Outside the Rain.
Chapter One.
The next morning my mother introduces my sister, Penelope, to one of my father's associates, Richard Buckingham. She does not want to introduce me because she does not want me to embarrass the family. I don't mind, I'm used to this.
Besides, Penelope is older than me so even if I was still speaking it would only be right that she marry first. I also knew that Mr. Buckingham wouldn't like me, after all who could possibly like somebody who didn't even speak? So, I sat in the library reading a book and watching the rain fall. I read about a girl who is lost in the forest, it was sad but I was completely lost in the story until I heard Mother calling me.
"Annabella!" Mother calls, I ignore her, "Annabella come here! NOW!"
I still ignore her, maybe she'll think I've lost my hearing and leave me alone. She's always saying that if I was going to be so silent I might as well be deaf too.
"Annabella, Mother wants you," Mary says gently as she stands at the door. She gives me a sympathetic look as I walk past her, I didn't like it.
Mother was in the kitchen, I did not like that kitchen. Bad things happened in the kitchen, so I entered slowly and stood at the door. I could see that my mother had the kiln lit, it made me very nervous. I stood rigidly against the door, keeping my eyes on the kiln as she spoke to me.
"Annabella, this game you're playing is getting quite old. I know you are still angry with me for what I did, but you don't have to punish the rest of the family."
What is she talking about? I'm not playing a game! I'm not punishing the family! If I say anything I will burn!
"I know I was wrong will you please stop-" I stare out the window, and watch the rain. I don't hear what else she said, I slip into my own mind.
When I was a child I liked to play in the rain. Everytime it rained I would run outside and dance around like a fool. My mother hated it, she always told me that it wasn't lady-like. I didn't care, it may not have been lady-like but it was fun. I never listened to her until one day when I was dancing in the rain my mother came running out of the house, she grabbed a handful of my hair and started dragging me into the house.
When we got into the house she throws my against the wall and starts hitting me and pulling at my hair. When she stops I look up at her has a hand full of my blonde hair with blood at the tips where she pulled so hard. There was mud all over me, and my scalp was bleeding. I must've had 100 bruises on my back, stomach, and legs. The only person that I told was Eliza, of course the whole family knew but it was one of those things we didn't talk about.
I still spoke after that event, but I didn't dance in the rain anymore. I sat by the window and watched. I felt like I was outside the rain, I wanted to be inside the rain. I wanted it to fall around me, blocking all evil from touching me.
I still watch the rain from a window, sometimes when it rains I close my eyes and I'm somewhere else. I'm happy, Eliza is with me. We're smiling and laughing and I'm talking without being burned. Then, I open my eyes and I'm back in my bedroom. Sometimes when I am pulled back into reality I cry silently, I don't like my reality. I like my fantasies better.
My mother pulls me out of my thoughts, her voice was angry. I felt the need to run from her, but I didn't.
"You listen to me! You better start talking or to the asylum you go!" She yells, she walks towards the kiln and my stomach jumps.
Oh please, not again.
She turns her back to me and I run out of the kitchen. As I turn to go down the corridor leading to my room I run into someone, we both fall to the ground. They stand up quickly and the first thing I see is their hand held out to me, I took the hand and look up into pure blue eyes.
"I am very sorry," a deep voice says, he still held my hand. I just stare at him for a long time until Penelope comes down the hall.
"Annabella," she looks at me and then down at him still holding my hand, "Annabella, this is Richard Buckingham. Richard, this is my sister."
"Pleased to meet you Annabella," he says pleasently. He flashes a wickedly charming smile.
"Mr. Buckingham, she doesn't speak," Penelope explains.
"Why not?"
Penelope shrugs, "Nobody knows, she just stopped talking one day. It was odd, used to we couldn't get her to stop talking now we can't get her to."
They spoke as if I wasn't there, so I retreated to my room where I stared at the rain.
Besides, Penelope is older than me so even if I was still speaking it would only be right that she marry first. I also knew that Mr. Buckingham wouldn't like me, after all who could possibly like somebody who didn't even speak? So, I sat in the library reading a book and watching the rain fall. I read about a girl who is lost in the forest, it was sad but I was completely lost in the story until I heard Mother calling me.
"Annabella!" Mother calls, I ignore her, "Annabella come here! NOW!"
I still ignore her, maybe she'll think I've lost my hearing and leave me alone. She's always saying that if I was going to be so silent I might as well be deaf too.
"Annabella, Mother wants you," Mary says gently as she stands at the door. She gives me a sympathetic look as I walk past her, I didn't like it.
Mother was in the kitchen, I did not like that kitchen. Bad things happened in the kitchen, so I entered slowly and stood at the door. I could see that my mother had the kiln lit, it made me very nervous. I stood rigidly against the door, keeping my eyes on the kiln as she spoke to me.
"Annabella, this game you're playing is getting quite old. I know you are still angry with me for what I did, but you don't have to punish the rest of the family."
What is she talking about? I'm not playing a game! I'm not punishing the family! If I say anything I will burn!
"I know I was wrong will you please stop-" I stare out the window, and watch the rain. I don't hear what else she said, I slip into my own mind.
When I was a child I liked to play in the rain. Everytime it rained I would run outside and dance around like a fool. My mother hated it, she always told me that it wasn't lady-like. I didn't care, it may not have been lady-like but it was fun. I never listened to her until one day when I was dancing in the rain my mother came running out of the house, she grabbed a handful of my hair and started dragging me into the house.
When we got into the house she throws my against the wall and starts hitting me and pulling at my hair. When she stops I look up at her has a hand full of my blonde hair with blood at the tips where she pulled so hard. There was mud all over me, and my scalp was bleeding. I must've had 100 bruises on my back, stomach, and legs. The only person that I told was Eliza, of course the whole family knew but it was one of those things we didn't talk about.
I still spoke after that event, but I didn't dance in the rain anymore. I sat by the window and watched. I felt like I was outside the rain, I wanted to be inside the rain. I wanted it to fall around me, blocking all evil from touching me.
I still watch the rain from a window, sometimes when it rains I close my eyes and I'm somewhere else. I'm happy, Eliza is with me. We're smiling and laughing and I'm talking without being burned. Then, I open my eyes and I'm back in my bedroom. Sometimes when I am pulled back into reality I cry silently, I don't like my reality. I like my fantasies better.
My mother pulls me out of my thoughts, her voice was angry. I felt the need to run from her, but I didn't.
"You listen to me! You better start talking or to the asylum you go!" She yells, she walks towards the kiln and my stomach jumps.
Oh please, not again.
She turns her back to me and I run out of the kitchen. As I turn to go down the corridor leading to my room I run into someone, we both fall to the ground. They stand up quickly and the first thing I see is their hand held out to me, I took the hand and look up into pure blue eyes.
"I am very sorry," a deep voice says, he still held my hand. I just stare at him for a long time until Penelope comes down the hall.
"Annabella," she looks at me and then down at him still holding my hand, "Annabella, this is Richard Buckingham. Richard, this is my sister."
"Pleased to meet you Annabella," he says pleasently. He flashes a wickedly charming smile.
"Mr. Buckingham, she doesn't speak," Penelope explains.
"Why not?"
Penelope shrugs, "Nobody knows, she just stopped talking one day. It was odd, used to we couldn't get her to stop talking now we can't get her to."
They spoke as if I wasn't there, so I retreated to my room where I stared at the rain.