Purcell's Pairings | ✔

XVI

     ANNALISE WAS EXHAUSTED. If sleep was a thing that existed that night, it hadn't dared come near her. She was awake almost all night, staring blindly at the dimmed ceiling, staring hopelessly out the large rectangular window in her room, staring with a fatigued-filled expression at the fluffy pillows that were ready to hug her head in all the right spots. She'd barely received a comfortable wink of sleep. Fearful that John would come to her, worried about what was happening back at home, her mind refused to settle down enough to get snug in her bed. Of course, she was to wake early, too, for it wasn't her house and because she had chores to do.

     Chores. Annalise never believed she'd have to do chores.

     Serena had sent her out bright and early, claiming that the earlier the better when it came to picking out the best fruits and meats. Annie didn't even know what was considered the "best" type; she'd just pick based on size. Her bonnet was tucked close to her eyes to protect her from the blinding rays of the sun and to avoid running into anyone she knew. The chances of that were slim, but never impossible. Thankfully, her tactics seemed to work, because she managed to swerve in and out of multiple crowds in the marketplace without once having someone call out her name. 

     Annalise headed over to the nearest fruit stand. One other woman was standing there, covered from head-to-toe; a servant. Quietly, Annie drifted up beside her. Neither said a word; Annie was far more concentrated on figuring out what melon it was she was to pick out for Serena. It was difficult to keep focused, though, with the blazing heat; why hadn't she brought a fan? Sweat had already begun to unattractively form beads on her forehead, and she swiped them away before they turned frisky and drizzled down her face. 

     "Miss?" a voice called out. It appeared far away, though it hit her eardrums in a rather tough manner; how close was the speaker? Everything seemed fuzzy, as if all the surrounding noise had died down. Annalise jumped a bit, snapping back into the moment. Her vision, which had blurred as she zoned out, focused in again, and she found herself staring at an older man, the one who was running the stand. "Miss, are you alright?"

     "I am," came her response. Her tongue felt thick, swollen, and the words were difficult to get out. She felt exhausted, and it was so hot. Leaning forward ever-so-slightly to catch her breath, Annie messily slammed the woven basket on the market's counter, unsure if it caused any destruction or not. Her head was swirling, thoughts like a whirlwind... Her eyes fluttered open and closed once before dots representing the little bodies of ants dashed in and ate up the enriching colours around her. She collapsed to the ground.

—

     "Oh, you've awakened!"

     A soft baby blue filled Annalise's vision as her eyelids delicately opened like flower petals, ready to bloom and seek out the world's beauty. Planks stretched above her, and she realized quickly that she was staring at a ceiling. Confused with a fuzzy mind, Annalise slowly wriggled herself upright. Her upper body swayed slightly; her head felt like it weighed the same as two heads together, though the inside felt completely empty. A sharp gasp left her lips as a pain emerged near the crook of her neck, and she felt added weight to her shoulders as she was carefully pushed back down.

     "Do not move quickly, Annalise, you are ill." There came the voice again. It was unfamiliar, and after another few seconds of trying to catch her breath, Annie craned her neck to get a view of the owner of the quiet voice. It belonged to a girl, most likely not much older than sixteen. She had big, round eyes the colour of the ocean, and wavy blonde hair. Her skin was fair, her face narrow. She seemed to hold the power of youth within her, despite being of young age already. Overall, Annalise knew she was not familiar with the stranger, and she must have worn a quizzing expression on her face, because the girl dipped her head and murmured, "I am Olivia Bellegarde."