CHAPTER TWO

"Why do you stare at me", I ask, still not looking away from the dancing fish, "because I am captivated by you,", he replies, not missing a beat, "and I and wondering wondering what is going on inside that beautiful but sad mind of yours", before I could control them my eyes find his, "I am thinking, I just lost the most important person in my life, though I am deeply aggrieved by this, I cant help but feel happy when I am with you as though nothing else matter when your are with me", I say honestly, I find myself again in a stare off with him, my eyes metal, his the magnets, not blinking, nor waving. I feeling him inching closer to me or am I to him? I can't tell and I don't care, in this moment the air feels electrified drawing us inches from each other, a sudden splash brought us back to our senses, water sprinkling us both. "I should probably go", I say clearing my throat, "Lisa is probably getting worried, she is hurting too", I finish as I stand up, ready to leave, "when can I see you again?" He asks, a hint of longing flashing across his beautiful face, "I'm sure you'll find me again soon" I reply with a smile, "thank you for today" I add, "it truly helped a lot", "anytime" he says, smiling softly "I will see you around" he added, giving a small wave and I waved back and walked away.

"You are not to be with him", yells my angered father, my step mother scowling at me next to him, "you have no right to stop me", I yell back, "I am 20 and I am no longer apart of this household", father rushes from across the room and slaps me to the ground, "you are my daughter and you do as I say", he screams down at me, "you are to marry the Francis boy and you will be confined to the room until you do so", he grabs my hair and yanks me up from the floor and begins to drag me out of the study and up the stairs, Lily is in the hallway watching horrified, "father, let her go", Lily pleads, grabbing his free arm, he shakes her off and continues this assault on my scalp up the stairs, I hear Lily's sobs as my father throws me into my old room and slams the door, locking it as he does so. I stay here unmoving on the floor, I know if I attempt to move I will break, shatter into millions of pieces, how could he do this to me, I thought he loved me, he did love me up until he met that witch and married her, now she calls the shots and he will listen to everything she says, father has not been the same since mother past two months ago, her death changed him, he met and married Helana not long after and since then they have been pushing me to marry Thomas Francis a twenty eight year old banker, he and his family are incredibly wealthy and we have been acquainted since we were young, he has a good personality and is average looking but my heart does not want for him, it wants for John, they say John is a nothing, earning very little working for a building company and has a lowly background but they do not care to understand that I do not care for status or money I just want to be with him.

I've been sitting on this floor for what felt like hours in a daze, thinking about what John was doing, I am to meet him at the garden just after dusk, what will he do when I do not show up, "no, I cannot think that way, I have to figure a way out of here and find my way to him no matter what", I say to myself as I climb to my feet, I take a look around my old room, collections of dust and spiderwebs littered about, I have not been in here since I moved in with grandmother when father married that woman, it smells musty and is barren with just a single sheetless bed and an empty wardrobe, "is he truly expecting to keep me in this cold and dirty room until it is time to drag me down the aisle", I whisper quietly to myself, a shuffling noise at the door startles me, "hey, Annah, you okay", I hear a whispering Lisa say from the other side of the door, "how can I be okay, I am basically a prisoner right now', I whisper back walking up to the door and pressing an ear up to it, "you have to help me escape Liss, I cannot and will not marry someone I do not love, not even for financial gain", "do not worry, I have come to tell you that father and Helana are preparing to go and meet the Francis family at the gate, they will walking that way shortly", Lisa whispers hurriedly, "I will come get you then" she finishes before I hear hurried footsteps moving away from the door, I shrink down to the floor waiting and hoping that whatever plan she has will work.

Some time goes by before I hear running footsteps coming up the steps to my door and I hold my breath when the door handle starts giggling around, next second the door flies open and in walks Lisa with a smirk "I am the queen of lockpicking", she gloats smugly, I rush to her and envelop her in a hug "thank you, thank you, thank you", I say squeezing her tightly, "you're the best sister a girl could ever ask for" "you don't have much time", Lisa says, worry now marring her face, "they will be back soon go through the back yard and just keep running until you find John", she finishes, ushering me down the stairs, "what about you, I cannot just leave you here", I say teary eyed, "I have a plan and I will see you at grandmothers, okay" Lisa reassures me as we get to the back yard, "I love you sister" I say, giving her one last hug before running off.