~~**~~
"Simion! Simion. Where are you?!" Ana called out as rubbed her shoulders to keep warm.
She couldn't understand how it suddenly began to snow. It never snowed in Andarios, and she's never seen her mother change her blue eyes, to a more icy cold appearance. Everything about her after her father died, just seemed weird.
Suddenly, some snowflakes from the sky landed on her hair. If she wasn't so pre-occupied with looking for Simion, then she would have looked at it with awe.
Pushing that thought a side; she continued to search for him. Where on earth was he! She hadn't meant to hurt his feelings or anyone else's. Well, he did need a wakeup call, sleeping around with all these women isn't good for his help.
He could have attracted one of those STD's, and wouldn't even know it before it was too late. That's if he was smart enough to use a condom. But the bottom line was she hadn't meant to hurt him. She just couldn't understand how her brother, was able to get away with shoving his banana in every girls monkey mouth. It wasn't fair! That was way worse than her leaving Andarios. Way worse.
Come to think of it, she always felt something urging her to leave. She'd been thinking about it for the past five years. There was this little voice in her head, telling her over and over:
'You're different, Ana. Like no other. Your place is not amongst these people'.
Scared, she'd run to her father because she thought that if she spent time with him, she wouldn't have to be taunted.
Her father always understood her. He knew her better than anyone. Thinking of him just brought back memories of what he looked like. Oval shaped face, grey eyes, small lips, raven colored wavy hair. His physique was of a warrior.
Strong, yet gentle hands and arms which protected her always. She found more of herself in him. His bravery, courage, and the fact that he always stood up for what he believed in. All that she found in herself and she couldn't have been happier.
"Ana," a female voice call out to her. Frantically Ana's eyes searched for the direction it came from. "Ana."
From the corner of her eyes, she saw a dim light and it spoke, "Ana."
"W-Who are you and w-what do you want?" she demanded walking closer.
Slowly, the dim light morphed into a woman skin as white as snow, hair as black as night and eyes gold as the sun. She wore a blue cup sleeved dress, just above her knees.
"My name is Zapphira, Angel of Zappirenos."
Ana skittishly scanned her. Was this woman for real? Damn, this town knew how to make people scared and it wasn't even Halloween yet.
"What the hell?" she raised her right brow and half laughed. "Look lady, I don't know what sick game you're playing, but it's not funny. So, pack up whatever shitty act that you have and drive it on back to the circus. Please, I'm not in the mood."
Ana turned her back to continue her search for Simion, but the angel appeared before her, stopping her in her tracks. She nearly fell on her butt, that fall would have issued weeks of pain. The ground may not look like it, but it was harder that concrete.
"What the," Ana looked in shock from where she once conversed with the woman, to where they were now. This time her wings appeared white and enormous. Ana scrambled away from her and nearly fell down a second time. She picked up a broken branch and held it up in defense. "Wha-what the heck?"
"Ana, put the stick down before you hurt yourself."
"Stay the hell away from me!"
"Ana, calm down. This is not the time for games. I have come to deliver a message from your father."
"My father's dead, what are you talking about?! Look, lady... I really don't know what kind of sick pleasure you get from playing this game, but it has to stop. You can't just... show up here and say that you have some message from my dad. If you think messing around with a dead person's family is fun, especially this one? You're dead wrong. Cause I swear, I will kick your ass with this branch, before I hand you over to the cops." Ana stared at the lady wide eyed, contemplating on whether she should actually call the cops on her, or listen to what she had to say. She almost chose the former, but the thing-lady-whatever it was, spoke.
"No! No cops involved, they can't be involved. This is not their fight. Ana, this is no joke. I am very serious. Your father Anadron said to tell you this and listen carefully; 'Beware for the hour is near and as the hour approaches, secrets both good and bad, light and dark will be revealed.' "
"Beware for the hour is-Lady ho-how do you even know my father. Look, I don't-I don't believe you, okay? First of all, I don't know you and I was taught never trust strangers. Two, you sound like a freak, so that kinda freaks me out. Thirdly, who the hell paid you to do this? I don't know how you people can live with yourselves, playing pranks like that on people. Performing your stupid séances and thinking people will pay your asses!
"Sane people don't do shit like that, they respect you and let you mourn in fucking private. Insane people like you, get fucking killed, or locked up in a cellar. Most of the time, it's the latter and it doesn't turn out pretty good when night falls. What do you think about being molested by your own cell mates, as they shove a stick in your pussy or in the men's case, assholes? Sadly for the men, no sticks required, if you know what I mean."
"Okay. Pretty graphic, I see where you're coming from. I also get that I should be scared by the possibility of going to jail, because there will be some cell mates who will feel the need to fulfill their sexual desires. But honestly, I was only sent here to deliver a message and I have. Please tell your brother, Simion and your mother...Claris, Am I right?"
"Yeah..."
"She'll know what to do. You may not believe me Ana and that's understandable. But whatever happens after I'm gone is up to you. "
"Wait!" Ana yelled in an attempt to stop her, but she was too late. The woman shot straight to the sky and became a star. "What on earth just happened?" she whispered to herself in confusion.
Obviously this information was proving difficult to process at the moment. More importantly, the woman shot straight to the sky and she had to admit, those wings look real. Someone could have played a prank on her.
But the real question is; was it true? Was it really from her father? No matter how much she wanted it to be true; she couldn't bring herself to believe someone she just met. Let alone, someone claiming to be an Angel from Zappirenos.
Where the hell is Zappirenos anyway? She was the top student in her geography class, and she was definite that there was no place on earth call Zappirenos. Either that, or her Geo teacher Mr. Norrington, wasn't so qualified to teach Geo as he thought.
"Ana?"
Ana turned around startled and nearly broke her brother's nose with the punch she pulled out defensively. It's a good thing she stopped in time to realize it was him. Otherwise, he would have to go get a nose job.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be in the house? A-Are you okay, cause you're getting pale!"
"I came out looking for you," she didn't like keeping secrets from Simion. She wanted to tell him badly, but already there was so much going on at home. Just bringing it up would make matters worse.
"Y-Yeah, I'm okay. Like I said, I was just looking for you." Ana shivered as she examined her hands, realizing he was right. She was getting pale, "Listen, I didn't mean to upset you-or mom like that. I just-"
"It's okay, Ana. Not your fault, families argue all the time don't they?" he let out a chuckle in an attempt to lighten the mood, but failed. Clearly she saw it eating him from the inside. "At least you're not the only one, who wants to abandon this place. Anyways, we should get back." He belted over his shoulder, already heading home. "You know how mom gets when she's worried."
Ana rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, making the strand of hair which fell lightly on her face bounce. 'Yeah that woman worries too much. That's why we're always in an argument.' Without another word, Ana followed her brother through the dark snow filled forest and into a clearing where the cottage appeared.
Lights emitted from the house and traversed to the far offside of the woods leading their way like a lighthouse. But she wasn't able to stop thinking about that woman. 'Enough! The woman is gone, Ana let it rest. It was just some prank.' She wasn't going to let whoever or whatever that woman claimed herself be, ruin the rest of her night.
Ana brushed off the thoughts, the look of concern and hurried to her brother's side. She greeted him with a small smile and placed her arm around his neck. He smiled back before she started ruffling his hair as they descended down the stairs, and into the cottage. The wooden creaked, as Simion opened it and stepped inside. It was eerily quiet. The wind blew the curtains; the oil lamp's flame flickered casting silhouettes across the room. Ana walked in and decided to apologize to Claris, only to find her head cradled in her arms as she slept.
With a sigh, Ana walked closer, trying be cautious as to not wake her up. The woman became a beast when woken up from sleep.
"Ana whe-"
"Sh. She's asleep," she informed him, as he tip-toed next to her. "Help me bring her to bed," she asked as she went to support her abdomen.
Simion followed, grabbing her below her knees and Ana positioning Claris' head unto his other arm. Eventually he ended up carrying her to her room bridal style and placed her on the bed. Ana covered her as she stirred, mumbling words in her sleep.
They both smiled and stood watching their mother. They loved her, very much. They understood she was just trying to look out for them and be the best she can be for them. Seeing as she's the one who provides for the family, working three jobs just to stay alive was a lot. And until they left school and find a job, they won't be able to help that much.
"I'm gonna hit the sack Anne, goodnight," Simion whispered in her ear and kissed her on the forehead before leaving the room.
Ana sighed and sat next to her mother on the rocking chair beside the bed, the window opposite the bed was open, and a few snowflakes found its way inside and settled on Claris' hair and eyelashes. Carefully, Ana leaned in and took them off before smoothening her mother's hair.
"You worry too much mom. Someday, I'm going to have to leave the nest and there won't be anything you'll be able to say nor do, which will stop me. You have to learn to let go mom, please, for me, for dad. He deserves that much."
A tear left the confines of her eyes and slide down her cheeks.
'Okay Ana, time to go to bed now. You have a quiz tomorrow,' she reminded herself whiles she kissed her mom's forehead and exited the room.
"Ugh! I hate quizzes," she muttered as she walked into her petite room.
She stood before her bed and examined it, and the memories came flooding in.
~~Flash back ~~
"Hehe, what else do you need daddy?" a younger version of herself asked with wide eyes, as she hovered over her father.
"Haha, pass me the screw driver and the plaque sweetheart."
"Okay!" she exclaimed joyfully and rushed into the tool shed; the wind hugging her skin as she ran through the wild flowers that grew in their yard. Moments later she ran back with what he asked in her tiny hands.
"Here you go," she placed the screw driver and plaque in his hand.
"Thanks sweetheart," she said and placed a chaste kiss on her forehead which earned a giggle.
~~~~
Ana looked up at the plaque in the center of her headboard and it read: "Ana Yusagii". The bed she and her father made from scratch eleven years ago. Drowsily she walked around to the side and lay in the silk sheets. She closed her eyes and allowed the darkness to drown her in sleep.