My Annabel Lee - A Novelette

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Charlie whistled along with the radio as he sautéed the onions and peppers for his Annabel Lee’s supper. His mind was plagued with the image of her and her pretty brown eyes. She was different. She was quiet but spirited, obedient but inquisitive, always wanting but never greedy.

Over the two months she had been there, she had not once tried to escape. Annabel Lee was warming up to him. He was even allowed to take a look into the notebook she had since she first came here. Her lyrics were quite wonderful to him, like a dream come true. This Annabel Lee was his perfect woman.

After their supper, which had more conversation than they had ever had before, Charlie headed back upstairs and looked through his quiet home. He wasn’t done for the day. Looking around for something to do, his eyes fell upon it. It was perfect; just the thing to do tonight. An itch of inspiration took hold of him and he escaped to her room again.

“My Annabel Lee,” Charlie murmured through the basement door. After sliding open the bolts and twisting the keys, he entered the cellar with a warm smile on his face and his guitar in hand. Annabel Lee’s face brightened up when she saw the instrument. Her notebook left on the bed beside her and stood up to greet him. “A gift from me.”

Gabrielle nodded her head. With her joy in mind, Charlie unfolded one of the chairs he brought down last week and sat while the girl pulled one out for herself. She grabbed her notebook and opened to a fresh page.

“How should we start,” Gabrielle asked. She knew back when she was with her band Jeremy, the guitarist, would play random chords until inspiration struck. They would then all chime in thoughts to get a real flow of music-making going. But Charlie had other plans. He had the girl pass her notebook over and while balancing the guitar between his knee and his chest, he flipped through the pages and stopped at one with swirls and hearts along the sides.

“Falling,” he read at the top. “I want to make this one. A random page, yes. But that might be most fun.”

Gabrielle’s gaze turned to the ground. Her posture turned from excited to embarrassed in an instant and Charlie was very curious as to why. But he looked at the words and began reading them out loud.

“A sweet November day, I walked a mile home,” the man read. “Never thought I could feel so alone.”

“We can do different song,” his Annabel Lee commented. Her eyes flicked up to meet his but bashfully glanced away. Charlie smiled at her sweet nature then continued to read.

        “A smile, a surprise.

        Tears glisten in your eyes.

        I was home, I am found.

        Among your notion

        Of unmatched devotion,

        I am home, I was found.”

Charlie placed the notebook on the floor and scratched his chin. He never knew he could feel such joy in his heart. Gabrielle felt different to him now. She was deeper, more passionate than he had ever thought. He could only think these lyrics were written for him.

So he began to play.

They sat for hours, writing the song and finishing it together. Gabrielle showed her captor smiles and Charlie stayed his distance. It was very difficult for him since any time she bat her eyelashes or gazed in his direction, he wanted to sweep her up into his arms and kiss her with a passion that would leave her breathless. A few times he barely contained himself. But he made her a promise of no harm to befall her and as strange as their relationship was, he was a man of his word.

“You should probably go upstairs now,” Gabrielle said after the sixth run-through of their song. “I do believe you have work tomorrow.”

Charlie checked his watch and saw much time had passed. He nodded his head at her and proceeded to pack up his new lyrics.

“Until the morning comes and I see you once more,” he replied to her. His Annabel Lee stood in front of him looking in his direction but only at his chest. But he watched as her eyes trailed up his body to look into his. He smiled and dared his hand to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. Amazingly, she let him. But instead of pulling her in for the kiss he was patiently waiting for, he took his hand away and stuck it in his pocket. “But know this, my love: I could wait forevermore.”

“Goodnight to you too, Charlie,” Gabrielle spoke softly.

Heading back to his house upstairs and locking her in was very difficult that night. He almost wanted her to join him on the first floor of the house but he knew she was not that kind of girl. The day would come soon enough but until then he would be patient.

For Charlie, it was one of the happiest days of his life. It wouldn’t be before long he could be able to do the things he wished for her. He could have dinner with her in the actual dining room. He could take her outside without the use of the handcuffs. He could show her the song he had been writing for her since her first day here.

He could ask her to be his forever.

Charlie dressed himself in his pajamas and turned down his covers. Their newly written song hummed behind his smiling lips as he turned his light out and stared contented at the ceiling. Tonight was perfect.

“The moon never beams without bringing me dreams,” he said. His lips let out a long sigh as he turned to his right and held the pillow as if it were her. “Of the beautiful Annabel Lee. And the stars never rise but I see the bright eyes of the beautiful Annabel Lee.”

.

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Goodness gracious Charlie is turning all sappy. I wish my boyfriend would talk like him sometimes... Sigh... So what do you want Gabrielle to do? I mean, if you didn't know about what the diary said, what would you do in her place?

Me? I would have tried to escape by now. But maybe, just maybe, I might have actually kissed him first. (Don't tell my boyfriend! Besides Charlie's a fictional character...) ;)