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"As it Began"
Leaving school to walk home should have been an easy feat for Annie Taylor, she had done it since she first started. Mobile was not hard to navigate at all. But she had struggled to pack her things in diligent fashion today. Something was off about that day, and she wasn't sure why she had been so jittery. She had remembered to feed Jefferson, her eight week old Australian Shepard she got to pick straight from a litter; she had said her prayers at breakfast, Miss Bernice and her mother would lynch her right there if she hadn't; she went out and said hello to the horses and kissed each one of them on the nose, and she had done very well in class. But there was something that was nagging in the back of Annie's mind. She just didn't know what it was. After finally packing her bag for the day, she cracked her knuckles and left the building.
Only this time, she had left the building in the middle of the crowd that was leaving. Annie started her trip out of the school warily, keeping her head down and eyes wide so she knew where she was going. It didn't help that her breathing was already becoming unsteady. It was when people began to push her forward to move faster that caused Annie to hyperventilate. She pushed her way through the crowds to the outside world and audibly sighed, taking a hard left towards the road home. Only, today's hard left came with other plans.
Annie cried out as she tripped in the grass, her pack falling to the ground and opening up just enough for her books and paper to spill out. People did not stop moving as she tried to come to her senses. She had been surrounded by people. Annie began to tremble violently as she tried to messily gather her belongings.
"Are you okay?"
Annie looked up to see a boy about her age with reddish hair and freckles dotting his cheeks standing over him. Bending down to help her finish repacking, he smoothly buckled the straps on her pack and handed it back to her. He stuck his hand out to her so he could help her back up. Annie lifted a shaking arm to him and the boy pulled her up by the wrist. "I think so."
"You looked pretty scared coming out of there." The boy did not take his eyes off of her as Annie dusted off her dress. He seemed genuinely concerned by the unusual behavior, much unlike their "trusted adults".
Annie nodded. "I don't like being in crowded spaces alone. They scare me."
"I'm Eugene Sledge by the way. I think we are in the same class." He stuck out his hand for Annie to shake as her nerves began to settle a little more. Annie shook it lightly and smiled nervously. "You don't have to be scared anymore."
"What?"
"I said you don't have to be scared anymore. But you're still shaking."
Annie could feel herself getting worked back up again at Eugene's words. She could never explain to anyone why she so frequently started shaking and hyperventilating, or felt like she was carrying an extraordinary weight on top of her body and needed to cry it out of her system. She couldn't explain the constant fear of disappointing people just yet, but a part of her thought it came from her parents so frequently scolding her for being "unnecessarily hysterical".
She shook her head, wiping the thoughts away. "I don't know why I do it. I just do sometimes."
Eugene cocked his head in confusion before nodding. "It'll be okay. . .what's your name?"
"Annie. Annie Taylor." The little girl adjusted her outfit once again before looking back up.
"It'll be okay, Annie." Eugene changed the subject, motioning to a different direction. "Do you want to come and meet some of my friends? Maybe that will make you feel better."
Annie thought for a minute. It wouldn't hurt. Eugene seemed nice, so maybe he would have some nice friends as well. "Sure."
"Awesome!" Eugene eagerly grabbed Annie's hand and pulled her along beside him, racing away from the school.
She decided that this day wasn't so bad after all.
...Jeffs.
A little sweet flashback chapter for y'all! I love my little country babies already😭🤧
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