Abby: Alone

Abby never expected life to be easy. The daughter of a father she's never met and a mother who works three jobs just to get by, she walks herself to her middle school in Chicago, fixes her own dinners, and keeps herself company.

Despite all the disadvantages stacked against her, however, Abby manages to keep a smile on and even dedicates her time to helping others who have even less than her. But one July day, something happens in the city that causes a mass panic while she's out grocery shopping, and Abby's life is forever changed.

She thought she knew how it felt to be alone, but she's about to learn the true, dark meaning of the word. This is the short story prequel to Peter Martuneac's full-length novel His Name Was Zach.