Roses and Fire: The Sister Abigail Story

" Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil" - Psalm 23

1997

The car lurched and creaked as it made its way carefully up the pothole filled road. The bumping and swaying motion went almost unnoticed by the young boy in the passenger seat. His clothes were at least a size too small and his pants clung to his thighs rather unfavourably causing him some discomfort. This was heightened by the fact that the air conditioner in the car was broken and the windows were rolled down but only hot, muggy air seeped inside the car.

Eleven year old Bray Wyatt pulled back the neck of his t-shirt a bit, hoping that some of the air, even though that it was humid would rush in cool his sweaty chest. But within a few seconds he realized that his attempt was futile and allowed the neck of the shirt to snap back into place.

Bray observed the thick, tall willow trees at the side of the road with a mild bit of curiosity as they drove past them. His destination was the Our Lady Saints Children's Home. An orphanage. He was to live out the rest of his childhood in an orphanage. His mind couldn't but help to be casted back to the day that brought him to his place. He couldn't stop thinking about that day every single day since.

It had been an afternoon in late May and he was out on a boat in the middle of the lake with his father and they were fishing. A typical afternoon really. His father was a bit drunk, but that was nothing unusual and he was slurring his words as he talked to Bray.

He remembered peering over the side of the boat into the water trying to see if he could spot any fish in its murky depths. He answered, " Yes papa." at the appropriate intervals but his attention was on the fish. Bray didn't know what happened but after a while he became aware of the silence on the boat. His father normally never stopped talking. He looked up from the water and noticed that his father was no longer in the boat. It was a small canoe with two benches with a space in between them. Bray sat on one and his father was sitting on the other. There was no place for him to hide.

" Papa?" Bray called out as he frantically looked around the lake. " Papa!"

Where did his father go? Did he finally leave him as he had always threatened to do when he came home from the bar after it had closed? In his usual drunken rants when he burst into Bray's bedroom, swearing at the boy telling him that he was useless just like his mama. Bray didn't remember his mother. She died when he was around a year old. His father called her a useless bitch who died just to spite him and that Bray had her face. And that every time that he saw Bray's face, he saw her and that she was mocking him. So one day he'll show her and leave Bray too. That'll teach her he reasoned. Bray could picture his father's tall, imposing figure dominating the small bedroom. He could picture him vividly swaying back and forth while the stench of alcohol wafted from his skin. Bray swore that his father had no blood inside of him, only liquor.

Still, his father was the only family that he had and he didn't want to lose him. Bray scrambled to the other side of the boat. Before he could stop it, a scream tore through his throat. His father was lying face down in the water and his blood was seeping out from somewhere underneath him covering the water surrounding him like a halo. His father's paddle was broken but Bray could only spot the larger end piece in the water. Instantly a dreadful feeling washed over him. His mind was telling him that his father was gone but he didn't want to believe it. If his father left then he had no one. Nobody wanted to take care of the town drunk's kid. Bray knew what he had to do. He had to get help. He had to be brave.

Mustering up all of the courage that he could, Bray used his paddle to get the boat back to shore. He barely remembered to tie it to the dock before he ran off screaming for help. The first man he got to was a neighbour by the name of Arthur Shaw. He was a carpenter and a friend of his father's. He could barely understand the boy. Bray was crying by that time and snorting up the snot that was running out of his nose.

By the time that Arthur had gotten Bray to calm down to be a bit more coherent a couple other men had gathered around staring at him as if they had never seen him before.

" My papa is in the lake." Bray finally managed to blurt out.

Shaw had stooped down to Bray's height, his hands resting on Bray's shoulders. " Your papa is in the lake?" He repeated.

Bray nodded and wiped his tears. He heard one of the men around them say that they'll go take a look.

" Well son," Shaw said kindly. " If your papa fell into the lake, then why are you covered in blood?"

That question stunned Bray. For the first time, he glanced down at himself and saw that his sky blue t-shirt was splattered with drying blood. The blood was on his shorts and on his old tennis shoes. He also noticed that there was some blood on his forearms.

His tear stained face looked at Shaw innocently. " I don't know."

Bray's father's funeral was a week later. Fortunately it was paid for by the company he had worked for, Georgia Trucking, because Bray knew that his dad spent every cent that he earned and then had borrowed some more. Bray was staying with the Shaw's for that week but he got the feeling that he wasn't welcomed there. Shaw's wife was always stiffly polite to him and always observed him warily as if he was some sort of a wild animal. The Shaws had two kids who were the year below Bray in school but they wouldn't speak or play with him either so he spent most of his time down at the lake until dinner time just thinking while staring at the water. It wasn't just the Shaws. It felt as if the entire town was in on a secret. One that involved him and no one wanted to let him in on it. He could feel their eyes watching him, studying every little move that he made but no one actually came over and spoke to him except for Arthur.

The following week Shaw clapped him on the shoulder and said " Sorry bud." as he led him into the Child Protective Services department. " But the missus thinks that this is for the best."

Bray spent the entire summer being bounced around from foster home to foster home. It seemed as if no one wanted him and no one ever told him why. He did what he was told. He made his bed and helped with the chores but it was the same result every time. " Sorry kid, but you can't stay here anymore."

Bray glanced over at the person steering the car up the unforgiving road. Yvonne Henderson had been his third social worker. The first two said that Bray's case was too difficult and had given up on him. But Yvonne was different. The first day she met him, she smiled at him and offered him a caramel candy from her purse. When she noticed that he was hesitant to take it she smiled wider and said " Go on boy, it won't bite." Bray gingerly took it and started to unwrapped the candy while Yvonne watched. " Why he's nothing but a scared little boy." She told her supervisor who was standing next to her desk. Yvonne was the first person in months who started to talk to him as if he was an actual human being and not an object.

Bray could see Yvonne clenching her jaw as the car dropped into a particularly deep pot hole before it bounced back up and continued on. Her smooth dark brown skin was tight with tension as she tried to maneouver the car.

Eventually Yvonne noticed Bray watching her and spoke to him. " Are you feeling nervous?"

" A bit."

" I'm going to be honest with you Bray."

You always are, Bray thought but he didn't say it because he was careful about sassing an adult.

" I didn't want to take you to this orphange. It's my last resort really."

" Then why are you taking me here?"

" Well Bray, they had the room and they were willing to take you." The car rounded a corner and Our Lady Saints came into view. It was wide, rambling, old wooden plantation house painted white with green shutters and roof. It had a pleasant enough countenance about it Bray thought.

Yvonne parked the car and stared at the building as if it was an old enemy. " I don't like these nuns."

" How come?" Bray really didn't want to stay anywhere that Yvonne didn't like.

" These nuns are from an old sect. I don't even know if the Catholic Church even still recognizes them. But the state likes them enough to fund them and keep them open, so what do I know." She turned to Bray with such strong determination blazing in her eyes that Bray was frightened for a moment. " You say your prayers every night. You hear me?"

Bray nodded frantically. " Yes mam."

" Ask the lord to protect you every night and keep you from harm." She noticed the scared expression on the young boy's face and instantly softened her demeanour. " Look I don't mean to scare you but it's just something about this place that I don't like."

" I don't want to go if you don't like it." The place seemed okay to him but now he was scared of what lied behind the seemingly friendly facade.

" Bray," Yvonne said tenderly. " Don't let my own fears get to you. It's probably nothing that my spirit doesn't come to this place but the kids who leave here are better educated than those who go to other orphanages." Yvonne folded in her lips as if she was contemplating something. Eventually she patted Bray's shoulder. " Come on, get your bag out of the backseat and let's go."

By the time that Bray had retrieved his backpack from the backseat, Yvonne was outside waiting for him. She placed a comforting hand on Bray's shoulder and led him up the pathway to the Home. On either side of the pathway were large beautiful rose bushes in full bloom with various flowers in scattered across the lawns. They really added a cheerful look to the place and Bray couldn't see anything about the place to dislike.

The front door opened before they could reach it. Standing in the door way was an elderly looking nun but she had a strong, tough presence about her and Bray knew instantly that she was not one to be messed with.

" Sister Marguerite, it's nice to see you again." Yvonne greeted her.

" It's nice to see you again Mrs. Henderson." Sister Marguerite smiled back at her. She stepped aside to allow the pair to enter.

Inside was as pleasant as the outside. Old polished mahogany furniture was arranged neatly in the generous sized foyer. A vase of fresh flowers adorned an ornately carved side table. Bray felt more at ease here than he did arriving at any of his foster homes.

" Sister Marguerite, this is Bray Wyatt."

A pair of keen blue eyes examined him quickly. " Well he's quite the husky young lad isn't he?" It was a rhetorical question. Bray had always been a bit chubbier than the other kids. A fact that they reminded him of every day at school.

" Oh no young man, that is a good thing." Sister Marguerite said when she noticed his sad expression. " It means that you are going to grow up into a fine, strapping, young gentleman. And goodness knows that we need more of those."

Bray brightened up. " Really?"

Sister Marguerite nodded affirmatively. " Really."

The sister turned her attention back to Yvonne. " I think they are a few things that we still need to discuss." She went to a doorway. " Sister Abigail." She called out. She turned back to them. " Bray will be in Sister Abigail's charge."

" Yes Mother Superior?" A surprisingly young voice answered.

Bray stared when the new nun entered the room. There was nothing above average about her features. Round blue eyes, a slightly bulbous nose and small pink lips. Thin wisps of blonde hair escaped her habit around her forehead. But there was this light about her that radiated when she entered the room that made her more attractive than she really was.

" Is this my new charge?" She walked straight up to him smiling. She looked to be in her early thirties.

" Yes." Sister Marguerite's voice became rather curt. " This is Bray Wyatt."

" Bray Wyatt." She repeated as if she was trying to get familiar with the name. " How old are you Bray?"

" I'm eleven." He stated proudly.

Sister Abigail gasped animatedly. " Well you're practically a man." She placed a friendly arm around his shoulder. " Come on. Let's go introduce you to the other kids."

Bray trotted off happily through the same doorway that Sister Abigail had came through. They took a short walk down the corridor and then the nun opened a door to the left. They came into a small room that was set up like a classroom with the appropriate desks and chairs. There were six children present. Three boys and three girls. This was really a small orphanage Bray reasoned. No wonder they had room for him.

" Everyone listen up." Sister Abigail began. " We have a new kid joining us." She placed both hands on Bray's shoulders. " This is Bray Wyatt. He's eleven. Everyone say welcome Bray."

" Welcome Bray." The children repeated immediately grinning. Well almost everyone welcomed him except a red haired boy sitting in the back of the class who seemed preoccupied with something in his lap that Bray couldn't see because the desk was blocking it.

" Let's do some introductions." Sister Abigail pointed at the boy sitting to the front of the row in front of him. " That's Brandon, he's twelve. Behind him is Lucy, she's ten." Lucy gave him a friendly gap toothed smile. " Next to her is Kyle, he's eight. Then there's Ashley, she's nine and Emma, she's seventeen and will be leaving us next month." Sister Abigail sighed before she continued. " And in the back there is Erick Rowan. He's thirteen."

Bray was shocked. He thought Erick was at least sixteen. Even sitting down Bray could tell that Erick was tall and strong looking. Bray wondered if he was bad behaved and that was the reason why he sat at the back of the class.

" Now continue on with your lessons and I'll be right back." Sister Abigail instructed.

" Come on Bray." He followed the nun out of the classroom and further down the corridor making a right turn this time and he came upon some stairs. He followed her up the stairs and he wondered why his eyes were attracted to the movement of her hips underneath the heavy black dress.

When they reached the landing, she went to the second door on the right and opened it. Inside were two double beds on either side of the room with matching chest of drawers. There was also a window in the middle of the wall that let in lots of sunlight.

" This will be your room. You can pick which bed you'll like."

Brad went immediately to bed on the right. He took his backpack off his shoulders and place it on the bed. Looking around the room, it wasn't bad at all. From what he had heard about orphanages, he had expected a lot worse.

" You can pack your clothes away in here." Sister Abigail tapped the chest next to Bray's bed.

" Yes mam."

" It's yes Sister Abigail." She corrected him.

" Yes Sister Abigail." He repeated a bit embarrassed, even though he didn't know why.

A slight smile appeared on her face. " Now I'll leave you to get everything sorted out and when you're finish you'll join us downstairs." As she walked out the door, she left a parting comment. " You'll be sharing this room with Erick Rowan. I'll trust you two will get along." There was a tone in her voice that implied that nothing else would be tolerated.

" Yes Sister Abigail." Bray quickly replied as he unzipped his backpack to take out his belongings.

Bray didn't really have a lot of personal belongings. A couple pairs of pants, four shirts and three pairs of underwear. Back when he lived with his father, he used to wash his clothes often, almost every day to have something to wear to school. Of course the kids at school also noticed this and picked on him for it but Bray ignored them for the most part. He ate lunch alone under the magnolia tree and did his homework which put him near to the top of the class and he took solace in that. He might not have had the latest clothes or a Super Nintendo but he was smarter than a whole lot of them.

When Bray finished putting away his clothes, he remembered Sister Abigail's instructions and went back down the stairs to find the others. He heard some noisy talking and followed the sound into a room. He found the rest of the orphans in a room eating lunch.

" Come for your plate Bray."

It was then that he noticed Sister Abigail standing next to a table that held three large dishes and some plates. He went over to here and took up a large white plate. She spooned a large serving of mashed potatoes on to his plate, followed by some brown gravy and lastly a piece of fried chicken. It looked like a pretty damn good meal to Bray.

He picked up the knife and fork provided on the table. " Thank you Sister Abigail." He said quickly remembering his manners.

When he turned around he realized that everyone sat at a long table with benches on each side. The girls sat to the bottom of the table and the boys to the top.

Somehow Bray didn't like the way that Brandon was looking at him and he was seated next to Kyle. The next available seat was next to Erick, the weirdo. Bray inhaled deeply and took his seat next to the weirdo who picked at his food. Looking around, he saw that Sister Abigail had left, leaving the children alone.

" Where you from Bray?"

That voice was coming from at the other end of the table. He noticed the girl called Lucy staring expectantly at him so he figured that she was the one who asked.

" Magnolia Creek." He answered as he shoveled a generous portion of the mashed potatoes into his mouth. He didn't realize how hungry he was until then.

" I'm from Atlanta." She said with pride.

" Magnolia Creek? That sounds like a hick town." That comment came from Brandon. He sneered at Bray as if he was challenging him to say something back to him.

Oh great another bully. Different place. Same shit. Bray continued to eat his lunch ignoring him.

" Shut your mouth Brandon. No one asked you." Lucy shot back at him.

" Oooo. So is Bray your boyfriend now?" He teased as if it was such a great joke.

" Well he'll be a damn better boyfriend than you will ever be." Lucy responded.

Emma, the oldest in the bunch laughed loudly. " She's got you there Brandon."

When Brandon noticed that it was Emma who spoke up, he got silent and went back to eating his food quietly. Bray took note of it.

When Bray had almost finished eating, he decided to make an effort to talk to Erick. After all, he was going to be sharing a room with him and Bray wondered if he liked him or not.

" So where are you from?" He asked as he bit into his drumstick. It was actually quite delicious. He could get used to the food here.

He noticed Erick flinching when he asked but he didn't answer him. He seemed nervous and started to eat his food faster.

" He don't speak none." Bray heard Lucy say.

" What did you say young lady?"

Bray looked up. Sister Abigail had returned.

" Bray had asked Erick a question and I was telling him that he don't speak none."

The nun crossed her arms. " Now you know that's not proper english young lady. What should you say?"

Lucy started to roll her eyes but then she caught herself. " Erick doesn't speak. He's mute."

" That is correct. When you children are finished eating you have an hour of playtime before you have to do your homework. Emma and Brandon. Please be remindful that you are on kitchen duty today so you have to clear away and wash the plates."

" Yes Sister Abigail." They chorused together.

Behind the home was a big backyard with no fence. Bray noticed various vegetable and flower beds planted in large rectangular sections to one side of the of the yard. He couldn't see beyond the thick willow trees at the back of the lawn. Ashley, Lucy and Kevin were playing together while Erick sat on a bench with what looked like a stuffed animal in his hands.

Bray hadn't quite given up on his roommate and decided to try again with him. At least now he knew that Erick couldn't answer him even if he wanted to. When he got closer he noticed that the small stuffed animal was actually a sheep. It's once white wool was now a matted, dingy cream colour. He seemed rather attached to it by the way he kept turning it in his hands and pulling at the wool.

" Hi." Bray sat next to him. " I don't mean to be bothering you or nothing but I just want you to know that we're roommates." Erick continued to turn the sheep in his hand, seemingly unaffected by the new piece of information. Bray wanted to ask him if he wasn't too old for stuffed animals but he didn't want to offend him.

" Trying to make friends?" Lucy pranced up to him.

Bray looked at her properly. She had long straight black hair, hazel eyes and a light patch of freckles sprinkled across her nose and the tops of her cheeks. She was shorter than Bray and was all limbs.

" Sorta."

" He don't talk none." Lucy repeated, a mischievous grin on her face. Bray could tell that she was glad to speak her dialect without Sister Abigail around to correct her. " But Sister Marguerite says that he's really bright. Like a genius or something. So that's why he sits in class with us but don't have to do any stupid lessons." She seemed really offput at having to do lessons.

Bray laughed lightly. " I don't mind lessons too much. I was good at them at my last school."

Lucy seemed to have considered this for a moment as she plopped down on the grass in front of Bray, sitting cross legged. " Well good. Then you could help me with my homework then."

" Sure." Bray didn't mind helping Lucy. She seemed nice and was the only one who talked to him here outside of the nuns.

Lucy then gave him a run down of the rules of Our Lady Saints. They had lessons four times a week. Twice a week they had kitchen duty. Plus they had to help in the gardens. They were responsible for their own laundry and had to make their beds every day. Everyone also had to be in bed by eight.

" So you guys don't get to come outside at night?" Bray remembered fondly the nights that he used to escape out of his bedroom window when his father came home drunk and his rampage got to be too much. He used to walk down by the lake and wait until he thought that his father had passed out before he returned home. He used to welcome the silence of the night and the peaceful breaking of the waves against the shore.

Lucy's eyes opened wide with fright. " No Bray. No one comes out at night. And you shouldn't want to either."

Bray's curiousity was piqued. " How come?"

" Cause the gators will get you."

Sister Abigail sauntered into Sister Marguerite's office without knocking as usual. The elder nun had given up on reminding Abigail on that piece of common courtesy.

The scratching of the pen against the paper was the only sound that filled the room. Sister Marguerite said that she had no inclination of learning about that new fangled piece of machinery called the computer. Her pen and paper had never failed her and she had no need for change.

She didn't look up from her writing as she addressed Sister Abigail. " Has the Wyatt boy settled in?"

" As much as he can. Lucy seemed to have taken to him."

A short raise of the eyebrows was the acknowledgement. " Very well. She's a good girl. A bit rough around the edges but she means well."

" I suppose so."

Sister Marguerite continued to write for a full minute while Abigail remained in the room. Finally she placed her pen down and looked up at the young nun. " Is there something else you wish to enquire about my dear?"

Sister Abigail smiled as she held her hands clapsed behind her and bounced up and down on her toes. " Is it true that Bray killed his father?"

Immediately Sister Marguerite frowned. " It is only a vicious rumour. No one saw anything. The poor boy has been cross examined by police and psychiatrists and they all say the same thing. That he has no recollection of it."

" But that doesn't mean that he didn't do it." Abigail pointed out.

" Abigail!" The Mother Superior hardly ever raised her voice but when she did Sister Abigail knew that she was very close to crossing the line. " I want you to drop this nonsense at once. Bray is a young boy from a troubled home. He needs all the help that he can get to be on the right path and become something when he leaves here."

" I'll definitely guide him on the correct path."

Sister Marguerite didn't miss the playful smirk on her face. " Sister Abigail, consider this a warning. I do not want you to involve Bray in any of your shenanigans. Is that understood?"

The young nun appeared reproachful. " Yes Mother Superior." She curtseyed before the desk and then left the room.

Sister Marguerite stared after the departed figure for a few minutes. She could only do what she can for the time being. She pulled open the top drawer of the desk and retrieved a small brown vial that contained a liquid. She got up from her desk and walked to the spot where Sister Abigail had been standing. She uncorked the bottle and shook three drops of the clear liquid onto the carpeted floor watching as they were quickly absorbed by the fabric. She made the sign of the cross over her chest and said a short prayer followed by ten hail marys. That should be enough for now.

A/N: Oh my god guys, this story has been stewing in my brain for so long. It could be over a year. I've always found the Sister Abigail character to be interesting and when it started I was hoping that we would learn more about the character, the background story and such but in typical WWE style we didn't so I decided to create my own. I know these types of stories aren't really popular on here but I really hope that you guys would give it a chance.