Timeless - Max Verstappen

Chapter 16

"I-I should go." He stutters before he turns and quickly walks back to the door. "Wait, Max! Is everything alright? Did I do something?" I ask running to catch him. He stops at the top of the stairs and turns around to face me. He walks down and meets me as I stand on the first step. "This has nothing to do with you. I promise. Sometimes I just get these strange... feelings. They started last year but I have no idea what causes it. It's not you, trust me. The last thing I wanted to do in that moment was leave." He says stepping closer to me. "Then why did you?" I ask. "I-I'm not sure. Kissing you in the open just didn't feel right for some reason." He admits. "Well there is no one around. So it's not like anyone would have seen." I say looking around. "You're right." I hear max say, then I feel a hand on my chin. His hand. His other hand finds my waist as he gently tugs my chin. My eyes meet his and then I feel his lips on mine. The kiss is soft and sweet. Some feeling fills me. Like comfort. As if this is right. As if this is exactly where I'm supposed to be. He pulls away from me and his eyes meet mine. I can tell in his eyes, he feels the same feelings I did.

"Anna!" We hear someone yell from inside the castle and we jump away from each other. Putting some distance between us. I walk up the stairs and find Stefan. His wild eyes meet mine and he rushes over to me. "Hey are you ok? You just disappeared." He asks. Max appears next to me. "Don't worry Stefan. I'm ok. I just needed some fresh air." I smile at him as he looks between max and I. "Ok, I just wanted to make sure." Stefan smiles and turns to walk back to the ballroom. "Hands to yourself, Verstappen." Stefan yells without even looking back at us. I let out a small laugh as I look at Max's shy face

"I think I'm going to head off to bed. I enjoyed tonight, Max." I say to him with a smile. "I did too. Is there any chance I could get your number? My schedule fills up rather quickly after today and I'd love to hang out with you again?" He asks. "I'd love that too." I smile as he hands me his phone and I type in my number, jokingly setting the contact name as

Anna 👑

I hand his phone back to him and he laughs when he sees the name. "I'll text you later." He smiles. "That was really cringe but I'm looking forward to it." I smile as I begin to walk toward the staircase leading upstairs. "Now who's the cringe one." He smiles and I roll my eyes, laughing at him as I turn to walk up the stairs.

~

I take in the old fashioned curtains and the candles scattered across the room as they flicker. Their light filling the room darkened by the night. The room is exactly like mine. I think it is mine. Except there is no TV mounted onto the wall and there is nothing electrical. No lights, no cords, no power cables and no lamps. I move to the desk and slam down the bound pages on the table in front of me. They look just like the ones I found under the floorboard. All of a sudden I begin to write, using the quill and ink placed on the table. I feel full of hatred and dislike but I also feel full of love. I try to read the writing as I write quickly. I hear a noise from across the room and my head shoots in the direction of the old cupboard. I've never seen that cupboard before. It looks old. I don't even realize I'm standing when I step back. "Is this the curse Victoria told me about?" I say without realizing it. What curse? Who's Victoria? What is happening? Then I hear "Anna?" Which confuses me. I see the cupboard move again. I'm walking over to the cupboard. Relief fills me when I see the lady behind the cupboard. I don't recognize her at all. "Rachel!" I yell. How do I know her name? I've never seen her before? "Come we don't have long, I'll take you to see him." She smiles. See who? Where am I going? How did she get behind the cupboard? The lady, who is apparently Rachel, grabs my hand and pulls me behind the cupboard and through a doorway in the wall. What the fuck? There's a doorway behind my cupboard?

I sit up straight in bed. Questions swirling my head and sweat trickling down the back of my neck. "What on earth is going on with me?" I question. This is the fourth dream I've had like this. Ever since Saturday I started seeing these flashes. It feels like I am actually there for those small moments and it happens at the most random times. I have no idea what triggers them. The dreams only started on Tuesday night but during the days I get the flashes. It's all exactly the same as the palace except it must be hundreds of years ago because of the old clothing and the candles littering the castle. No electricity in sight.

It all feels so real. Like I'm there, sitting in the library talking to the prince and staring out the window at the servants below. Like I'm there while being yelled at by the queen. There are feelings that overpower my own when I'm in certain places or see certain things. Thinking back to when max was here on Saturday, the strong feelings I felt around him felt the same, like they come from nowhere. Not that I'm not attracted to him myself. "I must be going crazy. That's it. That's the only explanation." I say, twisting the ring on my right hand. Ever since I found it I haven't wanted to take it off. It's cute and comforting and I'm sure it belongs to one of my ancestors.

My curiosity gets the better of me and I push myself out of my bed and pad over to my cupboard. I push and pull for about five minutes before there is a big enough gap for me to see that there is indeed a doorway behind the cupboard...