#Chapter 1: Anna's Past
Third Person's POV
Rain pattered outside the residence if the Arendelle family. Amy and John were in the middle of an important discussion, the tightness of the atmosphere between them demanded no disturbance, and yet a soft knock interrupted. The two turned with throats hot and ready for yelling, then cooled when their eyes found the pink-cheeked face of a five year old girl which peeked out of a blanket wrapped around the child's form. Pale blond braids dangled and visible under her face.
The parents' faces softened. "Elsa dear, why are you out of bed?" her mother asked softly, her own voice like a caress
"I'm sorry. The thunder is really scary and loud mama. It feels like I'm being yelled at. I can't sleep. Can I please sleep with you?" the little girl requested.
"Sorry sweetheart, but mama and papa are really busy now. Why don't I call Wendy to sleep with you instead?" Elsa frowned behind her blanket. She liked Wendy, but it's not the same if it wasn't her mother.
"It's okay, maybe I can try to be a big girl this time and be brave. I'm gonna try to sleep on my own. G'night papa, g'night mama," she gave each her parents a kiss on the cheek and went out the door, closing it.
Hearing the entrance shut, Amy exhaled. "We can't just sit around and wait John! You know what those hackers will do if we don't give them what they want!"
The woman pointed a finger to a laptop screen on the desk, written with ransomware that asking about $300 as repayment of the blocked important company files
"I suggest we should seek help from your brothers."
John shot his eyes open and pointed a dangerous gaze. "Don't you dare bring up my brothers."
His wife rolled her eyes. "Perhaps you have another idea then?"
John uncurled his crossed fingers after some thinking, and pulled out his phone, dialing a number. He talked for a bit, then the call ended after a clipped 'yes'.
"Get your jacket and pack up the laptop. I just called Dunbroch and they agreed to help." Amy huffed and took her jacket with fur cuffs, and zipped the laptop back in it's case. She then followed her husband behind
"Wait! What about the girls?"
"They'll be fine. I'll tell the chief guard to double the security." The two went out into a car, and drove into the raging storm
Meanwhile, Elsa sat with folded legs as she lightly swung the legs of her knight doll towards Anna's witch doll. Her four year old sister giggled before retorting the attack by hovering her doll above Elsa's before whooshing down so the witch hit the knight's chest with the point of her hat. Each had blankets wrapped around them as they played. They couldn't have their parents helping them sleep, so they decided to sleep later and play.
Though, they did miss their parents. But four months passed and they barely talk to eachother. It felt more lonely whenever they gently rejected them in order to focus on work, but they were understanding children. They did not want to bother.
A yawn floated from Anna's lips, yet the girl wasn't tired. There was the same drag pulling at Elsa eyelids, but at the same time she felt light and still wakeful. The girls put away their toys and snuggled to eachother, hoping sleep would come anyway.
A loud thump and crash jolted them
"What was that?" Anna whispered in panic.
"I don't know. Let's check it out," Elsa said, putting out one foot out the bed
The two left their bedrooms and followed the loud noise, each carrying toy bats. The thumping became more rapid as their steps became more slow. The crashing noise fiercer.
The two had their weapons raised as they were just beside the doorframe to the kitchen, before dropping the objects entirely as strong arms snatched their arms and forced a cloth to their mouths and noses. Breathing and screaming, the girls fought, but the hold was tight. The smell of the cloth hurriedly traveled to their lungs, and their entire body weakened. The girls collapsed to the ground
Anna woke up to meet darkness. It shook her. Was she dead? She moved around to slap herself and check, then found herself tied to a chair.
"Elsa! Joke's over!" Anna cried.
A voice replied, but it was too deep and sturdy. It wasn't Elsa. "Looks like the kid has finally woken up."
Her eyes followed the voice to the corner kf a room. A figure of a man between his twenties or thirties emerged. A thick coat was wrapped around his body, showing just a pair of black pants and boots that he wore.
"Wh-wh-who are you?!" Anna asked with a raised voice, still shaking furiously in her chair.
"Relax kiddo. You might think I'm the thief, but I'm the guy who saved you."
The strawberry blonde's wiggling ceased a little. "You are...my savior? What do you mean?"
"You'll know when you grow up."
The man then released her from her chair. twisting around her red wrists, Anna watched as he opened a door behind him. He found her silently staring.
"Ya comin' or not?" he asked. He didn't sound menacing, it was rather kind
It was weird. "Are you sure you're not the thief and you're not tricking me into thinking that you're not the thief?"
The man laughed. "Calm your horses. I promise I'm not gonna do any bad stuff to you, got it? See me like your own uncle."
"Um..."
"I got cookies at home. Want to come now?"
A new twinkle appeared in Anna's blue eyes at the mention of the dessert. "Really?"
"Nope, thieves lie."
"Noo! You must have some! I'm hungry!"
A shadow washed over Anna as the man walked closer, and crouched down. "Then trust that I'm not a thief. I'm really not."
"Cookies first!"
"This kid." The man rolled his eyes. "Fine let's go."
Anna cheered.
The two then went out of the room and into an aisle. It was still strange to be with a stranger, but there was no threat or fear. In fact, she felt rather comfortable around him. Besides, the promise of a pastry crunching between her teeth was awaiting.
"What's your name, sir?" Anna asked.
"Just call me Mark," he said, smiling.
"I'm Anna!" she smiled back. "Can I hold your hand by the way? I don't want you to get lost."
The man snickered at her reason, and took her outstretched hand in his. "Keep careful watch, kid. I lose track of myself easily."
"Okay!"
"Oh, and one more thing." The sudden question stopped the girl in her tracks. She lifted her eyes to the man before her. "From now on, you are Annabeth, okay? My one only daughter."
Anna processed his words for a moment, then nodded with a smile. She let herself be led away from the room.
At that moment, Anna felt happiness. The kind when she's around her parents. Was it because she was with an adult? Whatever reason it is, the girl wanted it last forever.
Somewhat, it did. Six years later. Anna grew into a lovely, cheerful girl. She wasn't the meek, scared four year old girl any longer. Her tenth birthday was four months ago
Mark had aged too, now about fifty six years old. His body succumbed to his age sadly quicker than the normal. In a hospital, he laid sick on his bed. Breathing was too heavy, his head was as light as leaves.
He wondered if his life would still go on, but the very slow beeping of his electrocardiogram made him doubt. He had to tell Anna the truth, but he thought of her face fresh of bloodsight and full of innocence, and decided otherwise.
So, he wrote all about it, about her in a letter with a photo he had. He placed the letter in a box, and kept it until the day arrived
Anna stood outside his hospital room, heaving a breath. She was anxious of seeing him again. The veins of his body had more color than his own skin. His eyes never seemed to be fully open. And the all too slow beats of the electrocardiogram were unbearable to hear.
No, he wasn't dead. That was all that mattered. He would get better
A bit more relaxed at the hope of that last thought, Anna knocked the door
"Come in."
She gently opened the door and walked closer to Mark's hospital, and there laid the man she believed as her protector. His breathing audible, slow, weak, but deep. His weak state was heart aching to see, but he was fighting for his life too. Anna held back her tears.
"Hey Mark, how are you? Feeling better?" Anna chatted with Mark a bit more about his health. She then asked, "By the way, you said you want to tell me something?"
"Looks like..it's getting...worse..," he drawled weakly before coughing.
Anna held her breath, looked at the ground, then returned her gaze to Mark with wettened waterlines
Her voice was shaky, and she tried to speak as quiet as possible to hide it. "So...the thing you want to tell me about?"
"..This."
Mark pointed a finger at his nightstand. On it was a pink box tied around with a little ribbon. The girl gave it a weird look, before taking the object in her hands
"Open the box...when you're nineteen..and..." Anna waited patiently for his next words with bit lips. Mark took another deep breath. "You'll live...in an orphanage when...I'm gone..."
Her tears finally escaped. "But, I don't want to live there. I want to stay with you!"
"It's going to...be okay...Anna..," Mark comforted. Anna stood from her seat to wrap her arms around her caretaker whom she thought so much of as her father. The man weakly held her back with a veiny hand.
"Keep that doll..and the box that I gave..I'll be with you.." he whispered. "Promise me..one thing?"
The strawberry blonde sniffled softly. "Yes Mark..?"
"Be strong, be fearless...Anna. Grow up...don't stop...searching the truth about yourself-" Mark was cutted off with his own coughs
"I promise! I will..." the young girl said in between tears.
The man patted her head, but Anna couldn't even feel them. "Good girl..."
After a last pat, after another breath, Mark's hand fell to his lap. Anna pulled away pink faced.
"Mark?" she weakly called. A continuous noise sounded from the electrocardiagram. Anna did not seem to hear it, and lightly shook the male's shoulders. "Wake up."
"No, no." The girl placed her head against Mark's chest. It was empty of noise. "This can't be happening."
Anna's cries became louder, before exploding into a full sob as she finally realized the straight, toneless beep of the electrocardiogram
"He passed away." The nurse and doctor bursted in as soon as they heard her. The doctor came closer to Mark, looked to Anna, and sighed pitifully. "Call the guards to take her to an orphanage."
The nurse went out of the room to return with men who wore grey clothing and caps
The nurse gestured to Anna. "She's all yours."
The men looked to Anna with warm smiles on their faces. One of them kneed down and looked into my eyes. "Little girl, you must come with us. Your father passed away. You will live with us and the other children in the orphanage," he said
Anna nodded. The man took her hand, walked out of hospital, and entered a car. The car drove them to a big house. There's a big playground in the garden and lots of children looked happy. Though so, Anna still felt sad because she lost a person that she loved more than anyone in her life.
"You will live here," he said again with a soft voice. Anna just stay silent, nodded sadly.