Thanks to my reviewers. Here's the next chapter!! ^_^
Chapter Five
The next morning Annamaria woke up, she was alone in the death room. She jumped up, almost forgetting where she was, and why she was in this room. Her eyes were blurry, but she fought back the tears. Somehow crying wasn't going to help, it wasn't going to make things better. All it would do was dull her wits, and she needed all of them.
She got up, walked to the door, took one last look at the room, before turning and leaving. She turned the key in the lock, and pocketed. No one would go in the room again.
She walked downstairs. There was Tobias sitting in his chair, reading the Bible. He never usually read it during the day, it was his night time occupation. But today, he was sitting reading his black Bible, at ten o'clock in the morning. Annamaria tried not to look at him, and he did not say a single word to her.
And then she saw it, the coffin. She ran to the side, and started stroking the wood, feebly, sniffing back the pain.
"Repenting your sins?" The girl demanded.
He looked up. "Remorse will not being her back."
Annamaria stood up. "You just lost your place in heaven." She said.
He grinned. "My place in heaven is assured." He lay the Bible down on the top of the coffin. "However Harriet's is not. We must prayer for her soul."
"You should prayer for your own, you need help more then she does." Annamaria replied. And with that she left the room.
"Your mother was a filthy, vulgar woman, may she find solace in hell, with the rest of her kind."
Annamaria gasped, each word was like a dagger sticking into her heart. She reached for the door handle.
She stormed from the house, slamming the door behind her. She ran. She ran and ran, without once looking back. She ran all the way to the sea.
There was something about the blue lapping waves, that freed her soul. Watching them she could lose herself completely. The smell of the salt reached her nose, and she wrinkled it with delight, it was a smell she would come to love.
Her mother's form sailed in front of her eyes, and she smiled. She dipped her feet into the warm water, and gently wiggled her toes. And there she sat all day, on the edge of the pier. Listening to the gentle rumble of arguing voices, the harbour master gleefully collecting his fee of a shilling, the navy officers as they greeted their families. She watched the fisherman, as they brought in their haul, and praised God for the good catch. She watched two men argue over a broken lobster cage, and an old hag offering to mend it for sixpence.
Her eyes watered from the glint of the sun as it shone mercilessly on the water. She held up her hand to shield her eyes.
"You okay, lass?" One of the fisherman asked, as he paced the pier.
She nodded. "I'm just waiting."
He stared at her for a few moment, before leaving her.
Night began to fall, and the fisherman packed away for the day. The harbourmaster was fast asleep in his hut, leaving his apprentice on guard. The old hag mending the lobster cage, had ran of with it and the sixpence. The harbour began to clear, and soon Annamaria was on her own.
Her blurred eyes stared out to the horizon. A distant line, unclear, smudged between the sea and the sky.
She reached out her hand, and tried to grab it. Eventually the night began to take hold. She pushed herself up, and started to walk home. She walked slowly, avoiding the notorious ladies of the nights, and their suspicious looking clients. The drunks from the pub were brawling over nothing in particular, as the twelve year old wondered the streets. It wasn't the place for a little girl.
She got in, and felt her walls, brushing along as she walked down the dim hallway. She went into the front room, and there was the coffin. She collapsed by it's side, and kissed the wood.
"You promised you wouldn't go. You said you'd never leave me." She muttered, tearfully. "You promised." She said, pitifully.
Silence prevailed in the room. Her mother gave no answer.
"Annamaria." The cold, grasping hand touched her shoulder.
The candle light had been blown out, the eternity of darkness had begun.
Chapter Five
The next morning Annamaria woke up, she was alone in the death room. She jumped up, almost forgetting where she was, and why she was in this room. Her eyes were blurry, but she fought back the tears. Somehow crying wasn't going to help, it wasn't going to make things better. All it would do was dull her wits, and she needed all of them.
She got up, walked to the door, took one last look at the room, before turning and leaving. She turned the key in the lock, and pocketed. No one would go in the room again.
She walked downstairs. There was Tobias sitting in his chair, reading the Bible. He never usually read it during the day, it was his night time occupation. But today, he was sitting reading his black Bible, at ten o'clock in the morning. Annamaria tried not to look at him, and he did not say a single word to her.
And then she saw it, the coffin. She ran to the side, and started stroking the wood, feebly, sniffing back the pain.
"Repenting your sins?" The girl demanded.
He looked up. "Remorse will not being her back."
Annamaria stood up. "You just lost your place in heaven." She said.
He grinned. "My place in heaven is assured." He lay the Bible down on the top of the coffin. "However Harriet's is not. We must prayer for her soul."
"You should prayer for your own, you need help more then she does." Annamaria replied. And with that she left the room.
"Your mother was a filthy, vulgar woman, may she find solace in hell, with the rest of her kind."
Annamaria gasped, each word was like a dagger sticking into her heart. She reached for the door handle.
She stormed from the house, slamming the door behind her. She ran. She ran and ran, without once looking back. She ran all the way to the sea.
There was something about the blue lapping waves, that freed her soul. Watching them she could lose herself completely. The smell of the salt reached her nose, and she wrinkled it with delight, it was a smell she would come to love.
Her mother's form sailed in front of her eyes, and she smiled. She dipped her feet into the warm water, and gently wiggled her toes. And there she sat all day, on the edge of the pier. Listening to the gentle rumble of arguing voices, the harbour master gleefully collecting his fee of a shilling, the navy officers as they greeted their families. She watched the fisherman, as they brought in their haul, and praised God for the good catch. She watched two men argue over a broken lobster cage, and an old hag offering to mend it for sixpence.
Her eyes watered from the glint of the sun as it shone mercilessly on the water. She held up her hand to shield her eyes.
"You okay, lass?" One of the fisherman asked, as he paced the pier.
She nodded. "I'm just waiting."
He stared at her for a few moment, before leaving her.
Night began to fall, and the fisherman packed away for the day. The harbourmaster was fast asleep in his hut, leaving his apprentice on guard. The old hag mending the lobster cage, had ran of with it and the sixpence. The harbour began to clear, and soon Annamaria was on her own.
Her blurred eyes stared out to the horizon. A distant line, unclear, smudged between the sea and the sky.
She reached out her hand, and tried to grab it. Eventually the night began to take hold. She pushed herself up, and started to walk home. She walked slowly, avoiding the notorious ladies of the nights, and their suspicious looking clients. The drunks from the pub were brawling over nothing in particular, as the twelve year old wondered the streets. It wasn't the place for a little girl.
She got in, and felt her walls, brushing along as she walked down the dim hallway. She went into the front room, and there was the coffin. She collapsed by it's side, and kissed the wood.
"You promised you wouldn't go. You said you'd never leave me." She muttered, tearfully. "You promised." She said, pitifully.
Silence prevailed in the room. Her mother gave no answer.
"Annamaria." The cold, grasping hand touched her shoulder.
The candle light had been blown out, the eternity of darkness had begun.