Collection of Older Works

Flashbacks of a Fool: Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

Despite her depressingly fragile state Annabelle dressed with a determined mind. One week. In one week she would leave. In few days she would waken and blindly set out into the world with nothing but her freedom. Costly, bittersweet freedom. After a week, there would be nothing to tie her to Melbourne House any longer. The last remaining reason lay sleeping inside the room she approached.

She smiled softly.

Logan was in no way guilty for the utter mess her life had become. How could she possibly take off and leave him to the mercy of Mrs. Melbourne and her demon spawn? No. There was no way she could leave him. He could leave her, as he undoubtedly would within a week, but until then he needed her. And for the sake of her remaining sanity, she needed him as well.

Opening Logan's door slowly, Annabelle stopped.

The velvet bed hangings remained closed, yet the small child was nowhere in sight. The tousled coverings alerted Annabelle's doubting mind that she indeed had put him down, but that being the case, where was he?

Casting a sweeping glance across the room as she walked in, Annabelle called quietly, "Logan?" her soft voice permeating the glum silence.

No response.

She swallowed. Cold beads of sweat gathered at her pores as the room suddenly shrunk around her. Shaking her head, she forced her brain into assuming control of her body. If it were for her emotions, she'd already be running through the house in a state of downright panic.

But how could she have been so stupid? Had he not tried running away the prior night?

Cupping her mouth, she spun--Perhaps he was hiding? Yes. Boys about his age found strange pleasure in hiding and scaring others. Maybe he hid under the bed.

Fully embracing the possibility, Annabelle stalked sneakily around the bed, "I wonder where my favorite gentleman could possibly be." Smiling while bending slowly she yanked up the bed skirts--

Nothing.

Annabelle snapped back to sitting, fear mounting its attack. But she shrugged it off resolutely albeit naïvely believing that he simply hid. After all, she hadn't checked the draping curtains!

Gazing to the arched windows, no feet peeked from beneath the hunter green curtains.Feeling sick to her stomach, Annabelle rose slowly, her shallow breaths quickening. Where else could he possibly be?

'The wardrobe!'

Right! The wardrobe! Abandoning her prior belief, Annabelle tore open the wardrobe doors-- Lord in heaven. He wasn't there. Dropping lifeless hands, Annabelle stumbled back. There was nowhere else the boy could be. The room was indeed empty.

Succumbing to the early onsets of panic, Annabelle slapped her face. She couldn't lose her wits! Logan was probably...probably with his father. Yes! Nathaniel must have returned from his ride and woken Logan. Or perhaps Logan woke first and then went with his father--She cursed. Did it matter who woke or returned first? What mattered was that Logan was safe with his father. Or was he?