When Annabelle, a young eighteen year old is sent to her grandmothers attic to fetch something she discovers some old photographs and newspaper clippings from 1919. The dates go back to when her grandmother was a child and lived out her own teenag...
As promised the day after Charlie was born we unfortunately had to return to the front lines to serve our country. Leaving my family felt as painful as my heart being ripped out of my chest but I was just glad I got to see him once before I die. Luckily I managed to survive another twelve months, enough to give myself another trip back home to check on my family and make sure nothing has happened to them in the time I have been gone. Pulling up to the slightly familier town they were stationed in, caused butterflies in my stomach.
Before going to their house I decided to pay my respects to the multiple fallen soldiers who had been buried in the graveyard on top the hill. I may have fought along side some of them and never of known but they deserve to be appreciated and memorised for what they have done. Starring at the names etched into the stone I nodded my head as a sign of respect before slowly walking back out of the cemetery and down towards the house where my family would be shortly surprised to see me. This time I did not send warning of my arrival.
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A motor was brought to the cemetery to pick me up and I hopped in and took in the scenery as we drove to the house. Something was different, we drove past the house I remembered everyone living in and concern played at my thoughts. "Where are we going?" I asked the driver still unaware of where he was now taking me "To your family, sir. They live in the great house on the riverside". Confused I sat back in my seat and waited to see where the man was taking me.
Upon arrival the man waited out the front in the car just in case he was wrong and he had taken me to the wrong house. I walked up on the steps and stared at the large front door decorated in delicate and intricate designs carved into it. "Here goes nothing" I mumbled to myself as I walked up and knocked on the door. To my surprise it opened straight away and women quickly came running down the hallway. "Mr Shelby!?" she looked me up and down before smiling "Welcome home, Im afraid Miss Winters isn't home yet" I nodded.
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I looked around the dead silent foyer and couldn't put together the puzzling change that had occurred during my time away. Annabelle had been up to something and im almost certain it had something to do with the conversation we had the first time I visited. "Thank you" I thanked the lady "Feel free to look around whilst you wait" she smiled and walked away once more continuing on with doing whatever it was I had interrupted when I arrived. For a solid five to six minutes I contemplated whether or not I should enter.
After thinking things over I decided to go for it and walk inside. Every step I took I felt more and more bewildered as to how Annabelle had acquired all of these nice things when she was only telling me when I last visited how business was bad and she was being threatened. I made my way up the stairs and peaked inside all the rooms on the first floor examining all the tiny details and nick-nacks on the shelves. "How?" was all I managed to say before the lady found me again and directed me to the third last room.
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"What's in that room?" I asked unsure of if I trusted the women directing me "Thats your son's room. Charlie?" the women looked confused for a second before my eyes widened and I left in a sprint down the hallway to find my son. He was being left here alone? with a random stranger? not even Poll or Ada were here at the moment to look after him! I became out of breath as I ran down trying to reach the door as fast as I could. As I did new thoughts about Charlie entered my mind.
would he know who I was?
would he be happy to see me?
what does he look like now?
how tall has he grown?
All these mundane things seemed so inhuman at the time and so critically import that I almost forgot to stop running before I passed the door. Slowly I turned the door knob and walked into the room. It was painted a pale blue colour and was decorated with children's toys and drawings. It was exactly what Charlie deserved. Everything. I walked over to the centre of the room and before I knew what to even say his head popped out of his crib and smile drew on his face.
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I walked over to him and picked him up holding him close to me before I placed a kiss on his cheek. "My baby boy" I cuddled him tightly wanting to savour the time we had together. He had grown and now had a full head of hair a little lighter than I expected, light brown and the same pale skin and blue eyes as both myself and Annabelle. Yet the question still remained, where was she and why was Charlie being left here by himself. Something could easily happen and she would never forgive herself.
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I exited the room Charlie still in my arms and began walking back down into the foyer and decided that I was going to wait on the front steps until she got home. Not just because I wanted to question her as to why charlie was left alone but because I missed her badly and wanted to watch her slowly appear in front of me. I wanted to take in her beauty and watch the smile form on her lips when she saw me. But most of all I wanted to place a kiss on her full lips and hear her say I Love You, again.
