Unseen
Chapter 1
She sat calmly on the silky green grass as she stared at the white puffy clouds in the soft blue sky. She sang softly to herself. It was her shelter, her escape from the world. How she longed to leave her home and travel to a far away place as the clouds do. She wanted to follow where fate would lead her. there was nothing here for her. She was stuck in a world that contained no friends, a family that didn't pay attention to her, and a betrothal to a pompous, self-centered jerk of a man (if he could be called that) that guaranteed a lifetime of serving as a housewife in this same wretched town of Brighton. She did not want this life. She wanted adventure and excitement.
She continued singing as she watched the sky turn to orange to red to deep purple to midnight blue. Her stomach grumbled loudly and she realized she hadn't eaten since breakfast. She rose quickly to her feet and ran back to the house. She could smell the delicious aroma of lamb chops and potatoes as she passed through the front door. She walked tothe dining area and found her father, mother and brother all stuffing their faces, the food on their plates almost completely devoured. She grabbed a plate from the cupboard and searched for the left over food. It wasn't on the counter or on the table.
"Mother, where is the rest of the food?" she asked, already knowing the answer. Her mother lifted her head from her plate.
"Oh, sorry Anna. I guess I didn't make enough," her mother answered through the barrier of potatoes in her mouth. She smiled innocently and continued eating. A wave of rage rose within Anna, coloring her cheeks bright red.
"That's it!" she screamed. "I can't stand it any longer!" She hurled her empty plate across the room and it smashed against the wall. She stormed off to her room and slammed the door. Neither her parents nor her brother ever looked up from their plates.
Her room was only big enough for a tiny bed and a petite vanity dresser. It was the smallest room in the house. Anna collapsed onto her bed, buried her head into her pillow and screamed as loud as she could until her voice gave out. Tears slowly trickled down her cheeks and soaked her pillow.
This wasn't the first time her mother had "accidentally" not made enough food for her. This happened all the time. Her parents rarely acknowledged her existence, except when it came to Luke Thomson, her betrothed. Her parents couldn't wait to get rid of her.
Luke Thomson was a friend of her brother's; therefore, her parents were fond of him. When he was around her parents, he acted the part of a perfect gentleman. But when he was alone with Anna, he was a horrible person. He pushed her around and treated her like the dirt beneath his feet. "Look at this mess! Clean it up, bitch!" he would say to her before he slapped her with such force that she fell to the ground. It took every fiber of her being to restrain herself from striking him back. She knew it would only lead to more bruises. He threated her if he thought she would tell her parents about him. She never did tell her parents. They wouldn't listen anyway.
Anna's hard sobs eventually turned soft as she calmed down. She thought to herself how wonderful it would be to leave this wretched place.
"Why shouldn't I?" she said aloud to herself with sudden realization. "Nothing is holding me back. I should just...leave." Excitement filled Anna as she thought of the glorious idea. She began to make plans on where she would go and how she would get there. She decided to go to Paris. She had heard so many stories about the beauty of the city. She would take a boat across the English Channel. She had some money saved up that she would use. When she reached the shores of France, she would travel by train until she reached Paris. She didn't know what she would do once she arrived, but she didn't care. She just wanted to leave Brighton.
Her planning was interrupted by a heavy knock at the door. It was her mother. Anna thought for a moment that her mother might be bringing her food and an apology. A foolish thought.
"Anna, that lovely Thomson boy is coming by tomorrow to see you. I want you to look and act your best. Wear your prettiest dress and for heaven's sake Anna, do something with your hair! That brown frizzball of yours could scare the devil!" Her mother yanked the door shut and waddled back down the hall.
A new flood of tears came rushing down Anna's cheeks as she thought of seeing that despicable man again. She couldn't bear to spend another day with him. She had to leave tonight.
She packed some of her clothes in a small bag. She had to travel light. "A dress, a pair of breeches, and couple of shirts will do just fine," she thought to herself. She dressed in her breeches and a shirt so the bag would be even lighter. She placed her money neatly in a velvet coin bag, which she then attached to her waist. She pulled on her black boots (which she had previously "borrowed" from her brother) and placed the rest of her personal essentials in her bag.
When she had all of her things together, she sat quietly on her bed until she was sure everyone was sound asleep. She creeped open her door and slipped sliently through the hallway to the front of the house. She exited the front door without a sound and disappeared into the darkness.