Post the hashtag, '#LongAwaitedChapter4!'
Up in Natal, high in the mountains, there existed a village by the name of Bergville.
Well known for the dazzling scenery of the surrounding mountains, it was a popular destination for recreational activities, and as such, it was also common for retirees to settle here.
One of these such geriatrics was a man named Florence Leonhardt; a short, stout fellow who had a fiery temper and an insatiable lust for younger women.
A famed and respected Eldian war veteran, he was given a plot of land on the outskirts of town by his commanding officer, as a sort of 'reward' for many years of hard work.
Florence was a sleazy and unpredictable man, and his temper often landed him in many unfavourable situations.
Until he met Mèredu Chasseur.
Described as being extremely intelligent, kind, and most of all, beautiful, she was Asian by nature and Frankish in features, suggesting an aura of exoticism.
Born in Hizuru to a traditionalistic and powerful military family, she rejected the responsibilities passed down to her and ran away from home, eventually ending up in Bergville, where she drifted from job to job before meeting Florence.
After meeting Mèredu by the nearby market, he fell in love with her almost instantly, although the feeling was not mutual.
Eventually, after many dates, arguments and gifts, he asked for her hand in marriage.
Anxiously kneeling down, he presented a stunning Tanzanite ring to Mèredu, and gave an enigmatic speech as to why marrying him was an opportunity of a lifetime and that she should be grateful.
Ultimately, it proved that Mèredu was too kind for her own good. Hesitantly, she accepted the proposal not out of love, but out of fear - the fear that she would break his heart, that is.
Forcing a smile on her face, she took the box in her hands and attempted to voice her apparent 'excitement'.
A smile spread over Florence's face, and he began to choke up in tears. He led her home, and after a few drinks with Mèredu, took her to his bedroom and banged her senseless.
On the 22nd of March, in the year 1930, the couple procured a daughter, only a few weeks after their initial marriage.
We know her today as Annie Leonhardt.
Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Mèredu received a letter from her sister, whom she had been in close contact with ever since she left.
It stated that her mother had passed away, and that it would be best if she could attend the funeral. At first, Mèredu was reluctant to go, worrying for the wellbeing of Annie, but was reassured by Florence that he would take good care of her, as if he was self-aware. Eventually, Mèredu fell to Florence's endless pressuring and agreed to go.
On the eve of her departure, a gloom Mèredu stood by Annie's side and caressed her cheek, attempting to put her to sleep.
Florence was leaning on the wall, watching them with an annoyed expression on his face. He hadn't paid much attention to his daughter after her birth, after all, that was the mother's job.
Approaching his wife, he tapped her on the shoulder and pointed to the clock, saying that she needed to go.
Mildly offended, she glared at him in protest but failed to produce words. "What?" Florence said, hoping to nerve her.
"Nothing," Mèredu replied bitterly, "Nothing at all."
Feeling the rising tension in the room, she kissed Annie one last time before setting her back down in the cot, and made for the door.
"What, so you're not going to say anything to her?" Florence demanded, his tone noticeably irate.
Mèredu stopped dead in her tracks. With her head slumped and teeth grit, she turned to Florence slowly and gazed at him with a fury like never before.
"Go to hell!" She screamed, before running out of the room and slamming the door behind her.
Never to return.
Bergville was a beautiful place.
Built hugging the foothills of the surrounding Drakensberg mountains, it was located on a high plateau which isolated it from nearby towns.
Chopped up into pieces by the many rivers that flowed through it, the town was organised into precisely three neighbourhoods, each housing a different social class.
Annie lived in the poorest segment; a dishevelled and bewildering expanse crisscrossed by endless winding roads that never seemed to lead anywhere.
Walking through the endless maze known as 'roads', there would always be crowds of people sludging their way through the mud, causing blinding specks of dirt to fly everywhere.
These mobs would attract many thugs - each with their wolfish grins and trembling hands just waiting to get a hold of something.
Crime was rampant in this part of town, mostly small-scale robberies and rapes, but crime nonetheless.
Gunfire was rare, save for the local public execution.
Annie's residence was a dirty and depressing shack built entirely out of plywood that had rotted over the years.
Plenty of pests called it their home, but even they didn't stay long, leaving many holes scattered about in the house.
Furnishings were bare and revolting, with stains of alcohol leaving its mark on everything, along with cigarette butts littering the floor. The smell of spirits and ash wafted through the air, seemingly lingering on no matter how many windows, doors or vents were opened.
The extent of her father's property didn't reach far beyond the shack, only including a measly yard and a small enclave of the nearby forest.
Whenever bored, Annie would wander off to the nearby river, a place found deep in the heart of the woods.
It was quiet and serene there, compared to the boisterous heart of the city.
It was her quiet spot; a place to go when she felt shunned and rejected by the people around her.
On another day as mundane as ever, Annie was at her usual spot by the stream.
She detested being bored - a trait inherited from her mother - and wandered around the site, looking for things to do.
Suddenly, she heard a bush rustle, then grass crunching, and then water splashing.
She swung her head around in search for the source of the sound, but to no avail.
Just as she turned around, she heard the noise again, but now it was louder.
Annie began to panic a little, and a million things started racing through her lull head.
She didn't want to turn around, so instead picked up a stone and threw it over her shoulder.
Whatever was there, it instantly stopped.
"Who's there!?" Annie questioned, still facing the other way.
No reply.
She slowly turned around, cautiously stancing herself to run and nervously glancing back in front of her.
Just as Annie had caught a view of what was behind her, she felt big, broad hands clamp down on her shoulders.
"Boo."
It was a man's voice, youthful but very deep. The sound rang in her ears, and she froze in fear.
Gradually, the grip became softer, as if the perpetrator was having second thoughts about his indecent attempt.
"...You're not scared?" The person asked.
Annie failed to produce a reply and tensed up until she was shaking.
She felt the man let go and take a few steps back, before strolling over and peering down at her.
Judging from his olive drab attire, he was a soldier, or 'armyman', as her father calls it.
"Hmm..." he voiced, kneeling down in front of Annie, "You haven't got your armband."
As his face came to match hers, as their eyes locked with hints of devious intent, she noticed that he was devishly handsome.
Soft, blonde bangs reached over his head and neatly parted in the middle, revealing a pair of intense, lucent eyes.
A slight smile gently spread out over his face, and highlighted his still-developing cheekbones, leading to a sharply angled chin, which punctuated his features magnificently.
His uniform, damp with sweat and water, gripped onto a powerfully built and well-toned figure.
The sight of this overpowering beau made Annie blush, and she quickly averted her gaze to the side.
"So you want mine?" He asked dumbfoundedly.
...
"No..." Annie murmured.
When the soldier pouted slightly, Annie felt a bit disgusted with herself.
"You know, you're going to get into trouble without one," He stated.
"I have mine," Annie replied.
"Show me," The soldier shot back.
Annie stopped fidgeting, pulled her hand up her left arm and paused when she reached her shoulder.
Cowardly, Annie continued to run her arm and scour through her pockets, feeling a sense of doom come over her when it was fruitless.
"Aha - so you lost it?" the man taunted, "You really shouldn-"
"Zeke!"
A loud, indiscriminate shout came ringing out of the shadows, causing the soldier to jerk pack into a standing position.
"I have to go now," he said, "My name's Zeke, and oh, wear this."
Annie peered up at him and noticed that he was taking off his armband.
"Bye," Zeke said, throwing it to her, and then proceeding to disappear back into the forest.
'Zeke...' Annie thought, 'so I'm A, and he's Z...'
HEY Y'ALL. I'M BACK. I'M NOT DEAD. I'VE BEEN CAUGHT BY THE FED. CARRYING TEN POUNDS OF DREAD. MY JOKES MORE DRY THAN BREAD. I'M GOING TO GO TO BED.
