Chapter-1

The rain was beating wildly against the window panes. The thunder roared madly. It was a November eve. The pale blue Volkswagen was driving on the wet silted road. No other car seemed to be in the line of sight.

There was utter darkness around.

Annie Campbell was sitting in the back of the car, sobbing quietly to herself. Just next to her, her sister Beth was sitting. Beth was silent and seemed to be in deep thought.
She felt Annie moving slightly beside her. She saw her sister crying. She placed her hand soothingly around her shoulder, and stroked her hair.

Annie continued weeping. Beth herself wasn’t feeling her best that night. She felt light-headed, and her pupils could not focus correctly. She had had too much to drink that night.

Louis Campbell, Annie and Beth’s father was driving and his wife, Grace was sitting quietly beside him.

A lot was going on in Grace’s mind. She looked in the rear view mirror to look at her daughters. The daughters for whom, she had done so much. The daughters whom she loved so much…..

“It’s all my fault”, Beth was thinking to herself.”I’m the one who got poor Annie into this mess. God, what have I done?”

On the other hand Annie’s mind was racing in some completely different direction. Several things were going on in her head at the same time. She tried to focus her mind but she couldn’t, it was just buzzing very badly. She tried to recall the day’s events: Beth getting ready for the party, mum and dad leaving the house, Beth’s friends arriving to pick her up. Again she remembered herself dancing to her heart’s content that night. She knew she had had some soda, but she wasn’t feeling drunk, it was all just so beautiful to her. Yet, she didn’t know why she was crying. She had no regrets that night.
She just felt beautiful that night, but yet the salt-water continued to trickle.

The car kept going on, across the winding roads in the dead of the night.

No one spoke a word.

Suddenly, a hooded figure appeared just in front of their car, right in the middle of the abandoned road. Overwhelmed, Louis suddenly applied the car breaks, but in the back of his mind he knew that he won’t be able to save that person, the road being very narrow.

The brakes screeched, but he skewered the wheel to avoid the person, and the car went off the road………………..

Chapter-2

Anna woke up with a start. Her shirt clung to her wet back. Her forehead was beaded with sweat.

“Stop, it,” she ordered herself.” Just stop”

Outside the rain was pouring hard and was beating against the window panes. The waves leapt at the rocks growling, shrieking. The tempests seemed to be at its might in the dark of the night.

Anna Carter lay in bed. She couldn’t feel anything beyond her waist. She felt cold.
Suddenly, she started crying. All the memories of that horrific night were returning to her. Her temples were flaring up and she was writhing in agony to just somehow stop, stop those thoughts and dreams. She was frantically trying to close her mind to all those memories with all her might.

She wanted to call out, but she did not have any strength to.

Suddenly, a caring hand brushed her hair aside from her face, and a pair of warm feet slid over hers.

”I’m here”, hot air whispered into her ears and on to her neck.

“Beth”, she whispered.

“Yes, my dear I’m here” the calm mother-like voice answered to her.

”Try and go to sleep”, she said.

Anna turned to look into the angel like face, and was suddenly relived by an overwhelming sense of peace and calm. She allowed her to caress her cheek, and took within the warmth of her body.

Slowly, she drifted into an empty black dream.

Trrrriinggggg………

Anna shaded her eyes with the back of her palm. The sun was gleaming brightly through the curtained windows.

It showed 8.00am in her bedside clock. She decided to brush away all the events of the previous night and got out of bed to start her day anew.
She had a busy day ahead.

She poured herself some milk and water in the kettle and got in the shower. Her head still continued to hurt, but she chose to ignore it and allowed the cold showers to drape her. She got so lost in thought, until she heard the front door slam shut.

Her aunt was back from her walk. It was 9.30 by then.

“Oh, crap, late again. “, she thought to herself. She had to get to work.

It was a Saturday, so there was no school that day.

Quickly, she got out of the shower, put on a green coral printed tunic, and studied herself in the mirror.

Anna was never the attractive kind. All through high school, she was part of the nerdy gang and had huge brown colored eyes and petite features. But still, even at that time, there was something about her that made people turn around to look at her a second time.

Beth was the attractive one.

She ran her fingers through her honey-colored hair. She had her hair. The only thing she shared with her angel-like sister.

Before, she could stop, tears flooded her eyes. Salty-water trickled down her cheek, into her lips, and onto her pale, fragile body.

She was choking hard, trying to contain those sobs.

But the tears just kept coming.

Suddenly, the door to her room opened and her aunt walked in.
“Lovely morning, eh sunshine?” her aunt McLane said cheerfully. ”I see you made me some coffee, huh?”
“Yes, a very lovely morning, aunty” said Anna, hastily wiping off her tears and composing herself.

“Did you enjoy your walk”? She asked, moving quickly about the room collecting her stuff.

“The old Mrs. Cannery decided to accompany me today, puff!!!What a cramming old lady she is.” “But however, the breeze felt lovely, and the waters look heavenly.” she said with her eyes half-close. “You should also head out to someplace with your friends today. The day is just too beautiful to let go!!!”

“Thank you, but I’d rather get to work on time.” she said coldly, without looking at her aunt.

She was just getting out of her room, when Julianne caught hold of her.

Wiping off a drop of tear from the corner off her eye, she forced her chin up and said to her,” Annie, what happened to your parents was not your fault…It was something that was meant to be…...”

Before she could say any further Anna pulled herself back and shoved her aunt away with all her might.

“You have no right to call me by that name.” she yelled at her. “Stop it; just stop treating me like another pathetic pet of yours.”

“I don’t need your sympathy or your sick pitiful glances.” she continued.”As if you care
about me”

Her eyes welled up with tears. “You don’t know anything….”
“Annie!”

She turned around to look into the concerned blue eyes. She realized she was shivering.
Beth placed a loving hand on her jaw, and stroked her hair.

” What’s wrong my princes??” “Don’t forget all that aunt Julianne has already done for us. She has given us a place to live. Be nice to her.” “Apologize to her right now Annie. Now she is all we’ve got left. Respect her.”

“I don’t feel the need to apologize to anyone”, she retorted.

“Annie,” Beth continued in a stern voice, “only if you love me”.

All this while, Aunt McLane kept quite. She was still quite taken aback at what had happened. She could just gape at Anna with her mouth hanging.

At last, Anna turned to face her aunt saying, “I’m sorry auntie, If you would please excuse me now.”

With this she stomped right out of the house not bothering to even look at Beth who was still standing in the doorway.

She rushed out and just got into her Mini Cooper parked in the small garage her aunt owned.
Anna slammed the car door, and looked blankly ahead to the vast sea-side and the dainty cottage beside it in which she had been living for the past six months. Her mind wandered back to the events of the past. How six months ago she had moved to the beach side cottage to live with her aunt in Black Falls.
Yeah that was supposedly the name of the small town just on the outskirts of Phoenix.

Aunt Julianne had worked as a teacher quite some time back. Her husband was in the military but it was seven years ago when she received the last letter from him. Word spread that her husband was killed fighting at the front. After which she waited and waited in the hope that God would have protected her husband since he was such a good man
But even after years and years of waiting no answer came.
They had had a son together whom they named Aaron, meaning descendant of the challenger. After a while Julianne lost all hope and took on the job to take care of their child and make him a good man.
When Aaron grew up, she realized that she was no longer needed by her son. He had grown up and could then look after himself. Henceforth, she made books her best friend and sought refuge in them to escape the monotony of her life.

Julianne McLane had always been the outspoken type. The forty-five year old was of a stocky kind, and had jet black hair that was always pulled up in a tight bun. She preferred to wear nicely starched clothes, which made her look like some matron in an orphanage. Overall, she was not the type of person preferred by many. She had a terribly flaring temper, but she had somehow learned to keep it in control ever since her niece had moved in six moths ago. Anna Carter was the second daughter of her younger sister.

Julianne’s younger sister, Grace was just the opposite of her. She was more of the simple and sober kind, who used to excel in everything she got her hands into. Grace was everything that Julianne ever aspired to be, but still she loved her sister.
Often she remembered her pretty little sister, who had huge amber eyes and reddish-brown hair that came down to the small of her back. Grace had always been the responsible one. But she was never the loathing type.

At twenty-one Grace had eloped with her professor’s son Louis Campbell, to Seattle and got married there.
Everyone was surprised at what Grace had done, most of all Julianne. She knew her sister well than anyone. Grace would never do that. She had thought to herself for quite a time. Grace was always the shy one. Shy to talk to people, shy to go to parties, shy to take a date to her prom. But then that would have meant to fall in love, Julianne decided for herself…
Anna drove her way down the street to the departmental store where she worked a part-time job, to help make up her tuition fees.

Beth preferred to stay at home and finish up with the household chores. She used to go down to the dairy nearby to fetch milk and bread for breakfast. Everyday Anna longingly waited to return home, where she was always welcomed by the sweet fragrance of the flowers that Beth had plucked earlier in the day. But that day, she did not feel like returning back to what she now called home.

She had always hated leaving home after a heated argument. Even when her parents were alive….

She parked the Mini in the parking lot and got out. The lovely sea-weed smell greeted her. Aunty was right, she thought to herself; the weather is indeed wonderful today.

“Morning Carter”, old Mrs. Strauss greeted her cheerfully.

“To you too ma’am”, Anna replied disdainfully.

Alexandria Strauss was the Dean’s mistress. She often made her way to the departmental store. In fact, it was Mrs. Strauss who helped Anna get a job. She was well aware of Anna’s past and did her very best to help Anna overcome the tragedy that had happened a year ago.

“You seem a bit down today, eh pumpkin?”She asked cheerfully.

“Nothing much ma’am, Just couldn’t sleep well last night.”

“Oh, of course. What else? “, she said in an exasperated tone. “You children also lead a heck of a life these days. God bless you people”

Anna nodded absent-mindedly.

Anna pushed open the huge glass doors, and got it. Several familiar faces nodded in greeting. Quietly she made her way towards the big glass elevators and was followed by Mrs. Strauss. The big doors closed themselves on the both of them. That time no one spoke. It seemed like a long time to Anna. Finally, the doors opened on the sixth floor. Anna got off quietly.

“Have a good day Mrs.D”, she mumbled quietly and quickly made her way to her reception desk which was at the end of the forth alley.

“Oh, my God!! Anna you’re not going to believe this!!” Aria greeted her with much enthusiasm.

Like Anna, Aria also went to Black Falls High. In the short time of six months, Anna was not able to make many friends, since she was more on the introvert side. But Aria had always been nice to her. She had dark brown hair which always came down on her shoulders, and covered her forehead. She had a strong jaw and beautiful eyes that sparkled whenever she got excited.

Although, Aria was a very nice person, Anna had not opened up to her completely.
“The less people know about me, the better it will be for them and for me as well”, she had decided for herself.

However, Aria did know about what had happened to Anna’s parents and to her sister, but she did her best to hide her curiosity just for the sake of not making her mad. She knew very well that Anna had gone through a very rough time and she always tried to help Anna forget about it and move forward in life.
Both the seventeen year olds had developed a very strong bond of care and understanding, and of mutual trust.

“You missed so much during the last two days”, Aria continued. “You remember that girl Pamela Kourtnis from the biology class? Well she got sacked by the Dean yesterday for copying in the test. Oh my God Anna, you should have seen the look on her face when the Dean expelled her in front of the whole school. Not that I feel bad for her or anything; but yeah I just can’t help and be happy about this.”

“Ooohhh!!! Wow!!...that’s exciting!” Anna replied uninterested.

“Umm, ok. ‘Red alert’: Anna Kathryn Carter may explode any second. So come close to her at your own risk,” Aria commented mockingly. “What happened? Old cranky aunt giving trouble again?”Aria continued.

“Yeah well that’s daily drama now, I guess. Can’t help it.” Anna replied, feeling a little better now. “Anyways who ever felt bad for Pam? She got what she deserved.”

“What a better time than this to gossip on this lovely day, eh girls?”

Anna had not noticed then her employer was now standing just next to the counter where Aria and she were exchanging news. The nosy little stout woman looked at them sternly. Her glare seemed to paralyze people.

Mrs. Washington was the last woman who Anna had wanted to see in her day, since it had already been ruined.

“Yes quite a lovely day, isn’t it Madame?” Aria said trying to sound relaxed, but her voice gave in and she realized she was croaking.

Anna tried covering up for her.” We were just debating on the previous sales, Madame. We were just about to get to work.”

“Oh come on girls”, Mrs. Washington continued in her mocking tone, “I really don’t understand how you girls manage to work so hard every single day without fail. Oh, it must be so exhausting for you darlings!”

“Oh, no definitely not Madame.”

“No? Well I don’t know then why it takes so long for you girls to start with your work”, she snapped at them.

Without looking back both the girls fled from the desk and went to their respective work stations.
“Another long, torturous day ahead”, Anna thought to herself.


This was Anna Kathryn Carter who led this life every single day. But her life was not always like this……………

Impressum

Texte: Adlin Lawrence
Bildmaterialien: Adlin Lawrence
Tag der Veröffentlichung: 03.11.2012

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To all those who fall in love madly....