Pagan: Anna: One Year On

[k_a_webb]

Written for Elizabeth Barrette’s prompt.

The picture in front of Anna was of the girl she had once been. It had been a year since she’d woken up in a car, not knowing who she was or who she was with, and slowly she was coming to terms with what had happened. Some days she couldn’t stop herself from wishing that she could be Charlotte again, if only so she could help the parents who had lost a daughter but still had her at the same time, but it was never going to happen. Even with some of Charlotte’s memories returned Anna was still Anna and nothing was going to change that.

Lloyd, the brother who had accepted her as Anna, sat behind her, and she knew he was also staring at the picture. He’d accepted that he’d lost one sister. Charlotte was gone for good, even though she hadn’t died. They’d talked about what had happened, together and with Anna’s new circle, so he had a better idea of what might have happened. Together they’d held a memorial service, which had helped them both accept that it had happened, and that was part of the reason Anna could permit herself one final goodbye. She’d been in Charlotte’s body one whole year, one very long year, so it was really beginning to become her body, even though there were days when she still couldn’t shower.

“I can’t believe how long it’s been,” Lloyd said quietly, and Anna turned to look at him. His eyes were emotionless but she knew that Lloyd felt more than he let on. “I keep hoping that Mum and Dad will realise that you’re never going to be her.”

“That’s not going to happen, Lloyd. Even if we explained to them that we think it’s possible I might be a walk in they’d never understand that Charlotte is really gone. Or that we think she wanted to go.”

Nodding, Lloyd sighed. “She should have talked to someone if she was really feeling the bad.”

“It’s not that simple sometimes. From what I can tell she felt like she didn’t have any right to feel as bad as she did, so she didn’t want to tell anyone, even though talking to someone would have helped.” Anna glanced back at the picture of the girl she’d started to think of as a sister. “When the accident happened she saw it as good luck and left, while I saw it as good luck and had a chance to take over a body. At least I think that’s what happened.”

With Juliet’s help Anna had begun exploring her own memories and the memories her body still held so she could learn about Charlotte’s life as well. It was strange, but useful at the same time, and she was so grateful to Juliet for taking the time to help her, as the other girl had thought of herself as Charlotte’s friend. Maybe, if Charlotte had ever once trusted someone enough to be her friend things would have been different, but there was no way of knowing anything for certain.

Mirrored from K. A. Webb Writing.

Comments

Feedback

[ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com]

No typos found.

This is haunting and beautiful, a very good rendition of what can happen with a walk out/walk in situation.

[natalief.livejournal.com]

She should have talked to someone if she was really feeling the bad.

Should that be, "feeling that bad" ?