Even Angels Fall Read Free

she takes a breath, and with a slight reluctance but a strong feeling of hope for the future, picks them up and climbs the stairs.
    The pale cream walls and bare laminate floor make Abbey’s new bedroom look cold and uninviting. Besides a bed, a wardrobe and a small chest of drawers, the room is empty and unfamiliar. Abbey stands by the window, trying to imagine living in this house and calling this room her own. Surely once she has all her belongings unpacked and organised around her she will feel much more at home? At least that’s what she is hoping, because right now, everything feels totally alien. There is a light knock on the door and Janet peers round.
    “Can I come in?” Abbey nods, but Janet is already in the room and walking over to her regardless.
    “These are yours… ” She places the boxes on the floor by the foot of the bed.
    “Thank you. I’m almost done in here for now… I’ll come and help downstairs when I’m finished…” Abbey’s voice sounds unnatural and far too formal - as if she is talking to a complete stranger - but it is something she has become more than accustomed to. She can barely remember talking to her mum with a natural ease, just the two of them having a friendly conversation without a care in the world. That feels like a different life.
    “There’s no rush, I have your brother doing all the heavy lifting. Proof that there are actually odd occasions when he can be quite useful if he wants to be…!” Abbey manages a half-hearted smile at Janet, who is clearly trying hard to break the tension between them, but she isn’t in the mood for jokes. All she wants to do is try and make this shell of a room even slightly resemble the bedroom she once loved. The bedroom she was forced to leave behind. She doesn’t respond, and a moment passes in awkward silence.
    “Well… I’ll leave you to it then…” As Janet turns toward the door, Abbey feels a strong pang of guilt, but not enough to speak. This is all so new to her. She is in a strange house in a strange neighbourhood, where the family have moved because apparently it was in ‘everyone’s best interests’ to do so. Abbey doesn’t agree. She was much happier staying put in the house she grew up in. She wanted to stay at the school she knew with the friends she loved, but no. Apparently her opinion hadn’t counted. Her feelings were a moot point. Everyone else had agreed and she was left with no other option.
    “Abbey…” Janet turns hesitantly, “I know that we can be happy here. We can be a family again. It will just take a bit of time to get used to all the change, but I know this will be good for us… I’m sure of it…”
    “It’ll be great Mum…” Abbey isn’t sure whether she is trying to convince Janet or herself that it is all going to work out, but either way, her words barely sound convincing at all.
    As Janet returns to the madness downstairs, Abbey is once again left alone with her thoughts. She carefully lifts one of the boxes onto the bed and opens it, pulling out the contents one by one; a clock, a cuddly toy, and a photo album. She gently runs her hand over the cover of the album before opening it to the first page. Two smiling 5 year olds grin at the camera, a cake with lit candles sits on a table in front of them and there are others stood around them, adults and children alike, all singing happy birthday. It is a typical carefree scene that most experience at some point in their childhood, but instead of smiling at the memory, Abbey feels a stab of sadness, like a knife through her heart.
    On the following page is a picture of a young man in his teens. He too is smiling widely at the camera, looking relaxed and happy. He has dark blonde hair with just a hint of red and bears a striking resemblance to Abbey. Written beneath the photo are the words ‘Ryan on our 16 th birthday’. Abbey traces her finger lightly over the picture and swallows hard as she feels the familiar sting of tears in