Hello, this is my first story here. I came up with this Idea after reading a book called "Great and Terrible Beauty" by Libba Bray. That has to be my favorite time period, I'm not sure why… but it is . I hope you enjoy the first half of my story. I will try to be quick about posting the next half!

Missing

In 1895 America held many new opportunities for everyone. The young girls of New York City that wanted a proper education had to go to "McKee School for Girls". That is where Anna Penning and Molly Sidle had been sent by their relatives to become governesses. Neither of them had any close family; all that they had was each other. Anna was the most beautiful girl at the school; she had mounds of brown curly hair that always looks like she spent hours to get it perfect. She also had a doll-like face, with innocent blue-grey eyes. Molly was beautiful, but not the sticking beauty that was Anna. She has blond hair that never seemed to want to stay in a bun and deep chocolate brown eyes that you could just droned in. All of the girls at "McKee School for Girls" had to wear the same school uniform: a white button top, a corset to make them look more lady-like, with a navy blue skirt that went to the floor.

Over the years the "McKee School for Girls" farm boy, Charles, has been watching Anna. Charles had sun-calloused skin, scraggly, unkempt hair and deep sea blue eyes. In the past year he has become more in love with Anna.



On a bright summer day, after two days of horrible thunder storms, Anna decided to go horseback riding. Charles sees that Anna is coming to get a horse, so he tries to get his hair under control and straighten up a bit.

"This is my chance!" Charles thought to himself as Anna approached. "'Ello miss" Charles says clumsily.

"Hello, I would like to borrow a horse. May I have that one there, with the black and brown spots?" Anna asked.

"Yes, of course."

As Charles fetches the horse that Anna requested, he tries to find something clever to say to her when he brings back the horse. All that he can think to say is, "''ere is your horse miss, 'ave a good ride", as he helps her get on the horse. As Anna is riding off Charles asks himself, "what was I thinking, I could 'ave come up with something better then 'ere is your horse, 'ave a good ride'".

Later that night, after dinner, Anna and Molly are talking to each other about how their day went.

"Today I went on a ride around the grounds, it was very refreshing", Anna said to Molly, who was crocheting a blanket.

"That sounds lovely, are you going to go for a ride again tomorrow?", Molly asks as she finishes her blanket and holds it up to see if she missed a stitch.

"Why, yes, I was hoping to take a short ride tomorrow before French with Mademoiselle Leer", Anna says as the clock strikes ten o'clock and signals the girls that it is time for bed.



After breakfast, Anna heads out to the stables. As soon as Anna is in eyeshot of Charles, he gets her horse all ready for her; he gets a second horse ready as well.

"Thank you, good day", Anna said as she slowly gets on her horse.

"You're welcome", Charles said with a little smirk on his face that Anna is unable to see.

Charles waited for Anna to be about 50 yards away before he mounted his house and fallowed Anna slowly in to the woods. A soon as they have the cover of the woods, Charles made his horse go faster to catch up with her. Once Anna turned around to see who was behind her, it was too late. Charles threw a rope around her and a handkerchief covering her mouth so she wouldn't be able to scream. Anna fights as hard as she can, but it isn't hard enough because he has her tied up and on his horse.

Once they arrive at a cave that is near the school, Charles helps Anna get of the horse and puts her on the floor of the cave.

"If I take the 'andker'ief off, do you promise not to scream?" Charles said as he takes it off. As soon as it's off, Anna starts to scream as loud as she can; Charles stuffs the handkerchief back in her mouth and slaps her across the face.

"Do you know why I kidnapped you?" Charles asks as he paces around the cave. Anna shakes her head no violently.

"I did it because I 'ave loved you ever since I laid me eyes on you, I 'ave wanted to tell you….but I never got the 'erve to", Charles said as he walks over to Anna.



"Don't you understand? I want to be with you, always", Charles says as he takes Anna's chin in his hand and kisses her. Anna turns away from him in disgust.

As Charles grabs Anna by the shoulders with his strong arms and makesher stand up a few inches from the floor and shacks her so hard that her hair falls out of the bun, "you WILL love me" then he throws her back on the floor and turns around. When Anna begins to cry, he gets down on to her level, and softly brushes the hair away from her face and kisses her on the forehead. This time she doesn't turn away.

At French class that same day with Mademoiselle Leer, Molly is getting a little worried about Anna because she still hasn't returned from her ride.

"Mademoiselle Sidel, do you know where Mademoiselle Penning might be?" said Mademoiselle Leer.

"No, she did say that she was going to take a ride around the grounds, but she said that she was going to be back in time for your class, Mademoiselle Leer", Molly said nervously as she looked out the window.

"Well, we cannot wait forever for her, but if you do happen to see her, please tell her that we missed her today", Mademoiselle Leer said as she began the class.

Later that night, Molly saw somebody coming back from the forest with two horses, one of them was the same horse that Anna always uses. Molly put on her robe and silently ran down the stairs 

and out the back door in the kitchen. When Molly arrived at the stables Charles was there putting away the saddles and reins.

"Excuse me, but I saw you coming back with Anna's horse from my window right up there," Molly says as she points to her window on the second floor, "have you seen Anna? She's been missing all day", Molly said as she plays with her robe nervously.

"Urm….. No I 'ave'nt, but I did see 'er yesterday"

"Oh…... alright….. If you do please tell her that I miss her terribly", Molly said as she started to walk away.

"I really am sorry", Charles said as Molly ran back to the school with a tear stricken face.

When Charles was walking back to the cave, he was thinking to himself about how Molly reacted when he told her that he hadn't seen Anna with food in hand for her.

"'Ello miss, I brought you some dinner Miss Anna", Charles said to an empty cave, all that was there was the rope and Anna's handkerchief. At the sight of this Charles drops the plate and runs out of the cave. As he jumped on to his horse and rides off in to the forest to look for Anna Charles yelled Anna's name over and over again.

As Anna was running away from the cave that Charles had imprisoned her in, she heard her name being called over and over by her kidnapper. From the sound of her name, Anna ran even harder which made her clumsy. In the forest behind McKee School for Girls, there are many roots that are exposed and just as many loose rocks. Though she knew the woods well, it was still hard to see in the 

middle of the night. Anna was just able to see the top of the school when she stumbled over a root that was in her way. As she fell she let out a loud shriek that even Charles could hear all the way back in the cave. Once he heard it, he quickly got back on his horse and headed in the direction of where the scream can from. When he arrived, Charles found Anna on the floor of the forest with a big gash across her forehead.

"Oh my god almighty! What am I suppose to do? If I 'ake 'er back to the school, 'ey'll all know 'at I was the one 'at took 'er. But if I don't she WILL most certainly die, she's bleeding so much, her 'air is soaked though and though 'ith it. AKK, HELP!!" Charles screamed as he gets Anna on to his horse and started for the school yelling at loud as he could.

Even though he was unsure of what to do, he knew one thing for sure. Anna needed help, and she needs it NOW.