One's Darkest Secrets

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1

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Life brings many hardships. Whether it be divorce, war, failures, and even death- life never gets easier. We wish every day that maybe, just maybe, things will get easier, but that's not how life works. We start by digging a hole, and over time, that hole only gets deeper. People want things that they believe will make life easier, but it's only things that'll bring them some sort of contentment. That contentment doesn't last very long, making them incapable of filling that hole. It doesn't take long for that hole to be so deep, that it becomes so dark. That darkness slowly corrupts the mind and soon enough, those people become divergent.

Dreams are a supposed escape from the impact of reality on your shoulders. We get these images in our heads of how we wish our lives to be or what we want the world to be. Some people cannot dream. They cannot create visions or pictures in their heads like most. Most kids my age would have dreamt sweet little things, but I on the other hand did not.

Light sounds of water hitting the roof filled the air of a room where a man sat in an old chair, staring out of one of the little windows - which had fogged up a bit from the cool rain. Raindrops would smack against the window ever so often, slowly making their way downwards. A small puddle was starting to form on the earth's floor. Other than the sounds of rain and the slow breathing of the man, the room was silent. The man had wrinkles framing his face and his once brown hair was now gray with age. His eyes that were once full of life now looked dull and tired. His hands were placed on his knees. The light tapping of his index finger against his knee was faint as he looked lost in thought.

The light sound of bare feet hitting the hardwood floors echoed throughout the house. The floorboards creaked and groaned with every step and soon, a little girl entered the room. She held a small bunny stuffed animal close to her chest. Her pretty long brown hair hung behind her. Unlike the old man's eyes, her dark blue ones were full of life and curiosity. She had on a light blue nightgown that made the color of her eyes stand out.

"Papa Toby?" she called, trying to capture the old man's attention. Her voice was rather small, almost like a gentle whisper. The man she called Toby, turned his head to look over at the girl.

"Sabrina, what are you doing awake at this hour?" he asked, his voice deep but hoarse. He wanted to know what his great-granddaughter was doing awake.

He watched the girl as she ran over to him, not even bothering to answer his question. She stopped in front of him, placing her bunny on his lap before she followed. She climbed onto his lap and sat down. The girl, Sabrina, picked up her bunny and hugged it. She stared up at her great-grandfather as if expecting something. Toby caught on, raising a brow.

"What is it young one?" he asked, already knowing the answer. He wanted her to confirm his assumption.

"Will you tell me about London?" she asked, a hidden excitement in her voice. Her eyes were wide and begging, which would make it harder for the man to resist. With a sigh, he nodded slowly - in which the five-year-old clapped in excitement.

He cleared his throat and glanced out of the window. The rain was hitting the roof of the small home much harder than before as the winds picked up. Lightning flashed brightly across the sky as thunder clashed. It sounded like a war zone beyond the clouds. Sabrina let out a small scream, hugging her great grandfather. He chuckled, wrapping an arm around her in comfort. She hid her face behind her bunny, glancing up at him with big eyes.
"It is alright little one. Now, let's see. The skies were always covered with dark clouds, looking as if it was going to rain. It did rain a lot there. At times, there were worse storms than over here. In this city, an assortment of people lived, myself included. I lived a poor life until I was saved by two people, or I thought I was. The woman I stayed with made the most delicious meat pies in all of London. The shop was always busy with customers wanting to get a taste of these pies. Above this little shop lived a barber. There was an incident and I left London, coming here where I started a family of my own," he spoke, looking down at his great-granddaughter - who had stopped hiding and was listening intently.