The Unseen World of Abigail Dunn

Abigail Dunn's fingers danced across the keypad in a wild frenzy. Her best friend's home security system delivered the promised piercing ring after her third unsuccessful try, somehow freeing the proper code from the dark corner of her mind in which had been hiding. She exhaled a sigh of relief and went back out the back door, putting the extra key back where it belonged—under the flowerpot.

She paused for a moment before returning inside and reconsidered this plan of hers. In a matter of seconds, the events of the day began to flood her mind. In the pit of her stomach, a bitter concoction of fear and rage mingled with shame and despair.

She didn’t want to go home.

She couldn’t go home.

What if Seth is there?

She was not ready to face her cheating husband.

She peered through the back door into Jackie's kitchen from behind the salty tears that had begun to rise up in her eyes. She needed to be somewhere safe where she could carefully consider her options. More than ever, she needed her best friend.

She closed the door behind her and headed down the hallway toward the living room. Jackie’s sofa was incredibly comfortable. The perfect place for her to sit and think. She wondered if Jackie was even home. Although it was a large Victorian home with the master suite on the third floor, she thought surely Jackie would have heard the alarm and come down to investigate.

After locking the door behind her, she moved toward the living room down the hall. The sofa in Jackie's home was wonderfully cozy. The ideal spot for her to relax and reflect and, with God's Grace, perhaps gain some perspective. She questioned if Jackie was even home. Even though the master suite was on the third level of the enormous Victorian house, she believed Jackie would have heard the alarm. Aaron had taken the boys to the lake for the weekend. Could Jackie have decided to join them at the last minute?

They had been friends since Abigail had moved to Washington Township fresh out of law school, just five years earlier. They had met at a networking event, and despite their glaring differences, they clicked right away. Jackie is a loving mother and a devoted housewife who spends a lot of her leisure time fundraising and volunteering. The bold and determined criminal defense lawyer, Abigail.

It was at that same networking event that she had met Seth. He showed himself to be strong, dependable, and occasionally even rather romantic throughout the course of the following three years. So she didn't think twice when he proposed to her. However, over the previous year, their once-ideal relationship had grown tense. Seth had become cold and aloof…secretive.

Just outside Jackie's living room, she came to a stop in front of a mirror and looked into her absent reflection.

Her husband's infidelity was only half of her problems.

Her current state of invisibility came to the forefront of her thoughts as she settled down on the sofa.

How long has it been?

It seemed like hours had passed.

How much longer will it go on for? Would she remain invisible forever this time?

This time. Abigail’s mind drifted back to her childhood for a moment but was quickly interrupted by faint footsteps coming down the hall and she jumped to her feet.

“Clear!” a man’s voice called out.

Uh-oh. This isn’t good.

Two police officers moved swiftly and deliberately past her and disappeared up the stairs toward the bedrooms. Within moments, there seemed to be police officers everywhere, moving quickly from room to room.

“Dispatch states the homeowner is secured in the panic room. They should still have her on the line. Have them send her down. The house is clear.” One of the police officers called out. Abigail watched one of them nod while relaying the instructions over his radio.

As if this day couldn’t get any worse. She called the police. Well, of course she did.  

She watched intently as her best friend came down the stairs with two police officers, one behind her and one in front of her, escorting her. She was clearly shaken. Her eyes full of fear. They led her to the sofa chair on the other side of the coffee table from Abigail.

“You can wait here, Mrs. Baxter,” said one Jackie’s escorts. “Detective Dobbs will be here shortly. Can I get you something? A water or something?”

“No, thank you,” Jackie replied. There was strength in her voice now and Abigail felt some relief. She felt awful for frightening her this way.

           “Dobbs. Dobbs. I know that name.” Abigail strained to put the face to the name.

           “Hello, Mrs. Baxter. I’m Detective Dobbs.”

           “Hello,” Jackie said as she started to stand.

           “No need to get up. May I?” he said as he gestured to the sofa where Abigail was sitting.

           “Oh, yes, please. Make yourself comfortable.”

           “Thank you,” he replied as he took a seat in the center of the sofa next to Abigail.

           “Oh, you’ve got to be kidding me,” she thought as she slid over hoping they wouldn’t touch one another.

           “Is it typical for a detective to reply to a false alarm?” Jackie inquired.

           “I’m sure you’re aware of the murders we’ve had over the past few months. It’s all hands on deck, ma’am.”

           “Of course,” Jackie nodded.

           Abigail watched Dobbs intently. Seeing his face jarred her memory. She had him on the stand many times over the years. As she listened to him question Jackie, she could feel a sense of peace, maybe even security, come over her. She wondered whether it was his presence or whether she was genuinely coming to prefer being unseen. She had a hunch it was a mix of the two. His tone was firm and deep. Reassuring.

But there was also a delightful feeling of serenity coming over her as the fly-on-the-wall observer.  

Abigail could feel her breathing deepening and her shoulders softening. She gently closed her eyes and soaked in the warm sensation of the adrenaline leaving her body.

“Abigail!” Jackie screamed, jolting Abigail out of her reverie.

“What the…” Detective Dobbs stammered. “Counselor, what are you… Wh- what is going on here?” He turned to Jackie. “Is this some kind of a joke?”

Jackie’s mouth was moving but there were no words coming out.  She just stood there like a deer caught in headlights, shaking her head violently back and forth.

“Let’s just all calm down,” Abigail said in attempt to bring some logic and rational into a completely illogical and irrational situation.

“Calm down? You appear out of…out of…out of nowhere. You’re telling us to calm down?” Abigail could hear Jackie’s shock morphing to rage. With the same rage, Detective Dobbs added his voice. She couldn’t blame them. It’s not every day you see someone literally appear out of thin air. They wanted answers. Answers she had, but none that fit into any rational perspective of reality.

Abigail’s mind started to whirl around in a flurry of chaotic fury. Her breathing was becoming increasingly shallow, and her heartbeat started to quicken. It seemed as though she may lose consciousness…until that sensation crept back over her. A warm tingle like tiny sparks moving through her veins, swelling like a rushing river approaching her skin.

“Where did she go?” Jackie cried out. The detective could only shake his head, jaw dropped, eyes wide in disbelief.

And there was silence.

           Finally.

           “I can explain all of this. I mean, I think I can. It’ll sound crazy. But I can explain.”

           The detective drew a long breath. “Okay, Counselor, we’re listening.”

           “My husband is having an affair,” she swallowed dryly.

           “What does that have to do with you…you…with this?” Detective Dobbs snapped.

           “Let her speak, Detective. Can’t you see how hard this must be for her?” Jackie pleaded.

           “I can’t see anything,” the detective snarked.

           “Go on, Abigail.”

           “Well, I’ve suspected he was up to something for months now. You know that, Jackie.”

           “Yes, yes. She’s been onto him for a while now,” Jackie affirmed to the detective.

           “So today, I decided to follow him. 65 Sycamore Lane, that’s where his lover lives. I followed him there. I saw him driving by there several times. I didn’t understand why at first. Why drive by? Why not just go inside? I even started to think there was some other explanation. But then I saw her. She walked her husband and her children to the car. Waved as they drove off. A few minutes later, he was back. Didn’t even go in the front door. Went around back. I guess he didn’t want the neighbors to see or something.”

           “I’m very sorry, Counselor.”

           “Call me Abigail.”

           “Abigail. But what does that have to do with the fact that you are invisible?” Detective Dobbs was clearly getting impatient.

           “Well, that’s when it happened. Realizing my marriage is a sham. I just wanted to disappear, you know? And well, I did.”

           Jackie and the detective started at her blankly. She felt like she needed to say more.

           “This isn’t exactly the first time. It happened a few times when I was a child. I can’t control it. It just happens. I don’t know why.”

           “Maybe when you get scared or hurt?” Jackie’s voice was soothing, nurturing.

           “I suppose that could be,” the detective said.

           “Tied to your emotions,” Jackie added.

           The detective nodded and Abigail could feel the energy in the room settle. It relaxed her, bringing that warm tingly sensation back to her.

           “Ah, you’ve come back to us,” the detective said giving her a warm smile. Abigail was about to reply, though she wasn’t sure what more to say, when his phone buzzed.

           “Excuse me,” he said as he moved to the other side of the room. “I need to take this.” A few moments later, he turned back to them with a solemn look on his face.

           “Counselor, what was that address? You said Sycamore Lane, right?” he asked.

           “Yes, 65. It was 65 Sycamore Lane. Why?”

           “I don’t think your husband was cheating on, Abigail,” he said gravely. “A woman has just been found…murdered.”