Spring was so pleasant in England. Though rain came often, flowers were blooming and children would laugh and play in the large puddles. Fences would be painted a fresh new coat of paint and women would sweep out the houses to be rid of the winter dust. There was always a heavenly aroma of tea and freshly baked bread. Mornings were always wonderful because the birds would start to sing and the milk man would start picking up the spare milk bottles that lay out on the porch. This was a regular morning for Anna Ashwood. She lived with her Aunt Kate in a town near London. Their house was small but was large enough to welcome their needs. Anna had no parents because they had died from influenza when she was only three months old. Her Aunt Kate had come over on a cruise ship from America to care for Anna until she was ready to be on her own. The two were quite the little family. They both were regular church goers and both loved to garden and take long walks through the park. They were friendly towards everyone and were always had people over for tea or just small visits. It was the closest to heaven that could be on Earth. But that was all to change for Anna…very soon.

It had rained that night because I could still smell its sweet scent through my open window. The moon and stars could not been seen because of the cloud cover. Small dogs barked in the distance and every now and then a car would drive along the street. Finchley was quiet enough that you could hear London off in the distance. Besides that, the night was still. I had just tucked myself in my bed when the sirens sounded. I could hear them start up. People rushed out of their homes in confusion. We had all practiced air raid drills and were not sure if this was real or not. I still lay in bed reading when Aunt Kate came in.

"What's going on?" I asked. I was sitting up putting on my robe in case of emergency.

"I think they are practicing an air drill. You go back to bed." She said.

My Aunt Kate was the most amazing person I had ever met. She was an American who never stopped trying. Before she came to England she was a female stunt pilot who worked at a small circus in Kansas. We would spend all night listening to her stories and would laugh about her horrible experiences. She had chestnut brown hair with a tint of gray. Her eyes were a deep hazel that always looked that they had a story to tell. Freckles surrounded her nose and she always wore make up to cover them up. She used to promise me that she would take me back to America with her and go all around the country touring with the circus. I always wanted to go with her but England was my home and this is where my parents were laid to rest. There was no place for me to stand up and just leave.

I watched Aunt Kate close the door behind her when I heard a sudden scream across the street. There was a loud roar that shook me out of my bed. I looked out my window to see houses being bombed and streaks of light from other parts of the neighborhood. I ran grabbing my handkerchief that held my initials on it. It was pure silk and was lacy around the edges. My mother had given it to me when I was only two months old; after all it was just a keepsake. I put on my white silk slippers and my white silk robe that matched my nightgown. I felt another bomb shake the ground below me.

"Aunt Kate!" I screamed. I had no idea where she was until I realized that she was upstairs. She was running around in the shadows of our home looking for something.

"Go on Anna, find shelter I'll be there in a minute." She yelled at me. I almost ran upstairs when I heard a window shatter in the kitchen. The sound of the bombs had broken windows and left a mess all over the kitchen.

I had no where to go to find shelter because we had not built a shelter. Aunt Kate thought it would ruin the yard if we did. I ran to the front door and ran outside to find absolute chaos. The streets were filled with people unaware of their surroundings and small children cried out because the sirens were so loud. Some people were in a corner on our street praying to God and reciting psalms. Most people were still in their clothes because it was not that late at night. I looked for a place to run too but the shelters had been all filled up and locked. I was going back to my house when I felt an arm grab my wrist. It was Peter Pevensie. He was our neighbor who lived across the street and his sister, Susan was my best friend. I had always seen him walking to and from places but never paid much attention to him.

"What are you doing?!" I screamed at him.

"Come to my house we have a shelter for you!" He yelled. His face was in sheer terror. It was hard to hear him because the sirens were deafening.

"In a minute let me just get my Aunt," I yelled. I got out of his death grip and managed to be halfway across the street before a siren got louder and louder and I saw my Aunt running about in the house. Then it came…an explosion so loud and horrible it shook my soul out of my body. I watched as my house was bursting in flame.

"AUNT KATE!!" I yelled. It was a scene that I will never forget.

I would have that image painted in my head forever. People were running everywhere but I did not seem to notice them. I could only see my house turn into a bunch of ash before me. Our picket fence was starting to peel because of the heat and some brave people were trying to put the fire out. The two trees in the front yard were suddenly shrinking into the flame. Aunt Kate was gone.

The rest of the night happened like a dream.

I felt Peter wrap his arms around me. He tried to pull me up off the ground but I could not move. My life burnt to the ground with those flames that took my home and my only family. I kept starring at the flames as my eyes sparkled with terror. I remember being lifted up and taken to a small room underground. There were faces that were nameless. I did not care about them. I could not seem to get passed my house across the street. It was gone. I would never be the same without my lovely Aunt Kate. She was my soul and heart. I would not smile again for a long time.

To Be Continued…

I hope you all enjoy my first chapter. I am pretty sure that I will be able to have the second one up as early as tomorrow. Please read and review. I love it when people comment about my story. Feel free to tell me anything I need to improve or explain.

Thanks,

The Author