Unraveled Solo

Pre-dated: Mid-August

Word Count:2,433

Summer. That's all it was supposed to be. Warm faces full of laughter, happy memories being made. What a load of bullshit. A once happily ever after summer story turned into that of a nightmare for Annie Morgan.

It all started with a letter. Annie was staying at the school for the summer, taking part in a few activities and getting to know some new faces. Then the letter came. Another student read it to her, the information short and sweet.

My dearest Annie,

Take the next available train home. It's urgent."

Safe and swift travels,
- Mum

The word urgent was never used in a light context. After reading the contents of the letter her mother sent her, the girl's heart dropped. Having to call her summer plans to an end or at least on hold was undesirable, but she headed her mother's words, pack up what little she'd brought with her, and leave.

Upon arriving home she was welcomed by a warm embrace which didn't help her unnerved feelings. Pushing back from the arms that wrapped tightly around her, an odd silence hung in the air. She'd clear her throat breaking the uncomfortable tension that had quickly covered the room. "Mum.. the letter, what happened?"

Instead of her question being answered she was pulled into another hug. Again, trying to escape the grasp of her trapper, she froze. Her shirt felt damp. Tears. And then a soft hiccup of a sob. Clutching the back of her mother's coat she stood there for what felt like ages. She didn't want an answer now, but an explanation. Her mother, one of the strongest women she had ever known was brought to tears. Taking her thumb, she'd shift from the grip enough to wipe her wet cheek. "It'll be okay." Whatever it was, it would be okay.

But it wasn't. None of it was okay. Later that night her dad knocked softly on the door of her bedroom. Turning from her place by the window, she'd mutter a small "come in". He sat down on the bed and waited for her to come over. Reluctantly Annie made her way over to the bed and sat next to her dad. "Are you going to tell me now that we've had dinner?" She questioned him, playing with her thumbs, anticipating the worst to come. After her silent embrace with her mother for an hour, her mother excused herself to cook dinner.

Dinner in itself was excruciatingly painful to sit through. Pure silence with the occasional attempt to start up a conversation about her schooling or to crack a joke by her dad. It was pitiful honestly and it was a huge relief when she choked down the rest of her food and escaped to her bedroom.

Letting out a huge sigh, her father would nod. "Look kiddo, it's not my place to tell you this, but your mother is in no condition to tell you either -- Granny Freya isn't with us anymore." If you could hear a heart shatter then that sound would have been loud and clear. Everything became a blur after the last couple of words that left her father's lips. The brunette shot up from the bed, frozen in place for a moment. Her dad reached out a hand towards he before pausing and returned it to his side, pushing himself up from the bed. Feeling herself sink into the bed at the absence of the presence by her side, made her throat close up. Her dad would give her a quick kiss on her forehead, to which the girl flinched at the action and then exit her room, keeping a crack open in the doorway. "I know it's a lot to take in, get some rest. Her funeral is in a few days." Quickly, he'd shut the door behind him and the brunette's word came falling down as she slid off her bed crumpled to the floor.

Up until the day of the funeral, Annie would spend almost every waking hour in her room. Thoughts ran through her head yet there was always one reoccurring question that came up. Why? Her father explained that. About a week ago she had passed away in her sleep. But it still wasn't a good enough reason. Why did she have to get taken away. Why now and why had she not been informed sooner? Perhaps her parents needed time to wrap their heads around it before breaking the news to her. It did make the most logical sense, but it still didn't sit well with her. Finally, a knock on the door startled her from her thoughts. Sniffling and wiping the tears that had fallen down her face onto her sleeve, she'd rise to her feet to answer it. A small frown came over her lips knowing what time it was. His eyes roamed over his daughter's face. "C'mon now hun you look horrible, go shower and get dressed, we have an outfit laid out on your bed after you wash up."

She shrugged past her dad, approaching the bathroom without a word. Turning the shower on, she'd let the hot water scorch her skin and run down her face. Unable to tell which was tears and which was the actual water made her feel not so bad. Annie cursed herself mentally for crying so much, not remembering any other time she had cried so much in so little time, and she wasn't even at the funeral yet. Closing her eyes and listening to the water patter on the ground erased the stress and sadness from her mind if only for a moment. Suddenly another knock was heard, shocking her again. Had she zoned out in the shower? And for how long? It seemed she had been doing that a lot now. Coming back to reality, the water began to run cold, making her shiver lightly. "Annie dear, we need to leave in 20, dry your hair and get dressed." Following the commands, she'd hop out of the shower and pad back to the room in a towel, finding whatever clothes had been laid out for her. She frowned lightly to herself, having felt the material and realizing it was a dress. It was likely modest and straight black, the sort of thing to show you were grieving. It's not like she wanted to announce it to the world but she knew it was appropriate. After struggling her way into it, she'd grab a coat from the hanger next to her door, toss it on and hug it around her body for comfort before exiting.

The car ride was long and miserable much like the dinner that night before. If anything was not miserable since she got the letter, it was a miracle. Everything leading up to the event was miserable. Awkward silence, her mother occasionally sniffling and the light drizzle hitting the car windows. Annie would clasp her own hands together so hard that her nails would dig into her palm and her knuckles would turn white at the pressure. Finally the vehicle would roll to a stop, the drizzling becoming a heavy pour now and the wind being as violent as ever. It really was just like in the movies. As gloomy and dreary as ever. "Do I really have to be here." She muttered, grasping her dad's hand like a small child being drug into a grocery store for back to school shopping. He paused squeezing her hand. "Look just be here for your mother. It's going to be hard on her for awhile okay?" She would silently move her head, not agreeing or disagreeing, just neutral.

Luckily the ceremony was over quickly. A few speeches were said, crying or sobbing was heard yet muffled and the rain continued to pour around them. And then it was time to say their goodbyes. Her mother went first, getting close and whispering into the casket, tears trickling down her face. She swore if she could have seen it, it would've been a beautiful yet heartbreaking scene. One day would she be doing the same for her own mother? Next if was her dad's turn, much shorter but still a few words and polite gestures were exchanged. After a few moments, he stepped away and it was her turn. Walking up slowly to the case, she took a deep breath. Reaching her hand inside, she didn't know what to expect. Her hand touched something cold, shooting back in response before pausing. She'd try again, slower this time and feel the same thing. It was her grandmother's hand. Cold to the touch but with the same worn texture she had grown to know and love. It was then she withdrew herself from her grandmother's side, sprinting off, black slip-on shoes getting stuck in the mud, the girl now running barefoot.

She had only made it a few paces away before her dad came charging after her. Sweeping both of his arms under her armpits she cried and fought against him. "Let go of me! GET OFF!" The brunette screamed, hair becoming quickly soaked and tangled, giving her a wild look. He'd gently let go of her, confused. "Hey hey hey, what's wrong? She'd whirl around, hands curled into fists at her side. "I'll tell you what's wrong. That woman has been alone her whole life! She grew up alone and afraid she died, alone and afraid. Because guess what, blind people don't get to see their family and friend's faces or the bright blue sky when they die. At any moment we could be dying and not know because we are already swallowed by the dark void, so what difference does it make anyways? And I'm going to end up just like her, alone and afraid because that's all I have ever been since I became blind!" Her dad looked shocked, about to say something else but he paused. The corners of Annie's eyes would brim with tears, threatening to spill down her face. Her lungs burned from screaming but despite that she raged on.

"After the accident first happened to me, you all pitied me and treated me like a baby. She was the only person who treated me like I was normal. She comforted me and reassured me and was there for me because she knows what I went through. And you can't all pretend to know what either of us went through so don't you dare tell me that you helped me." The tears began to flow now, hard and fast, just like the rain that now chilled the girl to the bone. All the other guests had left, her mother stood next to her husband now, silent with hollow eyes staring ahead at her daughter.

"When it was time to go back to school, you didn't offer to let me stay home or hear me out that I wasn't ready to go back. You encouraged me to go back and pretend like everything was fine when it clearly wasn't. And you never stopped me from wearing that blindfold for the first few weeks of school. I looked like an idiot, no, a freak and felt ashamed. And you know what?" Her voice was falling off, the rage and her energy having been spent.

"None of this ever would've happened if mum married a normal wizard. Grandpa was right, and yet I stood up for you because I believed in love, I didn't care that you broke the rules. But now the only person I ever loved, that was capable of loving me, understood me and stayed with me through everything is DEAD. Look where you got us. ARE YOU HAPPY?!" The brunette fell on her knees, father and mother still frozen in place, letting her go on.

"And where is Grandpa? He didn't come to his wife's wedding? Was he scared that maybe I'd be the one to curse him this time. Good, he should be. He's a coward. You are both cowards for not telling me about this sooner. MY WHOLE FAMILY IS A BUNCH OF COWARDS!" She rose her voice, or what left of it to the sky and slammed her hand into the mud, black dress and face getting splattered with muck. Her hands gripped a clump of dead grass by her knees, uprooting it from the ground before tossing it in the general direction of her parents. Her body slumped over slightly before it began shaking. Perhaps it was the rain getting to her, or maybe something else. Instead, small bits of laughter escaped her, head lolling to the side, tears pricked at her eyes, not ones of anger or sadness this time. A few minutes of laughter rung out in the air. The rain had stopped and now the only noise that filled the air was choked, hoarse laughter. Smearing some more mud across her face as she went to wipe away the tears, Annie's voice would close up and she would collapse, the squelch of mud sounding as her body hit the ground.

"She finally tired herself out." Her dad commented after a few moments of silence, making sure she was actually done. He'd then walk over to the still body. Hesitating to even touch the muddied, disheveled mess on the ground, even being that it was his daughter made him sigh. "Where did we go wrong with parenting. You know what, maybe we didn't, maybe she just didn't have an outlet and needed to let it out. She'd a teenager going through a tough time of it and a loved one just passed on top of it. Things will be fine in the morning I'm sure." He'd pause after his statement. Of course it sounded dumb to blame everything that just happened on a death and her being a teenage girl. Instead, it was actually false hope, but after a death in the family he didn't need their own family to fall apart and so he held onto it, even though he was doubtful of what caused her to lash out in the first place. Feeling a comforting squeeze on his shoulder, he'd look over to see his wife. Her blank expression was one he himself had worn before. Grief and concern. Bending down, he'd carry Annie back to their car, laying her on some towels they had prepared in the back in case the rain didn't let up.

Getting into the car, he'd start the engine and look back at the sleeping figure in the mirror before driving away.

"I'm sorry."