Annie's thoughts raced a thousand miles; she was alone and there was nothing to do other than listen to the sounds of her footsteps whenever she walked around the house...
It was a beautiful,sunny Thursday afternoon and she was just sitting on the bolster in the living room,staring into thin air while ruminating over a lot of thoughts.
She had taken one week leave off work because of her health;she needed to recover fully.
She had been alone since the early hours of the day and really wanted company so she picked up her phone from beside her and called Sandra
"Alright,Annie,I will be there in a jiffy..." Sandra spoke up after a while and then dropped the call before Annie could say anything.
The call had been connected but they both kept mute, trying so hard not to make even the slightest noise.
Sandra could only hear her breathing heavily but she dared not say a word. She was very sure that Annie would be just fine.
Annie swallowed hard as she felt someone's presence around her.A familiar voice was humming her favourite tune but it was all in her head,or maybe not.
"Ganjes",Annie called out after a while but she had already left so it was just her and the strange thoughts in her head.She sighed deeply as she stood up.
She was feeling very weak.It was like her body became numb,like something had sapped her strength but she managed to walk to the kitchen to drink some water.
Cold blood rushed down her spine as she heard familiar footsteps behind her;she did not expect her to come back.
Annie would have turned but she was already standing in front of her;same long, black dress.
She exhibited a dark, mysterious aura that Annie had never felt before.No,she had felt it before;she just wanted to be sure that her mind was not making things up.
She was a pure replica of the woman in her grandmother's old story book;She only had little to remember about it
Annie really wanted to see her face;she had always wanted to but her long,black veil was already absorbing every single light around them and then there was sudden darkness.
It seemed like the sun had disappeared behind dark clouds or maybe it was a moonless nightfall.
Annie felt herself leaving herself like she always did whenever she met her.She had lots of questions to ask and a lot of assumptions to confirm.
She wanted to be sure that it was just her fantasy but she was very sure that there was more to that;she just did not want to believe.
She did have every reason to believe;the coincidences,the signs,the strange messages and every other thing.
The strange woman reached out for Annie's wrist and held her tightly.She muttered a few words and they were gone in the twinkle of an eye.
**********
Annie woke up with a terrible migraine.Her limbs betrayed her when she tried to get up; she was extremely weak.
She roamed her gaze around, trying so hard to familiarize with her environment.She was in her's and Sandra's bedroom.
When her eyes rested on the wall clock,she realized that it was already morning.She was gone for a quite a while.
Sandra opened the door and walked inside with a glass of pineapple juice and chips on a tray.
"You are awake....!"she exclaimed as a beautiful smile lit up her face.She placed the tray on the bedside table and sat next to Annie.
"Yes,What happened to me?"she queried as she locked gaze with Sandra,her eyes burning with intense curiosity.
"I don't know....bu..but when I arrived, you were lying unconscious on the kitchen floor" she retorted as she broke their gaze while Annie busied herself with deep thoughts.
"You and I know that you will be just fine once you take the pineapple juice"Sandra snapped jolting her back to reality while she nodded with a smile that disappeared almost immediately.
Sandra noticed the change in her mood but it was normal.She heaved a deep breath while Annie held her hand for support as she sat up.
She handed the glass to her;she sipped slowly while ruminating over everything that happened earlier.
"Joe and I resolved our conflicts yesterday and then a couple of love filled sex",Sandra started as she smirked at her.
"I knew it would end in pleasure",Annie retorted with a sweet smile.
"It sure did",she snapped and there was absolute silence in the bedroom.
Annie heaved a long, deep sigh as she stared into thin air while Sandra closed her eyes tightly,hoping that she was fine.
"I'm fine",she snapped as Sandra opened her eyes.Annie gulped the juice to a finish and handed her the empty glass.
"I'm really baffled,Annie!"she commented as she placed the glass on the table and turned to look at her.
"Baffled?What do you mean?"she queried. It was knew because Sandra knew about everything that was going on with her.
"Why would your work place grant you leave when you just only worked two weeks with them.....?"
"I mean,I have worked for two good years in my company and it's not easy for me to be granted leave!"she added.
"It's simply because the universe understood that I needed time to recover from that big experience!"
"Seriously,Annie.You are so lucky to get every damn thing you..."
"Not really, everything otherwise I would have had a family that cared about my existence ",she said cutting her off abruptly.
She tilted her head to the other side, struggling to restrain the tears that formed in her eyes from rolling down her cheeks.
Sandra sighed,cursing herself inwardly for bringing up a topic that reminded of her past.
"Annie, you should know I'm here for you. I will be in kitchen",she snapped and left because that was what Annie wanted whenever she was deep with emotions;to be left alone for a while.
Cold shivers rushed down Annie's spine as soon as Sandra closed the door.Her thoughts raced as she recalled something.
"Sweet as honey,stings like a bee!"she muttered as she rummaged the bedside drawer for her diary.