Anna POV- age 11
"The Child?"
"Yes, the child. It's her." The voices argued again in the child's head as she sat idly on the swing only half listening to her friend on the swing beside her.
"Come on Anthony!" her friend called to the boy standing behind Anna. "It's my turn!" she boy sighed and walked behind his sister and pushed her lightly on the swing, eyes fixed on Anna who was currently staring off into space.
"Hello?" he called, walking away from his sister with an annoyed expression on her face. "Earth to Anna Marie!" Anna blinked back to reality at the annoying childhood nickname her best friend's brother gave her years ago.
"Don't call me that Annie!" she sneered at him and stuck her tongue out. Her friend laughed as her brother's face twisted in a scowl.
"Shut up Mels!" he called to her. "So Miss Anna Marie, day dreaming again?" Anna debated for a moment whether to tell her friends about the voices in her head, but decided against it. She was getting old for what her parents called an overactive imagination. Besides, she couldn't imagine explaining how she knew some of the things she did. Like how the voices said that it was time for her grandfather to leave. Or that her aunt would be okay after her accident. The voices told her but when she explained it to her parents after the funeral for her grandfather her parents chuckled and made a comment about grieving children.
"I just can't stop thinking about that pair of earrings in that store. You know my birthday's coming up." She put on a smug smile and lifted her chin. Anna jumped off the swing and leaned against the pole supporting the set. Anthony walked over to her and put his hand on the pole right beside her head.
"Yes, yes, we all know." He sighed. Anna smiled slightly as she caught a brief smell of his new cologne. "So what do you want for your birthday Annabelle?" he half whispered still being the only one who used her full name.
"I want you to stop calling me that." She said with a chuckle. He shook his head and smiled.
"Sorry, no can do." He laughed and Anna felt a twinge of relief. She almost liked that there was something only he called her.
"Yeah Anna, what do you want for your birthday?" Mels asked, dismounting her swing.
"I don't know…" she said quietly. "Some new clothes I guess." She straightened her blue A-Line skirt and white blouse.
"Are we still getting your first bra today?" Mels asked, not worrying about being subtle in any way. Anna blushed furiously, her cheeks now matching the fiery color of her hair. Anthony chuckled, poking the red in her cheeks.
"My favorite shade of red…" he whispered. Anna's eyes widened at his words and he quickly grew red. "I meant because it's so funny!" He recovered quickly. Mels glanced awkwardly between the two and smirked at her brother, clearly knowing something the other two did not.
"Penny in the air" she whispered to herself. Anna smiled slightly and glared at Mels. She hurried over to her friend and gave her a swift punch in the arm.
"Thanks Mels. That wasn't embarrassing information at all." Anna whispered sternly. Mels rolled her eyes and chuckled.
"Come on Anna. It's just Anthony." She looked over to her brother then to the eyes of her best friend. "Oh My Gosh!" she squealed catching Anthony's attention. Anna quickly pushed her hand over her friends mouth and gave her a stare that clearly said "If you say anything I'll suffocate you in your sleep." Mels giggled and pushed Anna off of her, glancing at her brother and the mischievous twinkle in her eye grew brighter…
"Penny drops." She said quietly.
~~~~~~~ 10 years later~~~~~~~
"Happy Birthday Anna Marie." Anthony chuckled as he pushed open her bedroom door. He saw the red head laying in her bed, head resting gently on the pillow, the covers laying gently over her abdomen as her chest rose and fell in a steady pattern the navy blue tank top she slept in was pulled tightly across her chest and had lifted in the night just enough to make her bellybutton visible. Anthony stood in the doorway for a moment before entering the room the rest of the way. He carefully closed the door behind him, taking caution to not wake his sleeping beauty. He knelt down beside the bed and gently pushed the hair from her face. She stirred slightly at the touch but her eyes never opened and her breathing remained steady. He gently pressed his lips to hers and he felt her tongue trace his bottom lip as she deepened the kiss. He gently opened his eyes and saw her looking at him lovingly.
"Good morning to you too." She chuckled.
"Happy birthday Annabelle." He whispered, pressing his face into her messy red bed head. He took a sharp breath in, savoring the smell of her vanilla shampoo before pulling back to look at her.
"My birthday's not until tomorrow Anthony." She reminded him.
"Yes, but it's…" he glanced at his watch for a moment before continuing. "Fourteen hours until midnight and tonight, we are hitting the town!" he said, overly dramatic. "and by town, I mean the bars." She rolled her eyes and laughed.
"I did have that assumption." He smiled.
"Good" he smirked and placed a small kiss on her lips. "Get ready, Mels has decided you two are going shopping." Anna scoffed.
"I'll bring bail money" she said, only half joking. Mels had a thing for trouble and any guy that seemed involved in it. "You have to get out so I can get dressed." She said, placing a kiss on his lips.
"Wouldn't dream of it." He said with a smug smile. She rolled her eyes and pulled herself out from under the covers enough to sit up.
"Be a gentleman." She said making a circle in the air with her finger, implying for him to turn around. He let out a dramatic exasperated sigh and turned around. She climbed out of bed and ran to her dresser. She grabbed a pair of short jeans shorts, a tank top and a long open front sweater. She pulled the top drawer open and reached in for a clean bra. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Anthony glancing over at her, his eyes locked on her black boy shorts coming up just below the take top, leaving a half inch of skin visible. "Hey lover boy, eyes up here." She scoffed catching his attention and his head snapping back to face to wall. She grabbed the first bra she could and hurried into the bathroom to change.
She emerged a few minutes later and got an approving whistle from Anthony. She pulled the brush through her hair and quickly applied minimal amounts of eyeliner and mascara. She grabbed her purse and led Anthony out of the room. At the bottom of the stairs, Mels was waiting for her. As she reached the landing she had Anna do a 360 turn and approved her outfit with a sigh. Mels was wearing a short denim skirt and a red halter top. Mels grabbed her black strappy heels from under the kitchen table as Anna pulled on her Chuck Taylors.
"Bye Mom!" Anna yelled into the kitchen as she swiped a piece of bacon from the plate sitting on the table. "We'll be back later!" her mom poked her head around the corner and smiled.
"You have bail money?" Mrs. Milton laughed and Anna chuckled along with her.
"Thanks for the confidence Mrs. Milton" Mels laughed.
"Anytime dear." She smiled. "Tony dear, are you staying for breakfast?" Anthony smiled at her and laughed.
"I would love to, thank you." He waved at the girls as they ran out the door and he sat down at the table.
Later that evening
"Mom! We're home!" Anna yelled as she walked down the hallway towards the dining room.
"How was the mall?" she called from the kitchen.
"Good at first." Anna chuckled giving Mels a knowing glare. "By the way, Benny says hi." Mrs. Milton laughed.
"I thought Benny was on vacation." She said.
"Nope. He's back on security duty now." Anna said casually.
"Oh, okay. So what did you do this time sweetie?" she asked Mels.
"I didn't do anything!" she defended.
"No, it's not a what. More like a who." Anna laughed.
"How was I supposed to know that he took that bracelet?" she said innocently. Anna rolled her eyes and kicked her shoes off. "We'll be upstairs getting ready" Anna said turning down the hallway Mels following her.
"Alright dear" Mrs. Milton called after them.
After nearly three hours of showering, straightening, curling, eyeliner, mascara and other unnecessary make up products Mels finally decided Anna was ready. Mels went down the stairs first, loudly announcing something about the new and improved Anna. Anthony was waiting at the base of the stairs with both of her parents as she descended. Anthony gave an approving wink and whistle and her parents gave the classic "oh my god my daughter's a whore" face. Mels laughed as both Anna's parents and her boyfriend eyed her black short shorts and bright red tank top. Anthony's gaze dropped eyeing her long legs and finally landing on her shoes. The strappy black heels Mels wore earlier were obviously a foreign concept and Anthony laughed at the thought of Anna attempting to walk in them while sober, let alone in a few hours when she will be plastered. Anna quickly grabbed her purse and hurried as best she could out the door.
They arrived at the bar at 20 minutes to midnight and before her midnight birthday shot she had been hit on by three different guys. She threw back the shot and bit back the after taste. By one thirty Anna was so wasted Anthony had to pull her down off of a table.
Anthony chuckled as Anna plopped down in her seat. The song ended and the bar went surprisingly quiet. Anna's hands went quickly to her ears and she dropped to the floor.
"Anna! What's wrong?" Anthony chuckled. He assumed it was the alcohol, low tolerance and high alcohol content and all.
"NO!" she screamed. "NOT NOW! Not again!" she began to shriek and pressed her hands harder against her head. "NO! NO! Shut up! Shut up!" her breathing became ragged and Anthony helped her back into her chair. After a moment her hands lowered from her head and she stopped screaming.
"Anna, what was that!" he asked after her fit had subsided.
"The angels." She said simply, resting her head on the table.
"The angels? You mean the same angels?" he asked referencing her imaginary friends as a child.
"Yes. Dean Winchester is Saved." She said, looking up at anthony's expressionless face.
"and… uhmm… how long have they talked to you?" he asked skeptically.
"No. You'll call me crazy… put me in a home or something." She responded.
"Anna, listen to me. I love you, crazy or not. And I would never leave you like that." She nodded slowly.
"They haven't talked to me since I was about thirteen. And even then, then never talked to me. They talked to each other, I just over heard them. Always talking, planning, arguing." She hit her forehead as if to knock them out of her head. "they… they never… stop." She fell off the chair unconscious and Anthony stood there for a moment, unsure of what had entirely happened.
When Anna awoke she was in a white room, on a white bed, wearing a white shirt and blue pants. She looked around and saw nothing but a small window at eye level on the bed. She sat there for a moment looking out the window at the plain field outside. The place smelled of bleach and latex gloves. The scent made her sick to her stomach. The door opened ever so slightly and she caught a whiff of the familiar cologne.
"Anthony… you have to get me out of here." She said quietly, not turning from the window. "I don't belong here… Anthony you promised I wouldn't end up here… convince my parents I don't belong here… please." She stammered until he cut her off.
"Your parents didn't put you in here. I did." He said quietly. A small gasp escaped her lips and a tear ran across her cheek.
"Why… I trusted you… you promised…" her voice was hardly audible as she turned from the window to face him.
"you should have learned not to trust from the angels" he sneered as his eyes when entirely black and he closed the door.
