Abigail Williams, born in Boston, Massachusetts, traced her ancestry to Abigail Williams, a 12-year-old girl who, along with nine-year-old Betty Parris, was among the first of the children to accuse their neighbors of witchcraft resulting in infamous Salem Witch Trials in 1692. Miss Williams was not proud to have the same given name as her ancestor although she felt a spiritual kinship with her. She believed that she and the colonial Abigail Williams possessed the same gift. However, The modern day Abigail was determined to do good with her gift and not evil as her ancestor had done.

Abigail's face showed smudges of lost youth at age 28. Her pepper-colored hair already contained streaks of salt. Her eyes were so dark that they conveyed mysterious knowledge. But the gift, the ability to communicate with spirits, caused fear among people she knew. As a result, she was a loner. Even her job as an art restorer involved little personal contact.

The Williams family reasoned that Abigail never grew out of the childhood fantasies of having imaginary friends. Family members whispered behind her back, insinuating that her mind was addled. As Abigail matured, she wasn't sure if the ability of specter connection was a gift or a curse because family and acquaintances pulled away from her. Her claim of seeing spirits everywhere had isolated her.

Sharing her visions raised fear in others. So, Abigail found friendships among the souls of the departed. She learned their stories, their regrets, their lingering desires. Some were happy in the afterlife, the stain of guilt or unfished business haunted others. These restless souls were still roaming in the world of the living.

One day, walking through a park on her way to a church where she was restoring stain glass windows, a specter caught her eye. An old woman wearing a patched black dress and a faded shawl shimmered on a bench near a weeping willow tree. The woman's sorrow swept over Abigail like a giant rogue wave. She approached the woman and said, "May I speak with you?"

The woman turned. In her eyes, Abigail noticed an overflowing sadness. Abigail said, "What is your name?"

The woman replied, "I’m Amelia, and I am tethered here, unable to move on."

 "Oh, I'm so sorry. Why are you tethered?"

Amelia said she died while searching for her lost granddaughter, Lily, who had vanished decades ago. The police never found a trace. Amelia said she believes her spirit is detained because she failed to find Lily. Grief over her failure has tethered her spirit to earth. 

Abigail knew she had to help the desolate spirit. After all, she had spiritual connections in the afterworld. She melded her specter with Amelia and traveled through decades, sifting through Amelia's memories and emotions. Amelia's remembrance of Lily was that she was an adventurous child. A vision of Lily playing a game of hide and seek abruptly rose in her mind. In the vision, Abigail saw an abandoned factory, with broken windows and a gigantic hole in the roof. She allowed her specter to glide inside. To her surprise, Abigail discovered that the place was saturated with the ghosts of children, their sadness filling echoing in the dusty rooms. Her specter was being pulled to a corner of the building. There she found Lily's spirit, trapped and afraid.

Abigail felt Lily's fright because of the terror of her death, and her longing for a peaceful afterlife. Abigail allowed her spirit to meld with Lily, promising to help her find peace. Together, they retraced Lily's steps, reliving the harrowing experience. After Lily remembered all that happened to her, her apparition shimmered brighter.

Abigail guided Lily to the willow where Amelia sat in despair. The reunion was tearful. Amelia, her spirit finally at peace, took Lily's hand, and the two floated toward the light of the afterlife. Just before they disappeared, Abigail heard a whisper saying, "Thank you for giving Lily and me the freedom to leave this earth and enjoy peace in the afterworld."

Abigail walked from the willow, feeling drained but not empty. Helping Amelia and Lily had been a painful but rewarding experience. It had also shown her a new purpose, a way to use her gift not just to see the spirits of the dead, but also to help them find peace.

News of Abigail's unique talent spread among the spirits and the living who were grieving. Soon both people and departed souls began seeking her help, hoping to find peace. Abigail, once isolated, found herself surrounded by both the living and the spirits of the departed. She discovered she could be a bridge between worlds, a sort of social worker for those souls still tethered to earth. She uses her gift to help troubled spirits. Abigail is comfortable in the belief that her work balances the evil done by her ancestor.