8. The Holdup #2
“Let’s round it up boys. We have a much bigger prize in store.” He grabbed Abigail’s arm, but she pulled against it instinctively. He wheeled around, bringing his angry eyes to hers.
“I just want to say goodbye to my friend before I leave with you,” She spit out quickly, an attempt to convince him she was not backing down.
Abigail tilted her head back towards Theresa.
He looked back in the direction where the young woman now stood in front of the couch and nodded.
Her arm dropped back to her side and her hand met the spot where he held, pain radiated down to her elbow.
The train robber leaned in close so his lips were almost touching her ear.
“No funny business,” he mumbled and turned to wait for her at the exit.
Abigail released her breath. His stench filled her nose, and she had been trying to take the smallest breaths possible to avoid the smell. She turned and closed the space between her and Theresa. Abigail placed her hands on either side of Theresa’s face and put their foreheads together.
“Shh! Shh! Shh! It is all going to be all right.” The tether pulsed. Abigail’s desire to take over Theresa’s life fueled the strength of the tether. Deep down, Abigail knew in her bones the switch was going to work.
Just a little longer, Abigail thought desperately.
“Nothing about this feels right! Can I help contact your uncle? Alert him of the situation? We can contact the law on our next stop.” Theresa just shook her head back and forth.
“No, Theresa. You heard him. No funny business.” Abigail was very aware that the rest of the passengers were watching their conversation unfold, and this was the best opportunity to set up the rest of her plan. “I need you to forget about me.”
She pulled their foreheads away and was looking very intently into Theresa’s brown eyes.
“Go home safely. Stay in your room if you must. But go home, marry your betrothed, and live a long, happy life. I will figure out my own path. Promise me!” Abigail declared.
She didn’t need them coming to her after to try and save Theresa’s soul in her old body. She needed to be able to move on with her new life and leave the memory of all of this behind her.
Theresa cried again, fast streams streaking down Abigail’s hands. She knew she was running out of time. The men outside had exited the train empty-handed, and they did not appear thrilled with their leader at the moment. The leader of the robbers uncrossed his arms, and moved toward the women.
She gave Theresa’s face a small but firm shake. “Promise me!”
“I promise!” Theresa finally let out between sobs. Just as grubby hands grabbed Abigail’s clean nightgown, she was physically separated from Theresa. The tether called out to her, and in a moment, she was able to give in to the pull. She closed her eyes.
Abigail now stood where Theresa had been, and she watched as Theresa, now in Abigail’s old body, told a different story.
“No, no! Let me go. You have the wrong girl!” She screamed out before the men tied fabric around her mouth, and her words turned into muffled screams of terror.
The memory of her first accidental switch came roaring to her mind as she had another out-of-body experience. The face she had grown accustomed to these past twelve years now reflected back her own confusion.
Theresa’s soul was now in Abigail’s body. Her hand flexed instinctively, confirming the switch was successful.
I’m Theresa now, she told her new body.
“Goodbye, Abigail,” she said, quietly watching as the men departed into the distance on horseback with her old body.
The train conductor pushed past her, shoving her shoulder hard. The large woman with the small dog broke out into hysterical sobs as her husband, who had fiery red hair, jumped to console her.
“Shut the doors! Excuse me, please! We need to get this train moving before they change their minds and come back.” The conductor continued to push his way through the crowd to return to the engine.
He looked worse for wear as he was sporting a purple hue around his left eye, a gift from the robbers.
New Theresa collapsed onto the couch, mostly to get out of the way, but also to give herself a moment to process.
The other passengers were jumping into action to secure the train. Some of the men were looking for anything that could be used as a weapon in case they came back, and the women were either rushing back to their rooms or sitting as still as Theresa.
The train chugged to life, and she felt a collective breath release as they began their slow start. The men all continued to stand at the ready. Theresa sat watching, taking it all in.
I cannot believe that worked. Abigail is gone. I am Theresa now.
With all the commotion still happening, Theresa took the chance to slip back into Abigail’s old room without being seen.
The last thing she needed to do was explain why she was going into Abigail’s room.
But there were some items she needed, mainly the diary with all the details about her new life, as well as her favorite dresses.
She made it to her old room and grabbed her notebook from under the pillow along with the royal purple dress and the dress she wore on the day of the train. She cracked open the door. Most of the passengers had returned to their own rooms. Only a few remained, patrolling for any future issues.
I cannot be seen leaving Abigail’s cabin, she thought desperately.
Once she felt assured she would not be seen, she ducked into the dark and headed toward Theresa’s room.
My room, she corrected herself. I need to shed any thought of Abigail. That’s my past. Theresa is my future.
Her chest heaved up and down as she sat on her new bed clutching the dresses and diary. She expected the other passengers to barge in and arrest her, to accuse her of her crimes, but no one came.
Alone in her cabin, she allowed herself a moment to take in her new body.
She ran her hand along her new arm. Her skin was like silk, soft and creamy.
In her old body, her skin was rough from work and splotchy dry patches.
There were no calluses on her hands now and no blisters on her feet.
She brought her hands up to her hair. It was also silky soft.
She collapsed back as her brown hair fluffed out against the pillow. The diary and dresses were still clutched in her arm. Her breathing returned to normal as time passed, and she realized no one was coming to arrest her.
The plan had worked flawlessly. A yawn escaped her lips. She stood and put the dresses away, then returned back to the comfort of her bed, her diary still gripped against her body.
The steady movement of the train made her more tired by the minute, so she hastily put the diary under her pillow, and then hit something. She lifted the pillow and found another diary.
“Perfect!” She exclaimed into the dark. A final gift. After placing both diaries back under the pillow.
She laid her head back on the pillow and the images of her old body being dragged away played out against her closed eyelids.
“No, I will not allow myself to waste any time feeling guilty. The choice has been made. I am Theresa now. Abigail’s gone. This was a gift given to me and I don’t plan to waste it. I’m Theresa now. Abigail’s gone.”
She talked to herself in the dark before another yawn hijacked her mantra. The yawn was so deep it brought tears to her eyes. She wiped them away and continued her mantra.
“I’m Theresa now, Abigail’s gone.” Sleep finally came, releasing her from her association with Abigail as she fully accepted her new life as Theresa.