One Story, One Huge Secret Chapter Two A/N I realise now that I've set the dates so far back that it was impossible to have Call Of Duty in them days, so I've changed the face that they had COD in the last chapter, so you may want to re read it. XOX. Anna sat in the attic, rocking back and forth in a floral patterned chair that sat in front of a musty window, looking out over the empty villages. Diary in hand, pen in mouth, Anna sat deep in thought as she stared longingly out the dusty glass, framed neatly with cobwebs - the odd spider clinging to the frail lines of silk. There were many moving boxes scattered around, laying on their sides with the edges perfectly covered with a sticky mold. The wooden planks beginning to rot definitely stood out from anything as the pungent smell echoed through the room. There was a loud scratching sound as a small rat scattered from beneath an old box that had been rejected to the corner of the small space, overfilling with unwanted memories and cracked photo frames which had broken glass and ripped pictures falling out of them. "Anna?! Are you up here?!" James' voice called out, but Anna was too busy scribbling down her feelings messily onto the torn paper that had a yellowish tint to the edges, giving it an old fashioned look. James climbed up the steps, pushing the square shaped door open to the attic forcefully, getting a face full of dust and the disgusting smell of the old, unused place in which he'd entered. He spotted Anna in the corner and ran over to her, holding his hand over his nose and mouth to avoid the stench. "Anna! I was looking for you!" He exclaimed, laying a hand on her shoulder. Taking a moment to look around James' face crinkled up as he noticed what a bad state the room was in. "Why are you up HERE?" He asked, emphasising 'here' as if it was the worst place to be on earth. Anna sighed, slamming her diary shut and chucking it across the room quickly to where it opened slightly on the page she had been writing in along with some pages scattered around the floor which had fallen out over time. James walked over to it, picking it up as he started reading what she had put. 'Wednesday of November 2nd 1977, I haven't been writing in here for a long time. It's taken ages to find this old thing and I've started reading over my old silly things I used to write in here. 1962, can you believe it?! I've had this pile of rubbish for that long! Anyway, that's not the point - but there were some really silly stories about my crush on this one boy, Jake. He was such a tool, but then on the other hand I was five and...I'm getting of subject, that's what. The last few days I've spent in Canada have been really depressing. I always feel alone, even with James by my side. He's an amazing brother and all, but ever since he's found out (finally) that I'm a ghost it almost hasn't felt the same between us. I'm terrified to look him in the eyes. Not to mention this stupid winter. Why do seasons even exist? I miss mum. I miss dad. Most of all I miss home. It's boring here and there isn't anything to hardly do. My guitar is lost, my keyboard is clogged with dust and I don't even know where it is, and every time I try to drum on something I get blown in the face with disgusting stuff. I wish I wasn't like this. I wish I could look out my window and actually be able to see out of it for the majority, but look at a nice spring garden with birds hopping around and a play swing set, that'd be nice. Something really dream like. That's what I'd like.' James laid the diary down, walking over to Anna and pulling her into a hug. "I'm sorry." She muttered, slamming herself into him as they both held each other so close you couldn't fit a sheet of paper between them. "Hey, it isn't your fault this happened like this. For the record, I miss mum and dad too." Anna looked up at him, a silent tear falling down her cheek. James wiped it away, giving her a weak smile. "Don't cry, you'll make me cry." She giggled lightly before signing, chewing on her lip. "We'll be able to get through it, right?" Anna asked, full of hope which was constantly being come over by dismay as each day it never felt like it was getting better. "Of course we will, little one." He brushed her hair off her tear stained cheeks and kissed her sweetly on the head. "I wouldn't worry about that. It's nothing, I promise." They both drew away from their hugs as James grabbed her hand, leading her towards the chair at the opposite end where you could see the snow covered garden clearer through the windows. Although they were misted up by dirt, it was possible to see some details still. He pulled her onto his lap and started stroking her hair as she curled up on his lap like a kitten, resting her head on his chest. "Can you tell me a story?" Anna asked quietly, yawning as she settled down further into her brothers warm body. His arms wrapped around her protectively as he nodded, tracing patterns on her arm with his fingertips. "Once upon a time....." * James' eyes flew open as he shifted under a slightly heavy weight that was perched on his lap. He looked down to find Anna snoring gently. He chuckled, lifting her up gently and carrying her carefully down the steps before placing her in her bed, drawing the covers over her. "Stay..." She reached out for his arm as he intertwined his fingers with hers slowly. "You need sleep, Anna." He whispered, brushing his hand across her cheek as she curled into her pillow. In seconds she was snoring again, her hair flattened against the pillow underneath her. She looked incredibly beautiful. James grabbed one of the books she had a bookmark in that lay on her desk and opened it. He began reading, instantly mesmerised by the story. 'Page 233 The arch shaped window was the only think sticking out in the large forest, the light behind it sending out a strong glow. The draping white curtains started hazily blowing in the wind, creating a simultaneous moving shadow beneath it with every move it took. Jasmine stood in the middle of the claustrophobic room, staring out into the wilderness, her ripped white rag dress reaching her boney ankles. The strong howl of a male wolf erupted through the silence upon the hills as the full moons brightness grew, flying higher in the sky as more howls joined in, harmonising perfectly before they died down to silent whimpers. The chilling air hooked to everything like a needle and thread, ripping through the air acting as the sharpest blade as the small sounds of footsteps running emerged. Jasmine was plodding closer to the window, as far as she could, leaning out and letting the heavy wind blow her hair from side to side. The room was empty apart from the lonely girl who had lived there ever since anyone could remember. A picture was perched on the window pane, a picture of an elderly woman with many wrinkles across her face and a small child, with long blonde locks that were extremely curly. The woman had her arm wrapped around the girl. She wore a white dress that came to the tops of her knees, which had been visibly ripped at the bottom and had a little hole forming at the side where the seams had been loosely sewn. The old woman wore a long black dress with a white apron, and her grey hair up in a bun with some sort of pencil looking stick holding it in place. The paleness of their skin matched. In the background there was a young boy who stood wearing a straightened out white shirt, fully buttoned with a brown tie and waist jacket. He also wore brown coloured button trousers which clung tightly to his small figured hips. 1539 was the date that had faded in the top right corner. You could barely make out the small names written at the top. '1500-1539 Jaqui Barkley, 1518-1526 Anna Barkley, 1516-1528James Barkley' They looked like such sweet kids, but dressed very old fashioned. The-' The next page was ripped out, but left James wanting more. There was an illustrated picture showing what the photo looked like in which the book was describing. He absentmindedly wandered back up the steps to the attic where he knew Anna had gotten the book from, eager to find the next page. Why was his, his mums and Anna's names written on that photo, and why were they in it? They hadn't even been born then.
