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TITLE: Spinning FEEDBACK: Lots of it please! Send to Annabelle_felicity@hotmail.com Spinning - Chapter 1: Rain Falls
Down Wind whipped around the tree branches making them bang against the windows of people houses. The sky was dark gray; much darker than it should have been, and rain streamed down the sides of buildings making the awful sound that one hears when their head is stuck underwater. It hardly ever rained like this in California, much less Los Angeles, which was part of the reason that Wesley Wyndham-Pryce was so happy to have moved there. After he had been removed the Watchers Council he could have gone anywhere, he could have gone back home to Aberdare, even if it was not his favorite place it was still home. Instead though he choose to stay in the "sunny" state of California and try to have some type of life, try to forget about things that had happened in the past, but as always was the way with him everything got messed up somewhere a long the way, and yet again he lost more than he gained. Wesley slumped in the chair of his clean apartment and dialed a familiar number into the cordless phone that he had in his hand. He raised it his hear and waited for someone to pick up on the other side. Finally there was a pop sounding of the phone being picked up and a cheery voice spoke. "No," he told the person on the other line. "I won't be coming in today. Probably better if I don't since Angel and Cordelia are getting back. I don't feel like almost being killed again." He paused and listened to the voice on the other side waver a bit. "Don't worry about it. I'll be fine. I have plenty of research to do here. Call me if they have learned anything new though, alright?" The voice spoke once more and Wesley nodded into the phone. "Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow than. Good-bye." He hung up the phone and placed it slowly on a near by table. Then he leaned back and closed his eyes listening to the rain outside. Part of him just wanted to block it all out, but he knew he couldn't. He had to sit there and remember, let it all wash over him, as it always did on days like this. The rain seemed to be getting louder and louder in his head until finally it was the only thing that he heard and that was when he started to picture what happened twenty-five years ago. *** "You can't catch me," a girl's voice called out to him in a singsong tone. "I am much faster than you." "And I am older and have longer legs," Wesley retorted. "Besides I am the Adare, Baron Adare, Baron Kenry, and Baronet Wyndham-Pryce of Aberdare." "Yeah well I am the Baroness Scott-Williams," the girl kept running ahead of him not looking where she was going. "So there," she bumped to someone and squealed. "Well hello there Baroness Scott-Williams," the older man looked down at her and laughed. Then he squatted down she he was out eye level. "And how is the daughter of The Right Honorable Lord Scott-Williams." The girl giggled at his father, for some reason Wesley couldn't remember her first name, just her title, and that his father seemed very fond of her. Why, why was that? He couldn't remember, it had been such a long time; in fact it was probably the last time he ever saw his father smile at him. "Wesley are you being a good host," Lord Wyndham-Pryce teased his son. Wesley nodded vigorously at his father with a big goofy smile. "Yes father," he laughed a little. "Liar," the girl half glared at him. "He is chasing me around Aberdare, and has been for the last ten minutes. He is trying to ruin my dress," she complained giving his father a sweet look. His father nodded and stood back up to give them both a serious look. "Well that is a problem as now isn't it. Especially since we have a very important dinner guest coming tonight." He eyed them both carefully and then sighed. "Well Wesley you are simply going to have to loan the Baroness Scott-Williams some of your old clothes." The children just smiled at him. "Off with you then. I don't want to hear any complaints from cook about you and your friends trying to sneak food from the kitchen either. Understood?" "Yes sir," the both replied beaming at him and scampered down the hall to head up to Wesley's room. "Works every time," the girl giggled and tugged him up to his room. "Come on Wesley. I want to get out of this awful thing. My governess picked it out and she has no taste at all, not at all like my…" Wesley titled his head. "I thought we weren't going to talk about her anymore," he asked softly. "Because it makes you sad to think about it." "It does," she nodded and leaned against the wall waiting for him to hand her some clothes. "But if I don't think about my mother than I'll forget all about her and I don't want to do that." "I understand," he pulled out some old trousers and a shirt and handed them to her. "Off with them, Baroness Annette," he teased her. "Off with you Baron Wesley," she retorted and waited for him to move. "Well go on then. I won't have you in the room while I change." "It's my room," he said. "And I am a guest," she turned away from him. "Now go!" "You are impossible," he groaned at her. He opened the door and started to walk out. "Hurry up. William and Addy will be here soon." "The faster you leave the faster I change," Annette stuck her tongue out at him. In one fast move she manages to cross the room and slam the door closed in his face. He could hear her giggling behind it. *** Annette, Wesley thought to himself, her name was Annette. He knew why he had forgotten it for a moment, it was to painful too remember, but in truth he would never forget. Not really, she would always be there, the first shadow over his head and the one that would stay with him forever. He shuddered as a drift came through the room making it colder than it already was. The sky had become dark, or at least it seemed so to him. He tried to stay in the present but the sound of the rain kept calling to him and he had no choice. Again the memories flooded him and again he sat and watched in horror. *** "Children really," his mother said to them, "you shouldn't be going down to the river now. It will start to rain soon and you will get your clothes dirty." "Oh Clarissa," his father chuckled. "Let them go, otherwise we will have glum faces to deal with all night." "Richard's right," the Lord Scott-Williams. "Besides if they don't go out then Annette will have put on those old rags for nothing." "Please Auntie Clarissa," Addy, one of Wesley's younger cousins begged. "We promise not to get dirty." "Addy," the child's mother scold her. "Please try to be polite we do have important company coming tonight." Clarissa finally gave in and laughed at them. "Alright," she sighed. "But no tracking mud in the house and as soon as the first rain drop falls I want you all inside." "We promise," the children chorused and head to the door laughing and skipping. "Come on," Annette ran ahead of all of them. "Hurry up slow pokes!" "We're coming," William groaned at her. "I swear you don't act anything like a girl!" "Oh," she scolded at him. "You are so lucky that you are wearing those clothes, otherwise you would so be covered in dirt right now!" "Now, now," Wesley imitated the voice of Annette's governess. "Ladies always keep their temper." Annette tackled him. "Who said anything about a Lady," she laughed dragging him to the ground with her. "Come on you guys," Addy whined. "I would like to get to the river some time today." "Were coming," Wesley laughed pushing Annette off of him. "Annette just has some pent up aggression that she has to get rid of." "Ha, ha," Annette scolded at him. "Alright, let's go everyone. Before it starts to rain." "Are you gonna walk across that log today Annie," William snorted at her. "Cause I am not going to move unless you do." Annette's eyes flashed fear and hate at the same time and Wesley moved to stand between her and William. "Now come on Will," he warned his cousin. "You know she doesn't like to be called that, and she has a thing with heights." "What," William continued to egg the girl on. "Are you scared of a little water?" "I," she stammered. Wesley could feel her body shake and turned around to look at her. "You don't have to Annette," he gave her an sincere look. "He's just being a prat." William moved closer to them and Wesley turned to give him a warning glare, but William wasn't looking at him. "Yes you do," he sneered at Annette. "I dare you." "That's not fair William," Wesley growled at his cousin who was only a few months older than him. "It's not a fair dare and you know it. The rules are that we can't dare people to do something that they are very afraid of." "I am not afraid," Annette backed away from him. She set her eyes on William and gave him a fierce look. "Okay, I'll do it. But you have to do something big when I finish." "Fine," he waved his hand. "But you have to go across the log and come back, with no one helping you. Standing, no hanging on to the log" "William don't," Addy pleaded with her. "That's not nice. She's scared of that log." "It's alright Addy," Annette smiled at the younger girl. "When I am done he will regret it, for the rest of his life." William snorted, "I highly doubt that." "Annette," Wesley whispered at her. "You don't have to do this. Besides it looks like it is going to rain any minute now, we really should be getting back." She patted his arm. "It'll be alright. It's just a log, right? I've watched you, Addy, and William cross it a hundred times and you are all fine. I just will close my eyes, hold out my arms, and walk." "Annette," he tried again but saw her determined look. "Alright, but just don't, don't close your eyes, okay?" "I won't," she walked started to head toward the river with everyone else following her. "Let's just get this over with alright?" The river was about average width, nothing special, but it had a strong current and on a day like today it could drag a person under and keep them there. Surrounding it was shore that Wesley's family sometimes used as a beach and there was a safe area roped of for people to swim in. There were also high walls of earth that went on either side of the river. At the highest point there was a fallen tree which the children called a log for lack of a better name. They loved to cross it just for a thrill; no one had actually fallen in. Mostly the just went out to the deepest point of the river and back just in case they did happen to fall, that way they wouldn't actually get hurt, but the only ever crossed on days when the current wasn't so strong that they could grab for the rope surrounding the swinging area. When they reached the tree William walked up to the base and looked across to the other side. "So all the way across and back," he repeated himself. "We heard you the first time," Wesley snapped at him. Annette took off her shoes. "Now boys," she laughed at them. Then she walked to the log and looked down. "Are you scared yet," William whispered into her ear. "No," her lips trembled. "I am not." "Good," William backed up toward Addy. "Go on then." The wind started to pick up and was blowing around the girls' hair. Wesley's felt his own hair ruffle but he wasn't sure if it was from the wind or the fear he had for Annette. He walked up to her. "You don't have to do this," he told her again. "A dare is a dare," she replied. "Help me up would you?" He held out his arm for her to steady herself on as she climb up on the log. She cast him one last smile and then started out over the log. "Don't look down Annette," Addy called out to her. "No, do look down," William laughed. Wesley hissed at both of them, "Just shut up would you?" He looked back at Annette, she had gotten out about a foot onto the log and was slowly making her way across, careful not to look down. She took another step as a rumble of thunder boomed across the countryside. "It is starting to rain," Addy said in a fearful voice. "The log is going to be to slipperier, she has to come back." "No," William shook his head. "A dare is a dare!" "Don't be a git!" Wesley yelled at him. "You tell her the dare is off, and do it now. She'll fall down." "No," William bit his lip. He was obviously slightly scared that Annette would fall but he was not going to back down to his younger cousin. "William," Wesley gritted his teeth. "If it were you or Bernard out there I wouldn't care, but Annette isn't family. If she gets hurt we'll be in big trouble." "That's a laugh," the older boy hissed. "Care more about some stranger than your family." Wesley clenched his fist and stepped closer. "She is not some stranger, her family and ours have been friends for a long time. You know how mad our fathers will be if we let something happen to her. After her mother died, well we both know that her family can't sustain another loss." "You act like she is going to die," William laughed. "No one dies from falling off a log." "Annette," Wesley turned away from his cousins to call to her. "It is starting to rain, hard. Come back, the log is slick, plus we were suppose to go back at the first drop of rain." "I can't," she called over her shoulder. "It's a dare." He turned back to William and this time he punched him shocking his cousin enough so that the older boy fell to the ground. "Take back the dare," he growled. "Not on your life," William hissed back from the ground. The rain started streak down and it seemed as if the heavens had open up and dumped everything they had on down on them. Wesley tried to look for Annette but he could barely see her anymore because the rain was like a thick curtain in front of him. "Annette!" he yelled over the wind. "Annette, please turn around!" She didn't though, he wasn't sure if was because she couldn't hear him or if she was just ignoring him so he did the only thing that he could think of, he went after her. He started to climb up onto the log and William tried to stop him. "What do you think you are doing," William asked coldly. "The deal was that she had to do this with out any help." "William would you just forget about the stupid dare," Wesley jerked away from him. "I am going out there to bring her back and you aren't going to stop me. Now shove off!" Wesley hoisted himself up onto the log and started to walk out to Annette ignoring any looks from Addy and William. "Annette!" he tried to call out to her again but she did not turn around He watched slowly walk away from him, she was almost at the middle point of the log and he knew that he was going to have to hurry if he was to get to her before she got out much further. "Annette," he screamed at the top of his lungs but still she did not turn. She kept inching her way further from him and enough though he was forcing himself to move as fast as he could without slipping it still felt to him like everything was moving in slow motion. "Annette," he moved closer he knew he was in hearing distance but she still did not turn. "Annette!" he reached out to try to grab her hand this time. "Annette!" That's when it happened. It couldn't have lasted more than a moment but to him it seemed like an eternity, she turned to look at him and she stepped on a piece of wet moss. She was opening her mouth to say something to him when she started to titter and fall away from him, her eyes wild from fear. He saw her mouth was open but no sound seemed to be coming out of it and ever so slowly she reached her hand out to him and he grabbed it. "Please," she begged him. "Don't let go." Wesley looked down at her. She was hanging over the river, the only thing preventing her from falling was his grasp on her arm. When she fell her weight brought him down to his knees and he knew that he was lucky that he did not fall in with her, he also knew that he was not strong enough to pull her back up. "It's going to be alright," he lied. "Wesley!" Addy screamed at them. "We're coming Wesley. Hang on!" "No," he yelled back. "Go get help. Hurry!" "Wesley," Annette gasped a little. "I'm slipping." "No," he shook his head at her. "No you're not. I have you. Everything is going to be alright." The rain splattered across her face and mixed with her tears. "I'm going to fall," her voice trembled. "You're not," he spoke with forcefulness. "You are going to be fine. Addy and William are going to get help. It is going to be fine." The wind around them started to pick up and the rain beat against them so hard that it felt like small sharp rocks were being pelted at them. Wesley could feel his arm start to get tired and his grip loosen. He would have reached out his other hand and tried to pull her back up but if he did that he wouldn't have been able to keep himself balanced. "Just hang on," he said. "Some is coming. Listen." In the distance he could hear his father calling to him. He felt the weak vibrations of someone else stepping on to log. "Look," he told her. "My dad is coming now. It is going to be fine." "I don't," Annette's voice was soft and then she screamed. "Wesley! Don't let go. Please, don't let me fall!" It was too late though. Her hand kept slipping out of his because of the rain and in a last attempt to hold on to him she grabbed at his signet ring but it just slipped off his finger and she fell down to the river screaming so loudly that it was the only thing that he could hear. He felt his father wrap is arms around him and pull him up from the log. Wesley hadn't realized that he was struggling against the older man, trying to break free to go after her, not that it would have helped, and she was gone, forever. The days and weeks that followed were awful. His mother wouldn't come out of her room and his father wouldn't even look at him. The river was dragged three days in a row but nothing was found and the Baron Scott-Williams seemed to have gone mute, no one could talk to him although Wesley had tried. Addy and William would sometimes travel to visit with Wesley but the visits were often short and awkward. Eventually though things started to settle down and five years later the Baron Scott-Williams remarried a woman who had children of her own and as more time passed people started to forget about Annette, everyone except for him and his father. When he turned sixteen his signet ring was replaced in the most unceremonious way, he was sitting at the dinning room table talking with his mother about unimportant things when his father walked in with a stagger in his step and the smell of alcohol about him. He flung a velvet box at his son's head and missed by about two inches. Wesley's mother stood up and started to scream at him but all he did was yell back at her and then stumble out of the room leaving them there just to stare after him. Wesley picked up the box and raced up to his room with his mother calling after him. He opened up a drawer and threw the box inside and was so unsatisfied with the noise that it mad that he slammed the drawer shut with suck force that vase sitting on top of the dresser was knocked to the floor breaking into tiny pieces that scattered across the floor. A tear slipped down Wesley's face slowly and he made his way to the closet in his room. Quietly he opened the doors, slipped inside and started to feel the wall for something. He managed to find the loose panel that he was looking for, pushed against it, and reached inside. Feeling the soft material under his fingers he made a grab for it, pulled it out, and slumped against another wall of the closet. It was Annette's dress, he had hid it there so no one would find it and he would be able to keep it for himself. He held it against his cheek and let the silent sobs rock his body, it was his entire fault, it always was. *** Wesley felt the same tears against reach his lips and did not try to fight them. Instead he slumped further into his chair unable to stand he slowly let himself slip to the floor and curl up in a small ball and he stayed that way for several minutes until he stopped shaking. Finally he stood up and made his way to his bedroom where he went to his closet and found the box which he kept some of his things from Aberdare in. He bent over to pick up the box, brought it to his bed where he sat down and placed it to the right of him. Carefully he pulled back the flaps of the box and looked inside. There were pictures of his family from his childhood, various letters from Addy and William, papers from his mother, and the box that held his signet ring. He reached and pulled the box out rubbing his fingers over the velvet lining to try to calm himself. He dug a little further into the box and found a scrap of cream-colored silk fabric. "Annette," he whispered to himself as the pulled out the fabric from the box. He took it with him to his desk and rummaged round for an old picture frame that someone had given him. Popping the back of the frame open he took out the picture that the company had put in and threw it into the trash. He smoothed over the piece of fabric a few times, then placed it in the frame, and replaced the backing. "I won't forget again," he said to the picture frame. Setting it on his desk he sat back a little and looked at the piece of fabric. "I promise, I won't forget," he repeated and just stayed there looking at the frame as the rain continued to pour outside. |