Abandoned by Abigail Livinghouse (distant reading txt) 📕

Cyndi shut her eyes. “I’m sorry. I only did this to get your attention.”

“Why did you do this?” She asked curiously.

Cyndi covered her face with her hands, taking a deep breath before speaking. “I wanted you to know that I was here. I know I scared you with the notebook, and I figured you had thought you’d gone insane. I wanted to let you know that you were completely sane, and that the things happening around you weren’t figments of your imagination.”

Tessie gave a short laugh. “Nice way of making yourself known.”

“Well what else was she supposed to do?” Conner said from the doorway to the basement.

He walked over and leaned against the island Cyndi was sitting on, Brandy coming up behind him and closing the door.

“You were doing a heck of a job ignoring us.” Brandy commented, taking a seat in one of the kitchen chairs.

 Tessie cocked an eyebrow in surprise. “I was?”

“Hell yeah.” Conner muttered. Brandy shot him a look.

“We don’t curse Conner.” She chided. He snorted in response.

“Oh yeah? I’ve heard a few choice words come from your mouth before. Don’t tell me not to swear.” He said smugly. Brandy blushed lightly.

“We all slip up sometimes.” She said quietly.

Cyndi cleared her throat. “Hate to be a bother, but Tessie asked a question.”

Cyndi gave her a warm smile. “Yes, you were doing a very good job of completely blocking us.”

Tessie cocked her head at an angle. “How was I doing that?”

 Conner gave another snort before he moved away from the island, heading into the hall.

“Okay, this is ridiculous. Tessie”, she jumped at the sound of her name. He had never addressed her by her name before. “You’re psychic. You can block us when you want to.”

 She scowled. “How could I block you without knowing it?”

Conner rolled his eyes irritably. Tessie was done trying to be kind to him. Why should she give him kindness if he was not willing to give her some in return? Besides, Conner didn’t seem to care what Tessie did. If he didn’t want her help, then she wouldn’t give it to him, point blank.

“It’s very simple.” Conner said, grabbing Tessie’s attention again.

He hesitated a moment, his hands in the air in front of him, trying to describe something apparently with difficulty. “How can I put this in a way that you’ll understand?”

He pressed his fingers to his lips in concentration. After a moment of thinking, he spoke.

“When a person goes through a traumatic experience they block it out. They refuse to remember it or see it happen. Sometimes they have hallucinations, or they hear things. It’s similar with you when it comes to your psychic abilities. If you aren’t open to receiving visions, like when you’re pissed off or in an especially terrible mood, then you won’t receive them. When you’re in a good, relaxed mood, then that’s usually when you get the visions we try to send you.”

 Tessie chewed this information over for a moment. It sounded simple enough, like Conner had mentioned, but if it was so simple, she couldn’t get why she hadn’t figured it out before. She shook her head.

 “Wait. How can I block the visions without knowing I’m blocking them?” She asked. 

Conner hung his head in disgust. “Listen carefully”, he spoke slowly and with enunciation, like Tessie was incredibly stupid, which, might not be that far off the mark. “You block them subconsciously. As in without knowing you’re doing it.” 

Her face crumpled into a sour scowl. “I understand Conner, thank you.” She said snidely. Brandy gave Conner a sharp look.

“You seriously have to reconsider your attitude.” She chided. He rolled his eyes at her.

Cyndi giggled softly. “Tessie, we can help you remain open to all visions. You can help others as well as us.”

Tessie snorted. “Will I be able to predict the future?”

Cyndi shrugged. “Who knows? I would expect so.”

Her stomach did a little flip at the possibility of seeing the future, of knowing things no one else could possibly know. To know what’s going to happen next . . . Tessie couldn’t even imagine it.

A prompt banging on the front door made everyone but Conner jump. He swore under his breath. “God damn it, who’s that now?”

The question was directed at Tessie, but she shrugged. “I have no idea.” She said truthfully.

 Conner spun around, beginning to head down the hall to the door. “I’ll take care of it.”

“No!” She jumped in front of him, extending her arm out so that he could not get past. His eyebrows rose in surprise. She spoke quickly.

 “It might be someone I know. You can’t just go attacking people for no reason.” She said, her eyes hardening.

 Conner brushed off her words as if she had commented on the weather.

“Whatever. But next time, I won’t even bother.” He said, making it out to be a harsh comment.

Tessie shrugged, the gesture saying, don’t. Conner’s eyes narrowed slightly at her before he turned and stalked off in the opposite direction, ascending the stairs to the second floor. Tessie let out a sigh of relief before another fist connected with the wood on the front door, startling her into alertness.

She tiptoed to the door, but instead of opening it she peeked through the small window in the wood. A guy, tall, dirty blonde, head down. Tessie exhaled slowly, then opened the door. 

Chip’s clear blue eyes searched her before they wandered over her shoulder, his eyebrows rising. She stepped aside and gestured for him to come in, closing the door behind him.

“What are you doing here?” She asked him.

Granted, Chip had just witnessed a tornado in her kitchen, ghosts appearing, and her nearly fainting, she still wondered what he was doing back here. If the situation were reversed, she would be running for the hills right about now.

Chip’s eyes roved around the room, as if he was trying to find something. It was a full minute before his gaze finally rested on her. She could guess  what he was searching for.

“Are you alright?” He asked, his eyes hard, brow pulled together.

Tessie nodded. “Of course. I’m fine. Kitchen needs a remodel, I’ll be paying for it, and my parents are super pissed at me, but that’s just a bonus.”

A corner of his mouth twitched but his expression remained solemn.

“Where are they?” He asked.

Tessie scowled. “They?”

Chip shifted his weight uncomfortably. He didn’t seem to like this topic very much.

“You know”, he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and looking away before turning back to Tessie. “They. The–you know.” 

She folded her arms across her chest. “Tell me, what do I know?”

Chip rolled his eyes irritably. The feeling was mutual, Tessie thought snidely. “Just say it Chip.”

She refused to take him seriously if he couldn’t even say the word. He huffed, dropping his hands.

“Fine. Ghosts. Happy?” He said, frustration plain in his features.

Tessie smiled smugly. “Very.”

 Chip began to move throughout the house. Inspecting the living room first, then the dining room.

“Excuse me”, Tessie said, following after him. “Just what are you doing?”

He ignored her, moving books and magazines from the coffee table, then beginning to lift up the sofa and chair cushions.

“Hey! Excuse me! This is my house!” She exclaimed, rushing over and grabbing Chip’s arms from behind.

He turned, tugging free with little effort. Tessie silently cursed herself for her horrible upper body strength. He cocked an eyebrow. 

“I’m–investigating.” He said almost sheepishly, his eyes still roaming around the room.

 She snorted. “Or do you mean snooping around? A hello would’ve been nice, and first of all, what are you doing here?”

Before he could answer, Cyndi strolled into the room, tugging on Tessie’s sleeve. She looked down.

“What?” She hissed. “I’m a bit busy at the moment.” She said, gesturing to Chip.

 He scowled in confusion. “Who are you talking to?”

 Tessie stood up straight, scowling for herself. “I’m talking to Cyndi. Duh.” She added, as if it was ridiculous to think that she was just talking to herself.

Evidently, it seemed that Chip thought she was, because his expression didn’t waver. It just stayed frozen in confusion, and concern.

“Are you having a vision? Maybe you should sit down.” He said, reaching out to guide her to the sofa.

She scrambled away. “No. I’m not having a vision. What are you talking about?”

 He seemed even more confused than before, and there was something in his eyes that Tessie refused to see, it came close to pity, which she wouldn’t acknowledge.

“I’m talking to Cyndi.” She growled, her teeth clenched.

Chip shook his head. “There’s no one else here, Tessie. We’re alone.”

He gestured around him at the seemingly empty room, even though Cyndi was standing right next to her. She shook her head but then it hit her. They can’t see me. I’ll go with you. They can’t see me.

Tessie shut her eyes then opened them again, looking down at Cyndi. “Let me guess. He can’t see you?” 

She looked up at her sheepishly. “Sorry.”

 She gave Chip a quick glance, then looked back up at Tessie. “My fault.”

Chip blinked a few times, then stumbled back a step. He pointed to Cyndi, sputtering in surprise.

“Sh-she–her . . . I–” He then looked at Tessie and his expression shifted into one of rage. His lip curled in anger. “Mind telling me what the hell is going on?” He shouted.

She winced. His voice was much too loud. She was sure her parents hadn’t left, not after what ‘she’ had done to the kitchen. If they knew that Chip had come over, even without her knowing, it would only add on to the mountain of trouble that she was already in.

 “Shh, Chip you wouldn’t believe the shit load of trouble I’m in right now, and you screaming at the top of your lungs isn’t going to help me. If you really want me to tell you, then why don’t we go outside?”

Chip shut his mouth, his face flushing bright red. “Sorry”, he mumbled, his hands in his pockets and his eyes glued to the floor. “How about my place? My mom went shopping for back to school crap.”

Tessie raised an eyebrow. “Shouldn’t you have gone with her?”

He shrugged indifferently. “I don’t care.”

Tessie knelt down so that she was at eye level with Cyndi. “I’m going to go with Chip for a little–”

“But you’re coming back, aren’t you?” Cyndi said, her voice hitching up an octave with hysteria. She took the little girl’s cold hands in hers, looking her directly in her dark blue eyes.

“Of course. I promise.”

Cyndi nodded, her eyes beginning to fill. She threw her arms around Tessie, squeezing her tightly.

“Please come back.” She hugged her gently.

“I promise.” She repeated.

Sitting in Chip’s homey kitchen, with flowered wallpaper and the smells of baking cookies around her, Tessie was reminded of what she didn’t have, and probably never would. Sure, her mom could bake cookies, that didn’t mean she did. Sure, their kitchen was nice, at least it had been, but to her it wasn’t comfortable, like Chip’s kitchen.

He sat across from her, a plate of chocolate chip cookies in between them. Neither of them had touched the sweets. They had caught Mrs. Kyle just as they had arrived, and she had given them the freshly baked goodies. They weren’t hungry though, they were too hyped up from the