Sister Spelled

Haunted

Annistyn couldn't stay cooped up forever, but that wasn't stopping her from trying. For two days she had been hiding inside, preoccupying herself with helping around the orphanage. Cleaning, cooking, watching the younger children do their schoolwork. Even now, as her hand chopped, it was work to push away the thoughts. The image of Hailey's body cracked on the rocks bled through everything. As if it begged for her to share the truth.

Annie shook her head violently, willing the image to fade. A few pieces of her red hair fell from her braids, and she shoved them back impatiently. Her hand pressed the knife harder, with the desperation of needing to forget.

"Annistyn?"

The voice startled her, and the knife slipped, slicing along her hand. With a stifled curse she wrapped the hand in her skirt, turning to see Patience. Sister Patience, now. Her lips formed an O as she hurried to Annie's side before leading her to the sink.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to startle you." She said as she washed the blood from Annie's hand, "I was just surprised to see you."

Annie winced as the hot water ran over her cut. "Sister Margaret asked me to start on dinner."

"Annistyn, it isn't even noon yet. There's still a good seven hours until dinner." The sister wrapped her hand in a dishcloth before continuing, "I can't help but notice you've been helping out more than usual these past few days. And we both know Sister Margaret will work you to the bone if you let her. She'll probably even want to serve the blood soaked stir fry."

 A small smile bent the corner of Annie's lips, "You'll get in so much trouble if she hears you."

"It's worth it." Patience replied as she leaned back against the counter, "Really, Annie, what's going on?"

Annie's breath escaped in a sigh that seemed to deflate her. "I had a... nightmare the other night. About Hailey."

"Is that the girl that's missing?"

Annie nodded, "Yeah." She wanted to elaborate, because who else could she tell but Patience?

They had grown up together in the orphanage, Annie two years behind the other girl. But when it had come time to leave, Patience had decided that her life lay here, in the service of the place that had shown her into adulthood. She was quite easily the one person who hadn't left Annie behind.

Patience lived up to her name, watching Annie until she was ready to speak, her brown eyes wide. But the words only stuck in Annie's throat. She could barely bring herself to think of what had happened, let alone tell Patience.

"I can't remember what happened." Annie blurted, directing her gaze to the scarred wooden floor, "But I woke up with a bad feeling. I just don't know if I should tell someone, or-"

"What can you do?" Patience asked, not unkindly. Her white veil shone against dark skin, and she looked otherworldly in the light that shone in through the windows. She looked...trustworthy, Annie thought. "You can hardly go to the police with only a half-remembered dream."

"Then what? I just ignore it?" Annie couldn't keep the tremor from her voice, and she pushed her glasses up clumsily to try and avoid the burning beginning behind her eyes, "My gut says something bad happened to her."

Patience leaned away from the counter to grab Annie's hand, forcing the girl to meet her eyes, "Sometimes there is no action we can take, but to wait and remember it's all part of a bigger plan."

Annie swallowed past the truth that threatened to rip her apart from the inside out. She had been looking for distraction, and it had worked. Patience's hand was hot in her own, a reminder of how close they had been before her days had been swallowed by prayer and commitment. Her heart beat faster in her chest, and something twisted low in her stomach. Patience stepped closer, close enough that Annie could make out a hint of a blush beneath her copper tones.