𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙏𝙞𝙢𝙚 ▻ 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘣𝘺 [1]

𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚

𝙏𝙝𝙧𝙚𝙚. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘖𝘭𝘥 𝘎𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯

...

THE GOLDEN HAIRED GIRL stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Immersed in her thoughts, what she looked like to other people walking by her as she stared off into the distance like a deer in the headlights was the least of her worries.

It wasn't like the Elizabeth never thought about her past in Small Heath. Admittedly as she got older the occurrence of those thoughts lessened, but they never went away. Coming back to the small town was another story. For the first five years after moving away, returning to Small Heath was all that Elizabeth thought about and desired, but recently it never crossed her mind as an option. Why would she return now? After 11 years, without as much as a single visit before hand. Who would remember her? Who would even care? So she never did.

"Your bags Mrs. Flander", the man in the suit says, pulling Elizabeth out of her thoughts.

"Oh, sorry. Thank you", she quickly smiles trying to compose herself and he gives a nod.

"Is everything alright?", Ginny asks, giving the blonde a slightly concerned look.

"We're in Small Heath", she simply says back.

That was the first time she even said the towns name out loud in at least a few years. It was almost like a forbidden word to Elizabeth, as if she knew what it would bring if she spoke it.

"I've never been here before", Ginny says looking around, "Reminds me a little of my hometown come to think of it."

"Me too", Elizabeth says as she lets out a slightly sarcastic laugh.

"I'm not sure if it's the buildings or if it's the piss and scat covered streets but something about it", Ginny laughs, causing Elizabeth to laugh as well.

She wasn't wrong though. Although living in Small Heath for the first 18 years of her life, being away for 11 has taken away her immunity to the god awful stench of urine and feces that the air always managed to carry.

    "Mum I'm hungry", Samuel says tugging on Ginny's arm.

    The red haired woman looks at the blonde, as she knows this is where they are to go their separate ways, "I got to go find a phone anyways", Elizabeth says, in attempt to make the best of the scenario.

And just as such the two women part from each other. Elizabeth now standing alone with the cart already gone, she begins to think of where to go for a phone. Her memories of the town were clear as day, but whether or not the town has remained the same would be the catch. Doubt is what comes after her thoughts, but they are quickly dispelled as she began walking around. The buildings were almost all the same and the streets where named as she recalled. As she walk down the somewhat gloomy streets of Small Heath she could feel the eyes of everyone she passed, as if they were all burning little holes into her body, and faint sounds of whispers would fill the silence that would follow her. As she walks down Witton Street she soon arrives at a corner that she knows all too well. At the corner of Witton and Garrison Street, The Garrison Pub still stands which makes her laugh a little, as she swore it should have burnt down by now.

    To go in or not to go in was the question now racing though Elizabeth's mind. A phone in The Garrison would be a gamble if it was anything like she remembered, but temptation seems to have the upper hand as she finds herself walking through the doors before she could even come to a conclusion.

Silence floods The Garrison as the blonde steps in. All eyes point at her, the men's gaze looking up and down. Elizabeth stands still for a moment, a little thrown off, but from the perspective of everyone in The Garrison they are the ones more thrown off than she. A beautiful golden haired girl walks into a pub in which she clearly doesn't belong; Her beauty alone sets her apart, but her fancy clothes and intricate and neatly kept hairstyle under her hat only accentuates her difference more. For what reason would such a woman step foot in a pub like The Garrison, especially without a well-kept man to match by her side?

Elizabeth decides to ignore the silence and walks up to the bar, her heels making a loud clicking noise accentuated by the silence in the room and the wood floors. "A whiskey please", she simply says to the man.

    The shock on his face comes not only from the girl herself, but from her order. "Um Scotch or Irish", he says clearing his throat and grabbing a glass.

    "Irish", she replies as if it should be obvious.

    "Now who's takin all our Irish whiskey?", a voice says, emerging from the private room at the front, "And why's everyone so bloody quiet I-"

    The voice stops and Elizabeth grabs her drink and turns around to face the speaking man. She is met with a tall man dressed clearly in a tailored suit, messy yet slicked back hair, a moustache atop his lip, and to hers a matching glass of whisky in hand. The man, once Elizabeth turn to face him, too becomes silent like the rest of the pub. He stares at the girl, slightly squinting his eyes as his mouth hang open the slightest bit. Confused, she begins to stare back at the man, and as she does her brain begins to analyze. The man's face begins to show signs of familiarity to the girl, and her mouth hang open slightly as well as she begins to piece together who of all people she could recognize from this small town.

    "Liz?", the man says, more like a question.

    And just like that, a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach waves over her. Only a handful of people have called her Liz in her lifetime, which only confirms her thoughts.

    "A-", "Arthur what's taking so bloody long?", another man's voice cuts her off yet confirms the name she was about to say.

    A younger gentleman swiftly walks up beside the man, looking at him. He soon realizes his bother's stare, and moves his glance to match. A soft faced man now faces Elizabeth, a peaky cap tilted on top his head. Not cluing in like his brother, John stands in silence as he keeps his eyes locked on the beautiful girl who stands in front of him. Before he could say another word to his brother in question Elizabeth finds herself quickly engulfed in an unexpected embrace.

"I always knew you'd come back Liz", she hears Arthur say, his voice almost exactly the same as she remembers, just a little deeper.

"Liz?", John echoes, and in no time he too understands what is happening.

Although John was only 13 when he saw the golden haired girl last, he could still clearly recall her in his memories. The Alder girl. His designated babysitter. His former childhood crush. But most significantly, Tommy's girl.

    "Arthur I-", she begins but is stopped by another embrace, this time from the younger Shelby brother.

    "Bout bloody time", John says.

    Over the past five or so years, given everything she had been thorough and with no help from an absent fiancé, the feeling of embrace and physical touch had become something that was foreign. A simple handshake was well more than enough for the girl, let alone a hug. She can feel her muscles contract and her throat tighten up as anxiety begins to set in.

She lets out a slightly nervous laugh as she tries to mentally calm her anxiety, rubbing her now clammy hands together. But to no help at all she is met then with another set of eyes from across the room, but these ones she instantly recognized as she knows this pair like the back of her hand.

And suddenly all that was collides with now as her hazel eyes meet with his ocean eyes after so long, much like the land meeting the sea.

An end yet a beginning. Tragic yet inevitable.

...

[ Chapter Status: Not Edited ]