COINCIDENCES
"What about 'Anne of Green Gables'?" Ada calls out from the top of her sliding ladder. She waved a thin novel with a sea green cover at Sophie, who was sat on the floor leaning against the tall bookcases. Her navy skirt was splayed out around her, with the bright purple scarf tied around her waist - looking like a true Romani princess. Pol' had twisted the girl's curly dark hair up into her signature bun and sent her off on her way to London this morning. Ever since the Garrison had been blown up, Sophie had been increasing her visits to Ada up to multiple times a week. The sight of the building only served to remind her of the terrifying premonition she had experienced and if it took travelling to London and spending hours sat with Ada in the library while she worked to take her mind off of it, then that was just what she had to do.
"Hmm, it sounds boring." Sophie scrunched her nose up and pursed her lips in disgust, who wanted to read about some girl and her plants? Ada rolled her eyes at her sister's childish expression.
"You don't even know what it's about, what if this turned out to be the best book ever written? Then you've missed out just because you didn't like the sound of the title." Ada huffed as she placed the book back, beginning to scan along the shelves for something that might interest her impatient baby sister.
"If Annie's green leaves turns out to be amazing then I'll eat my skirt." Sophie shouted up to her. Her volume earned her some grumpy looks from nearby visitors but Sophie paid them no mind.
"Anne of Green Gables." Ada grumbled under her breath.
"Are you going to the Garrison Re-opening?" Sophie questioned, quieter now. Anxiously, she began to chew at her nails, biting off tiny shreds of nail that she'd managed to pull with her teeth. It was a habit that she'd always had in times of stress or uncertainty and this whole Garrison business had increased the mannerism tenfold.
"Stop biting your nails." Ada scolded. "And I think I might be, I'm not sure- I haven't really made my mind up yet."
"How vague."
"Why are you here again?" Ada shot out, having become agitated by her sister's gloomy attitude. The quip immediately quietens Sophie. Her nervous hands now dropped defeatedly to her side as she looked blankly ahead. When she'd started showing up unannounced to Ada's house and workplace, Ada had noticed the shift in her usually very cheery disposition but thought against pointing it out. She knew Sophie had came to escape whatever it was that was bothering her and at first was happy to help distract her but after the first few weeks it became difficult to avoid the important question she'd been dying to ask.
"I… I can't sleep, Ada. A couple nights before what happened in the Garrison, I saw the person that did it in a dream. The house was on fire… I predicted it but that wasn't the only warning in the dream. I just…" Sophie stilled, biting her lip harshly as the fear she'd been harbouring stung the tip of her tongue. "What if they're not just predictions? What if… if they happen because of me?"
"Oh well thank you for bringing your bad luck to me then." Ada said sarcastically. Sophie shot her a glare, unamused by her humour.
"I know what Pol's says, that it's just fate and it's not something that can be changed and I am just a witness to it but fuck-"
"Sophie, stop. Pol's right, you didn't blow up the Garrison or…" Ada stalled for a moment, hovering over the true cause of Sophie's anguish. "Mum did it herself, Soph'. There was nothing you could have done. She wasn't well."
Sophie swiped harshly at her eyes as she felt them start to well up. "I know." She said shakily.
Sophie had always struggled with the loss of her mother. Witnessing what her mother would have no doubt witnessed in her final moments was especially traumatising for six year old Sophie. She'd gone back and forth over the years as to if there was something she could have done to stop it, she'd known what was coming and yet hadn't done anything about it and now her mother paid the ultimate price. Of course, Sophie was a clueless child who hadn't fully understood what she'd seen and her mother had been mentally ill for years but none of this was of any comfort to the young girl.
"How about, 'White Fang'? It's about a dog and the title is cool so it seems right up your alley." Ada said as she climbed carefully down the ladder with another book in her hands. It was rather thin, the story not being overly long and drawn out which appealed to Sophie who had very little patience for reading thousands of pages. Ada reached the bottom of the ladder and handed Sophie the book. The cover was a silvery colour, shining slightly in the light as the girl tilted it in the light. The words 'White Fang by Jack London' were in bold white letters across the top of the cover, a picture of a proud white and grey dog drawn onto the front. The hints of silver and ash across the book sparked a warm feeling in Sophie, the variations of grey having recently become her favourite colour.
"Suppose it sounds alright, at least better than that bloody Anna and her gardening." Sophie scoffed. Gripping the book tightly, Sophie stood and adjusted the scarf tied around her tiny waist. "Give Karl my love."
Sophie sauntered off down the library, book clutched in both hands. Ignoring the shout of the lady sat behind the front desk claiming she needed to 'check the book out', she pushed open the doors and strode into the street and towards the train station. Polly had been badgering her lately about taking boats to and from London, claiming the train was much quicker and easier. Much to Sophie's dismay, trains were a lot faster and as her visits increased Polly had become more strict about having Sophie home quicker. It didn't help that Tommy had big plans to expand into London so the city was undoubtedly about to become a lot more dangerous for the Shelby girl. She needed to remember to look over her shoulder more often, especially seeing as she insisted she go without any blinder protection (though she suspected there was always a blinder lurking in the shadows of wherever she was despite her protests).
The streets of London were busy as she walked. Impromptu market stalls were located wherever vendors could fit them in the entrance ways of allies in between the tall grand buildings. An older man walked arm in arm with his wife, a group of school children shouted and skipped along, and then there she was; a woman dressed all in black pushing a black pram. Sophie's heart stopped and her feet halted, nearly causing her to crash into a man dressed in a pin-striped suit hurrying home from work. Something was different about the woman this time however. Under the netted veil and large hat, she could see a flash of short blonde hair that she was certain was not there before. Draped around her neck was a humongous teardrop sapphire on a dainty silver chain; the same necklace she had seen sat in a puddle of blood.
"Sophie! Oh my goodness, Soph'!" A loud shout disrupted her vision, drawing Sophie's attention to the other side of the street as a familiar face was waving madly at her. Raisa looked quickly from side to side, checking for any oncoming traffic before she darted across the road. Sophie's head whipped back to where she had previously been staring, searching for any trace of the woman who had been haunting her. She'd seemingly disappeared with no trace of her to be found.
"Are you alright, dear? Not disappointed to see me again, I hope." Raisa chuckled, gently touching the girl's elbow. Sophie looked back at the older woman and smiled warmly at her.
"No sorry Raisa, I just thought I saw someone… How are you?" Sophie pulled Raisa into a hug. Raisa rubbed her hands up and down Sophie's back, unknowingly soothing the pain that had begun to rise.
"I'm good, my dear. Are you on your way to visit your sister?" Raisa asked, pulling back from their embrace.
"Oh I've just seen her, she works at the library so I came to bother her" She chuckled. "On my way back to Birmingham now."
"Well do you have much time before you have to get back?" Raisa asked as her eyes widened in excitement. Sophie glanced up at the sky, it didn't look like it was too late and she reckoned that she had at least a few hours before it would start to get dark.
"I suppose so, as long as I don't lose track of time again - nearly gave my aunt a heart attack last time." Sophie smiled, she'd missed Raisa and her warm and sunny orbit. Of course she'd also missed Alfie a great deal, but she didn't dare mention him.
"Brilliant! I'm on my way to embarrass my son at his workplace, it will be a right laugh." Raisa grinned at the young girl as she linked arms with her and started off down the pavement. "Now, how are you, dear? You look rather tired, my girl." Raisa could be very forward, Sophie had realised that in their first meeting when she'd told her friends off for giving Sophie scathing looks. However, Sophie knew she was nothing but sincere and concerned that she was taking care of herself.
"Just not been sleeping too great recently, just a phase I'm sure." Sophie lied sweetly. "Thank you for bringing me to that wedding by the way, I meant to thank you before I left but I uh- got distracted and had to run. I'm sure you got a mouthful from your friends for bringing someone like me." Sophie gripped the book tightly into her side, feeling suddenly very insecure remembering the judgement she'd faced entering the grand wedding hall.
"Oh nonsense, those women should be ashamed of themselves, you believe me I gave them a proper telling off for that. You certainly seemed to be having a good time dancing." said Raisa. A wide smirk took over the older woman's face as she looked knowingly at the girl. A blush crept onto Sophie's freckled cheeks at Raisa's insinuation. Had she been watching her dance with Alfie? She supposed they were in the middle of a large dance floor so they weren't exactly hiding. "You two looked good together, I thought."
"Oh, I don't know about that, he was a very lovely man though." Sophie mumbled, feeling very nervous. His handsome face had been on her mind constantly and it left her feeling very girlish.
"Hmmm he's lovely alright, was a very charming young boy before the war. Still had a terrible temper, of course, but it aged him a lot being overseas…" Raisa said sadly, seemingly getting lost in her own thoughts as she trailed off.
"My brothers were the same, Arthur's always been a bit of a mad horse but I think all the fighting has made the rage a lot louder than it ever had been before. I'm sure that goes for most men that were drafted." Sophie thought out loud, not wanting Raisa to dwell too much.
"Yes I'm sure it does." Raisa contemplated. "You know, I think Alfie was quite taken with you."
Sophie's blush returned, deeper and more ferocious than before and a smile that she couldn't contain began to take over her face.
"Ah, we're here. Now, I'll introduce you to my son, Ollie."