WindSwept Narrows: #16 Anna Carson & Catherine Jenkins
Karen Diroll-Nichols
- Anna
- Carson
- knew
- it
- was
- a
- dream.It
- replayed
- itself
- now
- and
- again
- through
- the
- years
- since
- it
- had
- been
- reality.
- She
- never
- tried
- changing
- things.
- Never
- gave
- more
- than
- a
- passing
- thought
- to
- the
- colors
- and
- textures
- of
- a
- place
- that
- had
- been
- home
- for
- ten
- years.
- As
- far
- as
- she
- could
- recall,
- at
- least.They
- were
- dark
- haired.
- Twins.
- A
- boy
- and
- a
- girl.They
- sat
- at
- the
- desks
- in
- the
- room
- they
- had
- created
- as
- their
- study,
- each
- working
- on
- their
- own
- homework
- assignments.
- But
- both
- had
- looked
- up
- when
- the
- door
- opened
- that
- led
- outside.
- Both
- looked
- from
- the
- collection
- of
- people
- entering.
- All
- dressed
- in
- dark
- suits,
- carrying
- briefcases.
- Three
- men
- followed
- the
- minder
- to
- the
- back
- of
- the
- house.“Papers
- to
- sign?”
- Aaron
- asked
- with
- a
- slight
- frown,
- a
- straight
- shock
- of
- dark
- hair
- falling
- over
- one
- eye.“Too
- much
- pomp
- for
- just
- signing,”
- Anna
- counted
- the
- suits,
- cast
- a
- quick
- glance
- at
- the
- housekeeper
- that
- led
- them
- into
- a
- room
- at
- the
- back
- of
- the
- house.
- “Something’s
- not
- right.”Without
- another
- word,
- they
- closed
- their
- books,
- gathered
- things
- into
- the
- neat
- packs
- they
- carried
- everywhere
- and
- went
- up
- the
- wide,
- curving
- staircase.
- It
- had
- been
- the
- two
- of
- them
- as
- long
- as
- they
- could
- recall.
- A
- series
- of
- home
- school
- teachers,
- a
- housekeeper
- and
- cook.
- And
- lawyers
- who
- brought
- things
- to
- them
- to
- sign
- on
- a
- regular
- basis.They
- turned
- fourteen
- that
- spring.
- It
- wasn’t
- one
- she
- was
- likely
- to
- ever
- forget.
- They
- had
- a
- minder,
- that’s
- what
- they
- had
- come
- to
- call
- him.
- They
- began
- asking
- indepth
- questions
- at
- the
- age
- of
- ten
- and
- received
- honest,
- precise
- answers.
- They
- knew
- they
- were
- orphans.
- They
- also
- knew
- there
- was
- something
- more
- that
- wasn’t
- being
- shared
- with
- them.
- It’s
- always
- in
- the
- eyes,
- Anna
- thought
- as
- they
- entered
- the
- room
- they
- used
- on
- the
- second
- floor.Anna
- leaned
- back
- and
- closed
- her
- eyes.
- They’d
- begun
- building
- a
- second
- life
- just
- after
- their
- tenth
- birthday.
- Aaron
- didn’t
- ask
- why.
- His
- instincts
- were
- to
- trust
- her
- instincts.
- He
- handled
- the
- money
- she
- filtered
- from
- their
- allowances.
- And
- he
- was
- extremely
- good
- at
- it.
- Just
- as
- she
- was
- equally
- good
- at
- getting
- additional
- funds
- for
- their
- future.No
- one
- questioned
- it.
- Teenagers
- always
- needed
- something.
- The
- image
- they
- presented
- when
- pressed
- were
- that
- of
- indulgence
- wracked
- teenagers
- always
- after
- the
- newest
- or
- latest
- something.
- Neither
- of
- them
- balked
- at
- allowing
- that
- image
- to
- remain
- in
- place.“Got
- your
- pack?”
- Aaron
- asked
- as
- they
- moved
- quietly
- in
- their
- room.“All
- ready.
- We
- need
- to
- leave,
- Aaron,”
- large
- brown
- eyes
- stared
- at
- her
- brother.
- “Now.”
- And
- she
- didn’t
- wait
- for
- a
- response,
- slinging
- the
- backpack
- into
- place
- and
- easing
- herself
- out
- the
- side
- window.
- A
- window
- they
- had
- prepared
- with
- a
- carefully
- shielded
- escape
- route.
- And
- still,
- neither
- of
- them
- had
- asked
- the
- other
- why
- it
- was
- necessary.
- The
- last
- month
- they
- had
- removed
- a
- good
- many
- things
- that
- were
- important
- to
- them
- both,
- taking
- them
- bit
- by
- bit
- from
- the
- house
- and
- into
- the
- new
- location.
- Never
- talking
- much,
- just
- doing.They
- were
- almost
- two
- blocks
- away
- when
- the
- explosion
- rocked
- the
- neighborhood.
- Aaron
- grabbed
- Anna
- around
- the
- shoulders,
- her
- palms
- up
- and
- covering
- her
- lips,
- silent
- tears
- rolling
- down
- her cheeks.
