Thrill

CHAPTER NINE

(Anna's Pov)

My eyes were wide, complete and utter shock pulsed around my body. I stared at the sobbing figure, her hands clutching a pink, fluffy pillow right to her chest. For a long minute, I just stared at her. I couldn't really believe what I had just heard.

"A-Amy," I whispered, swallowing the bile sitting in my throat. She wiped her eyes carelessly, bringing her fingers down to draw imaginary shapes on the pillow, all whilst her head was bowed. Never had I seen my sister, the snappy, bold woman, look so defeated before in my life. Not even when her favourite character died in one the of the Italian soap drama's she watched. 

When I finally snapped out of my trance, my feet slowly led me over to where she was, my behind planting a seat across from her. Up close, her eyes were red, the glossy tear filled eyes conveying just how much pain she was going through.

"H-How do you know that?" I gently asked. Amy was a spontaneous person, especially her moods. You could never tell what sort of reaction she'd have. Sometimes she was easily triggered by words and other times, not so much. I didn't want to get on her bad side, so I approached the situation carefully.

"They called me downstairs," A lo

ose tear fell from her eyelid. "Mama and Papa, they told me to sit in the lounge and gave me a slice of chocolate cake to eat... Which was weird, because they rarely treat us with sweets, unless a special occasion."

My heart beat rose, anxious to hear what happened next.

"I-I didn't think too much of it, I just thought... Maybe they were being nice? But then I realized you weren't here and if they were just being nice, they would have treated you to a slice of cake, too... Unless they wanted something only from me."

Swallowing, another tear from her eye. "I asked them what the occasion was. Christmas already passed, so did New years. It's not my birthday for another two months, so what was with the sudden treat?"

"They started talking about cousin Ivy," She whispered. "They told me she got married when she was eighteen, and that without no complaint. She accepted it straight away, knowing it would honour her parents and bring a good image for them as well as her and their family as a whole."

Dragging her gaze upwards, she stared at me. "I asked them why they were telling me this, but secretly had a feeling knowing where this was going..."

"Amy," I whispered, reaching out to hold her shaky hand in mine.

"They told me I was twenty-one years old, I had reached the age of marriage three years ago, but they had decided to wait until now to marry me off." She closed her eyes, in what seemed like a coping manner. "T-That's when they told me they found a man for me. They found someone to be my... my husband, who would take care of me and l-love me."

My heart clenched. I felt tears of my own prick my eyes, a heavy breath flying from my lips. I felt helpless and terrible watching as my sister cried silently, nothing but hurt and pain present in her eyes. I could only imagine what she was feeling.

"What... What did you say, Amy?" I managed to get out. 

She sighed, narrowing her blue eyes on me. "What do you think, Anna? I freaked out. I told them they were evil. They were wrong for doing this to me. T-That I didn't want to marry whoever they had ready for me. I wasn't ready."

My eyes closed as I cringed at her words. She had explicitly disrespected both my parents and called them names, regardless of whatever she felt that moment from hearing them. She had gone against them, and was rude to them - something seen as highly wrong in this town.