Chapter 8. I warn you friends, this may be a very dark chapter. But the next one will be much more cheery!
Anne had grown since her first encounter with Charlie. Was she still a little girl? no. At least not in the physical sense. She had become a kid, had moved on from the blooming years of childhood to the crawling years of adolescence. She had kept her perfect snow white face and hair, but had grown quite a bit. She still had to look up at her parents, but she wasn't exactly a dwarf either. A happy little balance. She was wearing a red T-shirt and blue jeans, bits of ash clinging to them from the fire. She had become the model of a perfect girl for a perfect family.
Anne was lying contently in her hospital bed, the white room comforting her with its simplicity. Simplicity. That was something she wish still existed in her life. But, even in the aftermath of tragedy, and the obnoxious ping of her heart rate monitoring droning in the background, she found it hard to be sad in the presence of her second most valued friend. Itchy Itchaford Dachshund.
"aw kid, it really has been way to long since I seen ya." Itchy said in that sweet way Anne noticed only belonged to him. Containing a formal sort of charisma while retaining the friendly overtone she had missed all this time. He hopped onto her blanketed lap, beaming up at her with a toothy grin.
"I-i mean your taller, and! And taller, and well dressed! Oh wait till charlie sees how you-" He stopped. An expression forming on his face that Anne recognized. And feared.
"so... he... it was really him?" She asked, not sure if she more anticipated or dreaded the answer. Judging from Itchy's expression, she thought it better to dread.
"he... it was him. I know this is a lot to take in Anne... I was really mad when I first met him. But, he... he has his reasons." Itchy suddenly noticed that Anne was not the least bit bothered. In fact, she was smiling rather brightly. "eh... kid? You okay?" Itchy asked, waving his paw in front of the girls glass like eyes, fearing that she had taken in so much that her mind had just decided to take a vacation to la la land, and this sunny disposition was her welcoming insanity.
"... it was real..." Her eyes became as soft as her voice. Deep in thought, and revelation. "when we first went back to my house, and went to sleep... he came to me in the night. Surrounded by a... a heavenly glow... and, he said he was going away. But that he would come back... he did, Itchy. He did..."
Itchy watched as she spaced out, looking less like a perfect girl, and more like the orphan he had known so long ago.
"... and, you didn't tell me about this because?"
"i was so sure it was just a dream, Itch... I was beyond sure that I was never going to see him again... but, in some far away part of me, I knew he would be back someday..."
They were interrupted by the sound of a trash can hitting pavement, and a cats terrified screech, as a pair of paws entered the window, grunts of frustration filling the air as they struggled to carry the rest of the intruder through the window.
"ugh, come on, son of a... you... GAH!" Charlie grunted as he entered, landing gracefully onto the shiny white floor, slightly striking a pose as he stood before the two. "... and, here I am."
I apologize for the low quality of this chapter, but I needed to have a transition to them meeting, and couldn't find another way to do it. See what happens when you write yourself into a corner.