic to cats and disliked dogs. Abel then begged his mother to take home the bunny, which she was very reluctant about, but many tantrums later she admitted defeat, and they drve to pick him up. He was a tiny, cream colored runt of the litter, and Abel decided to name him Chip, due to part of his front tooth missing. Abel became extremely attached to Chip, and took care of him well, keeping him in his bedroom to run around most of the time but then putting him in his cage at night to sleep.

Abel also began struggling with eating and his weight. He was always known as a "chubby" kid, and looked at food for comfort in a lot of his anxiety and boredom from being home all day. From an early age, and from him being online all day, he began a lot of yo-yo dieting, which never lasted long, and would make his eating routine worsen. Near his early teenage years, he began wandering around the neighborhood as means to pass time and excercise. At 16, he stumbled upon a gas station near his house, and that is where he met Gwen. She was 17 at the time, and worked full time, so she was there often. After going a few times, she initiated conversation with him, asking if he went to a local high school, as she'd never seen him. After saying he didnt, she confided in him that she didnt either, and she dropped out a year ago to begin working full time to earn money to move. Abel began to grow an unhealthy obssession with gwen, feeling she was special and different that anyone he'd ever met, and even her small talk being "proof" she wanted him in her life. Once she was 18 and him 17, she told him she had moved to a cheap apartment building nearby. Durind this time, Gwen also allowed Abel to buy alcohol and cigarettes when she was on a solo shift, which is the only time he went, as he memorized the schedule. He did not even drink or smoke, but wanted to seem "cool" in front of Gwen and feel as if it somehow connected them.

At 17, Abel began working as a dishwasher at a local restaurant, in order to possibly move when he was 18. He began looking into apartments in the area, and found the complex Gwen lived in being the cheapest priced. He then had his heart set on that location, also as means to be closer to Gwen and hopefully grow their "relationship". He did not tell Gwen his plans, as he didnt want to come off as a creep. At 18, he had earned enough to move and did almost immediately. Upon signing the lease, he found out it was strictly no pets allowed. He even contacted the landlord to see if that included other animals like bunnies, but he was very strict about the policy, and stated if maintinence found out there was a pet it would be a hefty fine and possible eviction. This broke Abel completely, as Chip was his only friend, and he grown such an attachment to him over the years. He told his mother this and she used it as a reason he should stay. The idea of him moving away took a toll on his mother, who would beg him to stay, and not leave her.

During his teenage years, his relationship with his mother was strained, as he caught onto her alcoholism and now understood what it meant and how it effected her. He could no longer stand seeing his mothers deteriating health and distanced himself as in a way to lessen his anxiety around it. They also often got in fights, her screaming at him in a drunken rage that he will amount to nothing and that he is nothing like his father, who she still held on a pedistool, despite him not talking to them for years. He began to feel a lot resentment towards his mom, seeing her as the reason he turned out this way, when he was meant to be like his father.

But regardless, she begged and begged for him to stay, and kept using Chip as a way to hopefully manipulate him into staying. Eventually she gave in, and said she would care for Chip, but not without playing the victim in all this, constantly saying how lonely her and Chip will be without him. Abel was crushed at all this, but knew he couldnt take being in that house anymore. He made his mom promise she would take good care of him, giving her instructions and all of the things he needs, said his goodbyes to Chip in a soul-crushing farewell, and left to live at his new apartment.

The apartment he moved into was small, having one bedroom and bathroom and being riddled with roaches, but it was the cheapest place in the area to stay. It was not a very large complex so it didnt take Gwen too long to notice him being there, her being on the third floor in the building in front of his and him on the first, with perfect views to eachothers balconies. Around this time he bagan going to the gas station more fequently, as it was just around the corner and the nearest place within walking distance, as he never had his license, or means of transportation, so he also walked to work, which was about a mile or so away. He would come in almost every day, buying the same foods like clockwork. Gwen did not speak to him about him living there for awhile, which irritated and caused Abel a lot of anxiety and thought spriralling around the whole situation. He thought in his head, before moving there, that they would become close and hang out, outside of their small interactions at her workplace. This caused Abel to, alone his apartment one night, drink for the first time, as he had a stash of cheap vodka he had been keeping from buying it from Gwen. He did so in curiosity and boredom, wondering why his mother was so attached to the substance her whole life. He then understood, as it lessened his anxiety greatly, made him feel for confident and able to enjoy things. He also, around this time, had been struggling a lot with his self image, constantly restricting food in hopes to lose weight, but then binging often. One afternoon, while drunk, he walked to the gas station, and spoke with Gwen. He was good at hiding his intoxocation, and just came off as more chatty and lively. He mentioned the fact they lived in the same complex, which Gwen said she knew, and said its the cheapest place to live around there so it makes sense he'd move there. The two talked for awhile, and Gwen ended up giving him her phone number, which made Abel burst with joy internally. He went home and passed out, waking up hungover and riddled with anxiety around the whole ordeal. He felt embarrassed and humiliated, and unable to even text her or go to the gas station for weeks. He staying inside, fearing he may see her, and also called off of work multiple times, as he was unable to function due to his rumination on the situation. One day, about two weeks after, Gwen knocked on his door, saying she came to return a book he gave her. He did not even remember that aspect of there conversation that day, but then remembered he had been missing a poetry book he kept in his backpack, and realized he must have given it to her that day. He immediately felt extremely embarrassed and a fool. She commented on how she liked the writing, but there were a bit too many religious themes and undertones for her taste. The book was one of Abels favorites, though he did not read much, he liked writing a lot in grade school, specifically poems. It was given to him by his father when he was 9, though he did not really understand a lot of it then, as the vocabulary was much too large for someone of that age and reading level. Abel, upond recieving the book back from Gwenm then apologized for not reaching out to her, stating he has been very busy lately and had forgotten. The truth is it was the only thing that had been consuming his mind for the past two weeks. Gwen said it was fine, and that she figured it was something like that, then glanced at the apartment behind him. The place was a mess, clothes and empty food wrappers all across the floor, and hardly any furniture, just a desk, chair, and lamp. She commented on how maybe if he cleaned the place up, they could hang out sometime. He immediately agreed, and said he would message her later.

After that interaction, Abel began to clean his entire apartment, and going to a nearby thrift store to buy more decorations as well. He had a few posters up already, along with a variety of knick knacks he kept from his childhood, and other trips to the thrift store. He purchased only items he could carry back with him, being dissembled furniture in boxes and other trinkets. He was never able to get a couch due to him not being able to transport it, and instead bought bean bag chairs as a seating option for them. At this time, he became almost obsessed with shopping there, buying used items that he "felt bad for", due to them being given away, and held a lot of sentimental value towards these things. He would stop there to and from work, and even on his days off, blowing all the money he could on more things.

It was now nearly Abels 19th birthday, and now him and Gwen were texting often. He would message her quickly and daily almost, but she would at times be quiet for days on end. This worried Abel, that she was losing interest. He mentioned it was almost his birthday, and she replied that they should celebrate at his place. He was relieved that was still on the table, and they planned for it, on a Thursday night, because she didnt have work that day or the next. She also stated she would bring alcohol, which relieved him, as he was only Abel to socialize well while intoxicated. Abel dressed in a way he hoped to "impress" Gwen, given her dark, almost gothic, style. He had completely changed his whole wardrobe, buying various things from the thrift store as well as jewelry from local shops. He still always kept on his cross necklace though, which he never took off from childhood.On this day, he wore ripped shorts, a striped long sleeve shirt, and beat up tennis shoes. He did research on a more "grunge" style, as it fit in with his budget, and also learned to hand sew, making his own clothes or repurpsing old ones. Around 10 pm she arrived, dressed up much differently from her gas station uniform. He had seen her around outside at times, not in uniform, but it was always more "casual" clothes with an edgy flare. But this time, she was fully decked out; a short, black lacey dress which cinched her waist, torn up stockings with thigh high socks, fishnet undershirt, spiked choker and cuffs, and also her eyeliner so large and detailed that it had Abel in awe at the precision. She had also recently bleached her hair from black to bright pink, it being in her usual high pigtails and fringe over her right eye. Abel felt completely and utterly in love, and having a few shots of vodka alread in his system, was almost tearing up with joy at the sight of her. Gwen, upon seeing his apartment in a new light, was impressed at how he had cleaned it up, but still commented on how he has a lot of random things she wouldnt expect a teenage boy to have. This included old stuffed animals, vintage trinkets or clocks that were not set to the right now or not even funtional, and random artwork hanging all over the walls, most of which included angels or other religious themes. The two quickly set up a drink mixing station on his small counter. Abel became embarrassed due the the amount of roaches running throughout the kitchen area, but Gwen assured him she does not care about bugs, as she has a few in her apartment as well, and its "just the way it is here". Gwen had brought her favorite whiskey, and Abel was reluctant to try it due to him only ever drinking clear liquor. He did and hated the taste, which Gwen made fun of him for. The two drank heavily and listened to some of Gwens favorite artists, which Abel mentally(and literally, on his phone) took notes of, in hopes to enjoy shared interests. He often faked saying he loved the song she was playing, dispite never hearing it in his life.

Around midnight, they began talking more, about nonsense but also their upbringing and experiences in life. Abel learned that Gwen did not do well in school, and was very shy and had no close friends, and still did not to that day. She also shared that her relationship with her parents and family is strained, due to them viewing her as a "failure" for dropping out of high school. She never wanted to stay in that town, but had to because she didnt know anything else and it was the cheapest place for her to live. Abel immediately felt more of a connection to her, and fell more deeply in love with every aspect of her. But then, as they began to drink more and more, she said to him that she was sleeping with this guy, that guy being the landlords son. Abel felt sickened by this, as she went on and on about her troubles with him and how she feels he is using her. Abel tried to comfort her, but by also trying to convince her to end things with him, pitting him as an evil person for treating her so badly. Gwen denies that, and instead states that he is sweet when it is just them, and that he also helps with her rent and buys her things, so its a win-win situation. The conversation spirals and Gwen gets upset after Abel is nearly begging her to leave him and cut him out of her life. This ends with Gwen storming out and leaving to go back to her apartment.

Abel is left alone in his apartment, on his birthday, and feels the worst feeling hes ever felt. He drinks more to try and ease the pain, but this just causes his emotions to go out of control. He then resorts back to food for comfort, eating almost everything in his apartment, in hopes to try to fill the void he feels inside of him. This instead causes him to get sick, and this is the first time he purges after binge eating, which sends him down a spiral of that pattern nearly everyday. Abel does not hear from Gwen for weeks, and during this time he is drinking nearly every day and calling off sick for work most days, along with his newly formed habit of binging/purging. He also picks up smoking, in hopes to supress his appetite during the daytime, and often puts out cigarettes on himself, due to his mind intrusively telling him to, and him listening to it. He begins cutting and then picking at his skin, which is a problem he has always had since childhood, but it gets worse and worse, as he sits in his house in a state of depression and near delirium.

One day, about a month after his birthday, he gets a knock on his door. He answers it and its a young man, early 20s, almost gray blonde hair, nearly a foot taller than Abel himself, and hes standing in his doorway with a half-ass grin on his face. He introduces himself as Gabriel, and that hes collecting rent on behalf of his father, due to him being in the area and was informed that Abel is a week late on paying. Abel feels nauseous, realizing this is the man who is sleeping with Gwen. He also had completely forgotton about rent being due, as he did not even realized that much time had passed. He reluctently signs a check and hands it off to Gabriel, knowing he will have almost no money left once its deposited. Gabriel states he should be grateful that they are not charging a late fee, and then heads off. Though, peeking through the window, Abel notices he does not leave, and instead goes to building in front of his, up the third floor to Gwens door, and uses a key to let himself in.

Gwen slowly started to reach out to Abel again, usually when she was drunk or fighting with Gabriel. The two were never in a relationship, which neither of them really wanted, but fought the way couple often did. Abel would take whatever he could when it came to Gwen talking to him, even if it meant her just complaining about Gabriel while they both drank, separately in their own aparments. They would often still see each other, though, as Abel still went to the gas station very often for food to binge one, and for cheap liquor and cigarettes. Abel began to struggle a lot financially, due to his addictions taking over his life, and him going to only part time at work, as he had no motivation to work full time anymore. Gwen was in a similar situation, as she did not work full time anymore either and instead took to leeching off Gabriel when she needed money. The two did hang out every so often, and Gwen suddenly one day, at a lake nearby their apartments that they often went to, apologized for how she acted and has been acting, and that she will no longer talk about Gabriel to him. She said she just doesnt have anyone to talk to about these things, and was treating Abel like her "therapist", which wasnt fair to him. Abel eagerly accepted her apology, though either way he would have still continued to talk and be around her whenever he could.

Often during their conversation, Gwen would mention how shes horribly depressed about her whole situation, and where she is now. She said everything in the world makes her so angry, as well as everything in her personal life. She said she wishes she care more about anything, but she doesnt, and feels almost nothing anymore towards anybody. She does not even feel "love" or anything like that towards Gabriel, instead just keeping him around for money and company. Gwen always says how she hates this town and everyone in it, that they are all so fake and have no personality. Abel feels he understands her, as he also feels no desire to go out and socialize with anyone but her. She then confides in him that one time when she did not respond to him for two weeks, it was because she was hospitalized for a suicide attempt. This absolutely horrified Abel, as, according to his father, was one of the worst sins of all, and theres no chance of going to heaven if you succeed in it. Gwen went on and said she would had no plans to keep living past 22, a year from then, as that is the age she had always planned on doing it, since she was a young teenager. Abel pleaded with her to not go through with it, quoting scripture and telling her she will definitely go to hell if she does so. She almost finds humor to this, as she is not religious in any regards, and says she does not care about any of that. This turns into a fight, or more so, Abel breaking down and crying over how she cant do this, and him even saying he loves her. Shes not very fazed by this, and is instead angry that she is trying to "manipulate" her to keeping living her unfufilling life. She then tells him that if he doesnt want her to do it so bad, he can do it himself, that on the day turns 22, he will kill her so she will still have a chance to go to heaven. Gwen then leaves Abel, who is having a breakdown on the floor, to go back to her apartment.

Abel dwells on this exchange for what seems like eternity. He is unsure what to do, and cannot tell anyone, not even online, in fear of her being hospitalized again, and then never talking to him again. Hes humiliated that he said he loves her as well, and heartbroken at the fact that it didnt matter to her either. The two go on texting and hanging out as if nothing happened for awhile, until, a few months later, Abel asks if she still is planning to do it. Gwen says yes, seeming unphased by such a serious matter. Abel figured that would be the answer, since she seemed to sincere the day she revealed that. She asked if hes going to tell anyone, and he says no, and she states that if he does, she will do it sooner. Gwen then asks him why he asked, and he says he just cant state think about it, and about her proposal of him killing her instead. He says hes been thinking about it, and he believes she still has a chance at heaven, and that he does not, due to his mothers affair and them being exiled from the church. He agrees to do it, which surprises Gwen, but almost relieves her as well. She says that she has tried before, but in the last moments, fear takes over her, almost out of instinct. She thanks him for taking that away from it, and making it easier, but says he has to plan it, if he really wants to do it, because either way, on that day, she will be dead, whether self inflicted or murder.

Abel tries to avoid thinking about this for awhile, instead doing the same emotion numbing activities hes been doing, whether it be drinking or relying on food for comfort. Him and Gwen still hang out often, either at the lake in the woods or at Abels apartment. Abel would also then rarely see Gabriel around, despite before when he would frequently visit Gwen in the her apartment. This in a way brought Abel a bit of joy, as he was glad Gwen was not seeing him as much anymore. But Abel could also see that Gwens mental state was declining, and that she was struggling to make ends meet. A few months later, Abel noticed her moving boxes from her apartment. When confronting her about it, she said she was months overdo in rent, and was evicted, and could no longer afford to live there anymore. This crushed Abel, as she was the only one he talked to, and she was now moving to her grandparents house a few towns away and also quitting her job at the gas station. Abel offered for her to stay at his place, but Gwen declined, saying she doesnt want him to get too attached to her, and also that his apartment is always cluttered and smells weird(in a half joking way). And with only 5 months until her 22nd birthday, she bid farefell to Abel and left.

Weeks turned into months, and Abel still hadnt heard from her. He took up working full time again in a desperate need for money, and to help get his mind off of everything. He tried many times to stay sober and eat healthy but to no avail, as the day of Gwens 22nd birthday was creeping forward and his anxiety was at an all time high. A month before that day, she messaged him. They did not message often anymore, and Abel had some hope that maybe she had changed her mind, and was doing better at her grandparents house. But that hopefulness disappeared when he read the simple text that popped up on his screen, reading: "have a plan ready?". He waited days to respond, which was unlike him, usually jolting awake anytime he heres that notification. But this time he had to think things over. And eventually, he did form a plan.

They had both decided she would take a bunch of painkillers, not enough to overdose, that she had found in her grandparents house, so that she would not suffer as much. Other than that, the action itself was entirely in Abels hands. He did not want her to accidentally overdose, which he specified to her, as that would completely defeat the purpose. She assured him she would only take a few. He then planned out the location, method, and aftermath of the whole ordeal. They would meet at the lake by his apartment, in the woods. It was not a well known location, and he had never seen anyone wandering out there before. And then lastly, the only weapon he had was a baseball bat that he had in case of a home intruder, and a kitchen knife. He was too terrified of firearms, amd also had no idea how to obtain one. It probably wasnt that hard, but he had no money to spare regardless. And since it was all in his hands, the thought out going out and trying to purchase a gun, alone, terrified him. He had decided that he would knock her unconcious with his bat, then slit her throat, as means to minimize the pain of it all. Then he would place her in a sleeping bag, filled with large rocks from the woods, wrap it in duck tape, and throw her in the lake.

Abel told her where to meet, but she said she didnt want to know the exact plan other than that. The day of, he filled his system with alcohol throughout the day. Not all at once, just having a shot every other house until the time ticked down to 10:30 pm. He had already, beforehand, left his navy blue sleeping bag in the woods, full of rocks he took all day collecting, under a pile of leaves and sticks. So all he needed in his backpack was glove, a handle of vodka, his bat, and the kitchen knife, which he had secretly sharpened at work, in the back of kitchen. And with that, he made the hour long trek to the lake, taking sips of his vodka in a plastic water bottle on the way. He felt almost unlike himself, like an out of body experience. He had been avoiding thinking about it for days, instead turning off his brain and comepletely dissociating, acting as if he was just a character in a sick game of some sort. He arrived around 11:30 as planned, and immediately saw Gwen, sitting on a rock near the ledge of the deepest point of the lake. She was dresses similarly to the way she was the first day she went to his house. Abel was mesmerized by her beauty in the moonlight. It was clear that day, which was even more uneasy than if they were hit with a downpour, it felt unfitting to the whole situation, and in his head, he hoped the sky would glow with lightning and errupt with thunder. But the forecast predicted a calm, clear night sky.

Abel sat with her for awhile, in silence, them both taking swigs from the water bottle, and gwen popping pills she had in her pocket. She suddenly turned to him, and nodded, her eyes glazed over in an intoxicated haze. And with that he pulled the bat from his backpack, messily as he was almost incapacitated due to the alcohol in his system, as well as the kitchen knife. She smiled at him, and it felt, for the first time, sincere. He told her he loved her, and he always has, and everything went silent. She did not say anything. He hoped she would say something, anything, fall into his arms, crying that she didnt want to do this and instead be with him forever. He had that all planned in his head. But it didnt happened. She no longer smiled either, just staring at him, completely emotionless. This made Abel feel something inside of him he had been supressing, since he was just a teenager, the fact that this love was one-sided, that he had thrown away his life for her, had been the reason Chip died from him moving to be with her, that she was the reason he was unable to control his addictions. His live was over, and it was because of her. He felt a rage like he had never had before. And with that rush of adrenaline, he swung the bat right into the left side of her skull. She fell back, not making a sound, the only noise to be heard was the force of the wooden objects smacking against her head. But she was not unconcious as planned, her eyes fell on him, with blood pouring down the side of her face. He did not even pick up the kitchen knife, instead swinging the bact directly between her eyes. He began to hear muffled noise coming from her mouth, saying "stop", but he ignored it and kept beating her skull in with the bat, until her face was mangled and unrecognizable. He stopped, after much too long, after what felt like hours, of mutilating her corpse long after the deed was done. And then he looked at her disfigured face, and leaned down to kiss her on her lips, which were mostly in tact, though covered in blood and bits of flesh and fragments of skull. And with that, he did as planned, stuffed her body in the bag, and threw her over the ledge, watching as she sunk to the bottom slowly.

Months go on, and through Gwen is technically classified as "missing", police push aside her case given her history of mental illness and running away as a child, and assume she has just ran away again. And given she is an adult, they do not have too much concern over her wellbeing, and neither does her family that much, assuming she has ran off with "some guy" or something. Abel begins blocking out all thoughts of her, and of everything he had done, still going about his normal routine day to day. He stays a social recluse, though leaves the house frequently to walk around, and to work at his job. He notices the gas station Gwen worked at is urgently hiring, and applies for the position, which he gets, and quits his job as a dishwasher and works there full time, as it is much closer to his home. He often works overnights alone, and also often drinks on the job, with no one ever catching on. One night, at about 2 am, a young girl walks in. He feels as if he recognizes her somehow, but brushes it off as he is much too intoxicated to think properly anyway. She buys scratch off lottery tickets, for which Abel asks her ID and she shrugs and says nothing. He dismisses this and sells her the tickets anyway. Upon handing her the reciept, he watches as she takes a pen from her bag, and writes something on it, placing it all the counter as she does so, with her face nearly touching the paper, due to bad eyesight Abel assumes. She hands the reciept back to him and leaves abruptly. Abel looks down at the paper, at the sloppy, also illegible handwriting and tries to make it out. He is terrified at what he discovers- his address, down to the apartment number, all in blue ink in front of him. He is immediately freaked out, and confused by the interaction, but unsure of what to even think of it or do about it.

Days go by and the girl shows up again. He looks as she stares at the shelves for minutes at a time, no even touching anything. She looks disinterested, and emotionless. He asks her if she needs help with anything, though she does not even acknowledge him. He then wonders if she is possibly hard of hearing as well, but this is proven wrong when Abel drops a box of cigarettes behind the counter and she swiftly turns around to stare in his direction. Her white, curly hair is nearly covering her eyes, but he can see them poking out from in between her bangs. They are an odd pinkish color, and staring not quite at him, but past him. He, at this moment, gets a better look of her. She is a very fair complexion, so much in fact he can see the veins in her neck very vividly, and her cheeks extremely flushed. She stands shorter than him, by a lot, which is rare since he is used to people his height or taller, and her white hair so long it nearly touches the backs of her knees. Shes dressed in baggy, worn out clothes, with a tan crossbody bag which looks battered and well used. Abel wonders if she is possibly homeless, maybe mentally ill, and had seen him walk home at some point. But he is still riddled at the thought that he knows her, feeling a sense of nostalgia in her presense.

She comes up to the counter, nothing in hand to buy, and stares forward for awhile. Before Abel even has the chance to speak, she lifted up her arm, pulls up her sleave, to reveal a prosthetic of some sort, in replace of her arm. It is not like one of the realistic ones either, as it just the interior, no synthetic skin covering its metal base. One it, engraved into what looks like her "wrist", spells the name "EDITH003". He feels sick, and confused, and now understands why he felt he knew her. He had nearly forgotten about her since he left the church, or perhaps blocked it out. He felt as if he was going to cry or something, but she remained silent throughout the whole thing. He knew she did not speak, but could hear him, and that she was nearly blind as well, so he didnt know if she could even sense his flooding of emotions. He said nothing, and with that, she left.

Time went on, and Abel continued his normal routine, alone and not talking to anyone. He took on mostly night shifts at the gas station, in order to socialize with less people and work alone. Edith came in every so often, and he did not speak to her, but one time, he asked her how she is doing. Instead of responding, she gave him a number, looking like a phone number, but it was much too long to be one. He asked what it was and she pointed to his phone on the counter. He was confused but didnt think to much about it, and went ahead and texted the number once he got home. He just said a simple "Hello", and within second it responded with "How have things been, Abel?"

The two began talking frequently, about anything and everything. He never talked about Gwen, but instead made up things about how he has many friends and went to the high school in that area, where Gwen had attended before she dropped out. He lied about girlfriends he had dated, saying at the moment he was going through a very hard breakup he had recently. He became obsessed with this fantasy life he had made for himself, that he barely even listened tp what Gwen had to say. She did not say much anyway, and instead constantly asked questions about Abels life, which he preferred. He had never recieved this much attention in his life. He became nearly obsessed with her, and loved the fact that she responded to every one of hi texts in seconds. Sometimes, he would even wait a whole day to respond to her, just to test if she was still interested, and do the same thing that had always been done to him. Even after days of no response, she would still immediatly respond to his messages, which pleased him.

Abel had asked her what happened to her, and how she got her prosthetics, and she said its a long story and she doesnt want to talk about it. Abel brushed this off, assuming it was probably a traumatic accident, or an infection, and she didnt want to relive it. Abel asked if she wanted to hang out sometime, and she agreed, and the two ended up hanging out at Abels house fequently. Though, Abel honestly didnt like this, as Edith would remain silent the whole time due to her inability to speak. It felt as if she was a complete stranger. He was confused as to how she was able to text so fast, due to her poor eyesight. When she was communicated in real life, she took minutes to write out words on paper. They would mostly just watched movies and listen to music in silence.

One night, Abel started drinking in front of her while they were at his place. He normally drank discreetly, as he had to to be able to be social. He offered her a drink and she took it. He was kind of glad as he felt weird being the only one drinking sometimes. During theyre many drinking, Edith would frequently use the bathroom, nearly every 20 minutes, and she did not seem to be phased by the alcohol, looking completely the same as when shes sober. Abel wasnt really phased by this, and just assumed that maybe her body reacts differently to alcohol than his. The two began to cuddle on the floor, but nothing sexual. This filled Abel with joy, as hes always craving physical touch. She was cold to the touch, even the skin on her neck was freezing, but incedibly smooth. Abel eventually fell aslepp on the floor, but when he woke up in the morning, in a hungover haze, Edith was lying down as well, but her eyes were wide open just staring at him.