Awakenings: The Rise of an Empire

Eighteen Years Later-Annie

     Annie lay staring at the ceiling listening to the calming sound of the rain tapping lightly against the window. She was remembering the events from earlier that month. She was always restless and felt uneasy being alone at home. Every time she closed her eyes, she was haunted by the piercing blue eyes from her encounter two weeks before graduation. They haunted her and plagued her every thought from the moment she saw them. They belonged to a strange boy she never saw before, but somehow, he was not new; she recognized him, but she could not remember where she had seen him before; maybe he was just new to her. She could not get him out of her mind, or the memory of his eyes peering at her as if they were trying to uncover a secret that lay deep within her. She could not shake their encounter….

     Annie rushed to get to class, she was running late, her usual predicament. She woke up late after hitting snooze on her alarm clock five times.

      “I am always late.” Silently she swore this would never happen again, knowing deep down that this promise was futile; she knew it was a goal she would fail to keep.  Lost in thought, rushing to class, lost in her usual dilemma; not paying attention to where she was headed. She ran directly into what felt like a brick wall. The impact pushed her flailing backward toward the ground and her books in the opposite direction.

     “Uggaah why! why does it feel like I’m a walking disaster!” she recoiled at the thought. Horrified, she lay as still as humanly possible willing herself to keep her eyes shut so that she didn’t have to face the questioning eyes surrounding her…

     ” Are you ok;” came a quiet plea, her eyelids fluttered open of their own accord in search of the voice beckoning her response. Bright gazing blue eyes filled her sight, they resembled fire somehow but blue like the white-hot intensity of a blue flame. They mesmerized her to the point of speechlessness.

     “Are you ok,” he asked again.”

     “I, I, I’m fine,” she squeaked, her voice sounding strangely high pitched.  He smiled and helped her to her feet. “Thank you for helping me up; I am sorry for running into you, I wasn't paying attention." She thought absently how it felt like she ran into a wall, not a person.

      "No harm no foul; I'm still in one piece," he said quietly. She tried to pull her gaze from his face, but his eyes held her prisoner like they were searching for her soul.

     "Well, that’s good. You know that I didn’t hurt you; “the words stumbled out somewhat incoherently.  She began to collect her things from the floor, and he kneeled to help. Once she gathered them, she thanked him again and headed too class. When she looked back, he was still watching her, and she could not shake the feeling that she met him before...

     She shook off the memory and walked over to her dressing table to comb her hair. As she studied her reflection in the mirror, she noticed how her brown eyes shimmered brightly; she studied the contours of her face; searching every curve trying to answer the question; who am I? Her kinky curly brown hair surrounded her face and lay lightly at the center of her back; it was unruly and wild. She brushed it vigorously into a ponytail to tame it. She knew there was more to her than the reflection that stared back. Her skin glowed under the little lights hanging around her mirror; it made her skin appear translucent. She sensed that there was more of a mystery to what and who she is.

She decided she needed fresh air, to breathe it in; even if it was night air she had to get out of this room; out of this house, she jumped up grabbed her car keys; and headed out the door.

Once in the car, she decided to call her friends to see if they wanted to join her for a late-night drive. They agreed to join her, so she headed to pick up her friends; Dannie, Marcus, and Matt; to join her.

Dannie, her best friend, and confidant that she trusts her with her deepest secrets; but for some unexplainable reason she did not know how to tell her about the things that were plaguing her lately.  She knew Dannie her entire life, but to explain that her thoughts were haunted by a stranger she never saw before; she did not know how to find the right words to say. She hoped this drive with her three best friends would take her mind off the thoughts consuming her.

When she reached Matt’s home, the three were there waiting for her. They jumped in the car and headed out of town. As time began to pass, they started to wonder if Annie had a certain destination in mind.

The storm grew heavier and the night grew darker. Once on Willow Creek road Annie slowly began to pick up speed. Dannie quietly wondered why Annie began driving so fast on the curvy road and became concerned but sat silent. She peered at Marcus on her side and wondered if he was thinking the same thought.

     Marcus sat staring out at the rain wondering when they would reach a destination. Annie decided to find some music on the radio when Matt began to quietly whisper ominously.

     ” The four friends set off on a drive, the night got darker, the road longer, and they wondered if they would ever be seen alive again:” while giggling quietly. He knew how easy it was to scare her. Annie looked at him in shock and began yelling at him to stop! Dannie and Marcus began encouraging Matt further by providing background noises.

Annie slammed on the breaks and stopped the car in the middle of the road.

    She began yelling; “Stop, stop, just stop;” at the three of them as she jumped out of the car slamming the door behind her. She walked over to the side of the road incredulous, she was overwhelmed and not paying attention to her surroundings. Her mind was swimming with images, and piercing eyes wondering what they were trying to uncover within her. She knew there was something more to who she was; she just was not ready to face exactly what it was.  Matt’s words were hitting home more than she realized or was ready to admit.

     Dannie started yelling at Matt and Marcus. "Do you see what you've done? You’ve gone way too far." She followed Annie out onto the dark road.   

     A still breeze coursed through her causing her to shiver and wrap her arms protectively around herself. She shielded herself from the chill in the air and hurried over to Annie's side.

     "Please come back to the car. Are you ok," she asked?

     Annie slowly peered up at her angrily shivering from her emotions and her fear. "No, but I will be." She stood quietly looking at her intertwined fingers afraid that if she looked up again her tears would betray her words.

     "Please Annie let's just get back in the car it's too dark on this road." Annie began to take in her surroundings and decided to get back in the car. When she returned Matt eyed her trying to conceal his laughter, failing miserably. They continued their drive while Matt continued to quietly hum a menacing song.

     The minimal light from the streetlamps suddenly went out and a cold breeze blew through the car making a faint howling sound. Annie slowed the car as an abandoned car appeared about a mile down the dark stretch of road in front of them. Suddenly the lights on the abandoned car began to flicker...sensing the unease in their surroundings.

      Annie began to get nervous and scared, she turned to the others and said, "this is starting to get creepy." They began to hum in a ghostly voice, "we all see you, run now while you still can, they giggled”

     Then out of the howling wind whispers a deadly sound......Run now while you all can! Everyone stops and stares at each other paralyzed with dread when all the sudden a loud THUD banged against the side of the car.

     Everyone jumped. Dannie was the first to scream "What Was That!? Annie stares at her in shock and horror; her eyes wide with fear.

     “I. Don't. Know!"  Please calm down," Matt says with a hint of uncertainly. "Marcus, let's check out the car and make sure everything is ok."

      Slowly they exit the car to check the road and the side of the car where the sound came from. They searched their surroundings before searching for the car. Annie and Dannie sat paralyzed waiting and watching. Slowly Matt and Marcus approach the abandoned car checking from either side to see if someone is inside.

      Suddenly from the deep darkness of the woods, a loud long howl erupts into the night. The guys hurry back to the car. When they reach the car, Matt tells Annie to let him drive; quickly she climbs over into the passenger seat staring in disbelief.

     "What was that!" she asks him.

     "I don't know, I just don't know, but we have to leave now! Whoever was in that car did not leave freely," he says, and not uttering another word he drove ahead determined to find civilization.

     Dannie leans over into Marcus's arms trying to find comfort. As they continue down the road the howls began to grow louder.

     The road ahead began to grow narrow. Annie wondered if she made the right choice when she decided to drive out of town; but somehow sensing as if an eternal compass was leading her, she knew that something was drawing her to this place.

      "Did I make a wrong turn?" She wondered quietly to herself, but she knew that she had not; something had pulled her to this place.

      She wondered if she should have brought her friends here on this journey. Instantly, she knew it was not fair to lead them down this path. This journey was hers to take alone.

     Dannie grew anxious, while Matt and Marcus both sat quietly debating whether they should tell the girls what they saw in the car. Everyone could still hear the faint howl in the background, but no one dared mention it. Matt nervously continued forward when suddenly the road turned into a dead end and a long-gated driveway lay strewn before them. Suddenly two things occurred at once; the howling ceased, and the huge iron gates opened...

Annie knew somehow, she was being led to this fateful moment. It was time for her to continue this journey alone.

     She hesitantly faced her friends and spoke; “I’m going to go in, but I’m going in alone.”

     Dannie eyed her in shock; “where are you going! There is no way I’m letting you go in there alone, or at all!”

     “I have to go,” Annie sighed; I don't know why but something is pulling me here and I don't know what that is."

     “No!” Dannie shouted; “You are not going; you can’t go in there we may never see you again. How am I going to explain this to your parents?”

     Annie sighed she knew she had to go, and she knew they could not follow. “Dannie you cannot come, this is my journey. I am sorry I drew you all into this. Maybe I was scared to go alone. But I am not afraid now. You cannot come with me, it’s something I must do” She knew the boy, the boy with those piercing eyes was waiting for her at the other end of the driveway.

     She knew somehow all the unaccounted-for pieces of her life lay at the end of this dark road.

     She turned to her friends and said, “maybe you all had to come this far so I could say goodbye.” She looked down at her intertwined fingers realizing the truth in her words knowing if she dared to bring her eyes upward, she would not be able to cease the tears from falling.

     She knew it was time to say goodbye, at least for now. She had been saying goodbye for weeks to the people who raised her in her way. Annie was grateful to them, but it was time to uncover things about herself that they could never know because she was adopted. She looked up at her friends knowing it was time to let go, to let go of who she thought she was; and become who she was truly meant to be.

     Dannie stood before her with tears cascading down her face; her eyes full of doubt, seemingly beckoning her not to go. Annie grabbed her and hugged her tightly, whispering only the words only Dannie could hear.

     “Take care of him for me, and I believe I will see you all again.” She let her go and walked over to the boy she had loved with all her heart, but she knew he did not reciprocate the same.

     Somehow looking at him now she understood he was not her destiny...her destiny lay with the boy with the piercing blue eyes. She knew the moment their eyes locked he was her destiny, they belonged to each other. Seeing Matt in the light of this epiphany she knew they would somehow always be connected as friends. She hugged Matt goodbye. She knew she would see him again; maybe sooner than even they both realized.

     “Goodbye for now Matty," she said with a smile. He just looked at her in shock.

    “Why are you doing this? What are you trying to prove?” He asked with concern.

      “I’m not trying to prove anything I am simply going where I belong. Somehow, I have known I was going to leave, I just did not know when, how, or why. My answer showed itself tonight.

     “You don’t know what you’re doing;” he pled with concern.

    “Oh, but I do.” Just as she said the words the boy with those piercing eyes materialized. He came, stood behind her, and took her hand in his.

    “I knew you would come.” Annie turned slowly to look up at him.

    “Yes, I knew I would come too.”

Before anyone knew what was happening Matt and Marcus pulled her away from him.

     “You’re not going with him!” Marcus yelled.

     Kristoph looked up at her friends. “You can go now; she is safe with me; the road will lead you back to town. You will see her again.” He spoke the words with authority and a stern silent warning as he peered menacingly at Marcus.

     “I’m not letting her go with you!” Marcus yelled angrily and faced Kristoph with the same challenging stare. Kristoph knew exactly what Marcus was; but he also knew Marcus was not aware of what he was becoming, so he silently looked at Annie imploring her to take charge. Somehow in their exchange, she understood what she must do.

     “Marcus, please let me go. I will see you again I promise. You are one of my best friends. I must do this. He will not hurt me; please trust me.”

      Marcus looked at her sadly; “If I don’t hear from you in twenty-four hours I am coming back here.  Do you understand?”

     She sighed and responded, “I understand.” Reluctantly he released her and hugged her one last time.

     He pulled Annie close and whispered, “I will come back regardless if you call or not,” he said as he leered at Kristoph, a sign of ominous warning. Kristoph knew Marcus would return. Finally, Marcus let her go. Annie walked over to Kristoph and watched as the three most important people in her life returned to her car and drove away into the night.

     None of them realized just how significantly their lives were about to change…. After tonight nothing would ever be the same......