e lucevan le stelle
anna gray was dead on paper, thanks to people's laziness.
in 1924, anna bernard was suppose to go to Birmingham with her guardian, attend grace burgess' wedding and leave the city. easy and uncomplicated ― the reality however was...
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Cold sweat ran down Anna's forehead when she woke up in the middle of the night with her heart beating like the drums of the London Symphony Orchestra when playing The Rite of Spring. Anna sat up and swallowed before running her trembling hands over her face. She took in a deep breath and exhaled, trying her best to take control of the situation.
She had woken up to a nightmare. A horrible, nasty nightmare but it was more like a memory. A memory of her life before meeting Imogen ― a life she has either forgotten about because of Spring Fever or just because she has made herself to forget that life.
"Christ..." she whispered to herself.
Anna swung her legs over her bed and let her bare feet hit the cold hardwood floor. She stood up, her legs still shaking a little from the nightmare. She took her silk robe from the foot of her bed and put it on and tightened the ribbon around her waist.
She walked over to her vanity and picked up a glass of water. She drank it all with one big gulp before setting the glass back on the table.
Anna knew she couldn't just go back to sleep ― she was sure her nightmare would return to her the second she falls asleep. Now when she came to think of it, she couldn't quite remember what the nightmare was all about but she was certain that it was horrible. It had to be ― it had woken her up.
She wrapped her arms around herself and walked around her room. The room was huge and you could easily fit twenty people there. It was a bit lonely really, and Anna felt so small. She felt like a tiny little porcelain doll. Like the ones old antique stores have.
Taking a look outside, Anna saw the full moon at its glory. The night sky was dark, almost black and the only source of light were the moon and stars.
Anna has had nightmares before, many times actually, and she knew how to handle a nightless night. So she took a hold of one of the candlesticks on top of her drawer and left her room.
The small flame lit her the way downstairs and from there, across the long corridor and all the way to the front door. She opened the door, flinching a bit at the sound of the hinges screeching like a banshee. She stepped outside, feeling the cold air hitting her face. She was still barefoot but it didn't bother her, she barely even realized it.
Going for a walk has always helped Anna to move on from her nightmares. When she lived in the nunnery, she would often climb out of one of the windows of the sleeping room to avoid getting caught.
She walked further and further from the manor, letting her mind wander free. She thought about her nightmare ― she wanted to remember it. Normally she didn't want to remember or think about her nightmares or other horrible things that have happened to her but there was just something about the nightmare, something that made her feel so scared but also safe.
