The sun was shining bright as the slink black car that held doctor Oaken and Anna pulled around to a large white house at the end of the cul-de-sac. The house stood slightly set off from its neighbours and had a little white picket fence and a lush garden. It was the epitome of an upper class suburban home.
Anna wrinkled her nose in the slightest distaste as she fiddled with the folds of her skirt. The last time she had been with other people her age, it hadn't gone over to well. She shuddered at the memory that flashed to mind of a little boy, his arm turning black with frost bite. She leaned over to look at herself in the side mirror as a distraction. She had changed so much since then.
Her face had thinned out, having lost her baby fat, and the freckles that had once been just a gentle dusting across her nose, that she had hoped the diminish, now stood of from cheek bone to cheek bone across her face. Her hair had changed the most, she thought at least. Hair that had once been a bright fiery red, had settled down and dulled to a gentle strawberry blond that set kept tamed in braided pigtails. She smiled slightly, she was almost unrecognisable from the child she had been back then. That was a different Anna in a different time. This was a new Anna, she bit her lip lightly, and new Anna was nervous.
"Do I have to go?" she asked, her voice sound small, as she turned to look at Oaken.
The sight of his massive form in the too small car was almost enough to make her burst into a fit of laughter. Almost.
He smiled sweetly at her "You will be fine, little Anna" he parked the car and put a hand on her shoulder "This will be good for you, ya?" he nodded "Trust me." He shook her shoulder "Now where is that smile I love, hmm? Aren't you excited?"
Anna couldn't help the smile that slowly crept across her face "I guess I am kind of excited" she had stopped fiddling with her dress "I mean, it's just been so long since I was around people my age, not that you and Sven are old! It's just, it's going to be different, and new! I mean it like, for the first time in forever I can be just… me" she smiled more "Thank you Oaken… for letting me ramble to you"
Oaken just laughed and squeezed her shoulder "Oh!" He reached into the back and pulled out a small wrapped box "A gift for the birthday girl. A book of Norwegian Folklore, very good read." He nodded when she took it "Now go on, don't want the party starting without you"
Anna nodded and got out of the car, taking a moment to readjust her skirt, briefly admiring its emerald green colour in the sun, before closing the door. "I will pick you up at 5, have fun Anna" Oaken called as he drove off. Her smile faltered slightly as she looked down at the gift in her hands "Yeah, fun" with Oaken gone her nerves were returning. Not good. "You can do you Anna" she told herself as she walked to the door "It's just a party" she walked slowly up the steps "this is chance to leave me lonely world" she breathed, and it had been lonely with her only friends being Sven and Elsa. She paused before the door and raised her hand to knock "You can do this, Anna, knock" her hand curled into a fist "Just knock. You know how to knock." She took a deep steadying breath, and rapped five times on the door in a gentle tune.
The door opened to reveal a woman's smiling face. "Anna, hi, glad you could make it" she said as she ushered Anna into the entry hall of the house. Anna blinked as she looked around and took note of what Mrs. White was wearing. She couldn't help but feel like she had just walked into an ad from the 1950's. The dress she wore was plain and very conservative and her black was curled, almost comically into two big loops on either side of her head. The house gave off the same vibe, everything a pristine white and polished wood.
"Snow!" she called in a singsong voice.
From the other room came a girl, about Anna's age who, thankfully and a little to Anna's surprise, was dressed more for their era. She had hair the same shade of black as her mothers, cut short with a natural but gentle curl, and dark eyes, her skin was so pale and fair it almost resembled snow "Yeah, mom?" she asked in a high voice before turning to Anna "Oh! You must be Anna" she smiled sweetly, to sweetly, Anna thought as she held out the present "Hi" she smiled back. "A present? You shouldn't have" she took it from Anna and began to walk back into the room she had entered from "Come on, we're all just hanging out in the living room" she smiled again "Small enough party, just some friends and a couple of boys from my class."
"I'm heading out now" came her mother's voice "You kids have fun" the front door clicked and she was gone.
"And she finally get the hint" came the voice of a girl who had herself sprawled out on the couch "No offence Snowy, but your mom is" she paused before drawing out her next words "Duuuuulllll"
Snow chuckled without humour and set her eyes to a glare on the brunette "Don't remind me" her voice had lost the forced cheer it held when she spoke with her mother. "Anna, this is Belle, Meg, Adam and Erik" she pointed to each in their turn "Everyone, this is Anna" she tossed her gift lightly onto the table "She from unit 4 at the lab with my Duuuuulllll" she imitated the girl whom was called Meg "Mom" she shooed Meg over on the couch and flopped herself down.
"Unit 4?" the dark haired boy, Erik piped up. "Isn't that the uh" he snapped his fingers as he thought "The paranormal department?"
"Ooooo" Adam, a beast of a boy to be sure, made a mock spooky noise "What do you do there, talk to ghosts? Track down ghouls?" he laughed, but Anna just shook her head muttering no. If only they knew.
Snow clapped her hands "Right, let's make this a proper party! Adam, get the beer, Erik curtains, girls get the lights" she turned to Anna "Anna, music" she clapped again and the group of early teens scattered across the living room setting about their tasks.
Anna moved over to a large stereo system that was set against the far wall and began flicking through the collection of cds that were set on a shelf. What did you play at a party? She bit her lip as she pulled out a cd with a selection of pop songs and put it in. The first song had just started playing when Meg loomed over her "Really, Freckles? No go" she pushed her gently to the side "Let's play something fresh" she said before changing the disc with one of techno beats "Now that, is party music" she clapped Anna on the shoulder and sauntered back over to the couch as Adam came in from the back door, a case of beer hoisted over his shoulder.
The other girl, Belle, smiled up at him "Where'd you get it?"
The boy shrugged as he placed the box on the table "My dad drinks to much to notice when a few go missing" he grinned proudly "I've been collecting these for weeks. Hid them under my bed, my 'rents never check my room anymore" he opened the box and began passing them out, pausing when he got to Anna "Anna, want one?" he tilted his head in an almost challenging way.
Everything in her mind was screaming no, that this was a bad idea, she shouldn't be here. Or maybe that was Elsa? She couldn't tell so she just pushed the voice aside "Yeah, of course, why wouldn't I?" she said as she took the can, earning a satisfied nod from Erik. She cracked it open and chugged it back, spluttering as she nearing choked on the amber liquid drawing a round of laughter from the group who were all drinking as if it were water.
"First time, eh Freckles?" teased Meg as she laughed.
"No." she defended "I've drank before"
"Sure, sure" Snow grinned before getting up to go and dance.
As the others went about their party going, Anna excused herself into the front hall once more and leaned against the wall. She felt frost prickle across her arm and she sighed "I know, Elsa I know" she stared up at the ceiling "I just wanted to know what it was like to leave the lab. I was so excited" she murmured "but from all the books and the movies I wasn't expecting this" she took a deep breath "But we can get through this Elsa, I know we can. We can be…. Okay I can be normal, or at least pretend to be" with her resolve rebuilt, Anna returned to the living room.
Normal, what did normal people do? She had seen Snow and the girls dancing, was that normal? Anna liked dancing. She smiled as she walked to the middle of the room and joined there dance. She danced until her breath was short and then she sat down.
"Hi" came a voice to her right, startling her.
Anna looked over and saw that Erik had taken up the seat next to her. She took a moment to look him over closer. He was kind of cute, she had to admit that, with his dark hair swept around his eyes "Hi? Hi me?" none of the others had really tried to talk to her so when she finally registered that he was talking to her mind slowly "Um, hi"
Erik smiled at that, he had a fantastic smile "I'm Erik" he looked her over "You don't go to our school do you? I mean I don't recognise you"
A conversation! That was something that Anna could do "Yeah, I mean no I don't" she cleared her throat "I have a private tutor, specialized classes" she shrugged "I dint get to spend a whole lot of time with people my own age, so I'm sorry if this ends up being awkward" she looked at him suddenly "Not you you're awkward! Cause just we're" she paused a moment to try to rein in her thoughts "I'm awkward, you're gorgeous! Wait what?" and failed, Anna buried her face in her hands to hide her embarrassment.
Erik just laughed and patted her shoulder "How about I lead and you follow?" he smiled when she looked up "So you work with Snows mom the lab?"
Anna nodded "Yeah, I guess you could say that. I do-" she bit her lip. What should she say? She couldn't tell him that she was the subject of study do to the fact that she was attached to a strange ice casting spirit. She thought back to when Sven had made her clean the lab top to bottom after Elsa had accidentally shattered a bowl of dyed water in a test "Cleaning. I clean up the labs. Mrs. White thought that I should get out more and, well here I am, getting out"
"I moved here from Denmark a few years back, what about you? Where are you from?"
"The base, born and raised" Anna replied with a shrug "My Mother was very…. Driven"
"I row, like boating, in my spare time, I want to compete when I can. What about you? What do you do for fun?"
"Seriously? I um… I read, a lot, and I'm learning guitar. Dancing… I really like dancing" she smiled softly "My fun is limited to the base so…. Yeah"
He leaned closer and lowered his voice "Can I ask you something?"
Anna smiled "Sure?"
"Why are you in Unit 4?"
In an instant the temperature of the room dropped, not drastically, but enough to be noticed. Elsa did not want that question answered, did not want them exposed, and Anna, for once, and found herself agreeing with her. She sat up straight, her gaze trained forward and in a calm, even, practiced voice she replied "I clean the labs, my tutor thought it would be good for me, that is all"
Erik held up his hands defensively "Alright, alright. I didn't mean any offence, Anna" the music changed and he cleared his throat, flashing her another winning smile "A slow dance. You said she liked dancing Anna" she stood and took her hand, pulling her to her feet "Come on" he pulled her close and wrapped his arms around her waist as her hands found a place on his shoulder. They moved slowly to the rhythm, rocking back and forth. "You know, Anna, there is some special about you, something different" he leaned his face closer to hers "I like different"
Before Anna could even think to reply, she felt his lips gently brush against her own. Her eyes widened slightly, her first kiss. She leaned up into it and he held her tighter. It was the gentle, innocent kiss that broke, at least for Anna, to soon, but the song was over and the moment had passed. Erik stepped back and Anna looked up at him with a small slightly dopey smile.
"Hey Anna" came Belles voice as she flicked off the music and leaned against Adam "I heard from Snow, who heard from her mom, that you have some crazy super powers" she grinned lazily "Care you give us a demonstration?" Adam scoffed "Fat load of BS I say"
They circled around her and Anna curled in on herself slightly, cupping her hands close to herself "Super powers?" she forced a laugh "You guy read to many comics" she laughed again "That's silly. Impossible" she turned her gaze subtly to Snow "A fat load of BS" she shared a glare with Snow before they both forced back their cheer.
"Alright guys! Let's dig into that cake before it gets stale and open my presents!" she cheered and hurried to the couch followed by everyone else. Her eyes scanned over the small pile before selecting one wrapped in deep purple paper. "I wonder who this is from" she smiled at Meg as she opened it and removing the lacy garment from its box "A thong, Meg?" she grinned and put it back "Thank you, and my future lovers pass on their thanks as well" the pair shared a laugh before she picked up Anna's gift. She unwrapped in slowly and the smile fell from her face.
Belle, however, looked rather interested "Is that-"
"An old book" Snow finished.
"It's um, a collection of Norwegian folklore, it's a very good read" Anna quoted what Oaken had told her in the car.
Adam laughed "what'd you do, steal it from your grandpa?" drawing laughter from everyone except Anna and Snow.
"Are you serious? You came all the way here, to my party, and give me this crap?" Snow snapped.
"And she thinks she so clever" Meg chimed in.
"When she's just a little guinea pig. A Rodent. Lab rat" Belle drawled.
"A freak of one at that" Meg added.
Erik was on his feet and Anna thought, for a brief moment, that he was coming to her rescue, but she was wrong "She has been hanging around me like a sick chill all evening." He practically snarled in her face "begging me for it. I have Ariel, I don't need some freaky slut, and what kind of a man does she think I am?" he snapped.
"My mom made me invite her. Out of pity" Snow snapped "Like a dog in the pound in its last days" she grinner cruelly.
They circled around her like vulture closing in on road kill "Stay back" Anna's voice was quiet, filled with fear. Conceal don't feel. She thought to herself, she could feel the room getting colder as Elsa's fear grew with hers. Control it Elsa. Snow was reaching for her, a disgusting sneer on her face. "I said stay back!" Anna snapped, a blast of cold air erupted from around her, forcing her four tormentors back. She looked down to see ice on the ground and has frozen over the feet of Meg and Belle. Anna turned in a slow circle, taking in their panic stricken faces.
"Monster!" Adam snapped as he flung one of the fold up chairs at her.
Anna raised her hands swiftly to defend herself and felt ice in blood as a wall of ice shot up from the floor, deflecting the chair and slid across the floor towards the boy, pinning him to the wall with a pained cry. Instinct takes over as Elsa used her as a conduit, channeling her ice through Anna's body like a lightly rod. The crunch of snow alerted her to Erik and she spun to meet him head on. The strawberry blond swung her arm in a graceful arc and two spears of ice shot at him, pinning him under the arms by his shirt to the wall. The living room was a storm and Anna was the eye. Elsa had flooded her with her power to the brim and it spilled forth beyond either of their control.
When the storm died, Anna collapsed to her knees in exhaustion. Lines of frost were etched across with skin and her fingertips had gone blue. She looked down at her shaking hands before turned her gaze to the destruction around them "Elsa, what did you do!?" she hissed. It had been all Elsa could so to guides the shard and spikes of ice away from the teens as the room now looked like the inside of an icy iron maiden. Her gaze fell to Meg and she leapt to her feet. The girl was slipping and sliding on the ice clutching at her arm which was frozen almost to the shoulder. With sure feet, Anna fled from the house, never once slipping on the ice.
As she left the house Mrs. White was pulling up with Oaken close behind her "Anna? Where's Snow?" she asked before she saw the spikes of ice leaking out of the door "Oh God! Snow!" she screamed as she rushed inside. An ear piercing scream echoed from the house as she entered the living room "It was Anna! She's a witch! A demon!" "MONSTER!"
The last word bounced around her mind as she clutched her hands close to her chest.
Suddenly Oaken's arm was around her, leading her away "Come on, Anna" helping her into the car and buckling her in "Let's get you home" he got in next to her and sped away from the now frigid cul-de-sac.
Authors Note: Wow, that was exhausting. Longest chapter yet for one of the slowest chapters of the game, but very necessary, and I finally got to use the awkward/gorgeous line, so a win for me. Thank you to all of my followers and hello to my new ones, we are drifting away from childhood and the story should flush out from here. I hope you all enjoy the ride. Oh and one more thing (since I forget it in previous chapters) thank you for your reviews. They really do mean a lot to me. Thanks, till next time.