The Storm Inside

Chapter 6

I LOVEEEEE the song above for this chapter

Annabelle's POV

A few minutes after Mama left, Gilbert suggested I get home and suggests I tell her that I had been in the woods all morning or at the beach.

30 min time skip...

I had just arrived home and I was ready to face my mothers wrath. I walked in and she had been waiting for me.

"Where have you been young Lady?"

"I um, was really stressed about school so I went down to the beach for a while."

"mhmmm... okay, I trust you. Just please don't do it again."

"Yes Mama" I could tell she barely believed me.

"Now go upstairs until dinner, you know the rules"

"Yes, Mama" At least she let me off easy. I headed upstairs and stayed there until dinner which was potato soup. I was so bored, I had nothing to do for hours except read. I still go to sleep at my normal time, around 9. I was less tired today because of Gilbert and I was very thankful for him.

4 hour time skip...

I woke up to my mother yelling frantically that the Gillis's house was on fire. It was way too early and to be honest, why should I help Ruby? She has deeply hurt me. so why? Who knows, but I rush to go put my coat on and I hurry down the stairs. We arrive at the scene and you see the men and boys helping to put out the fire. Anne is the first to realize it, but she comes over to me and says we need to close the doors and windows to stop oxygen flow. I agree and I follow her into the house, ignoring the pleas of our families and neighbors not to go in. She takes downstairs and I take upstairs. I go as quickly as I can, fighting against the smoke and the bad memories. I go to close the last door and I see Gilbert in the window dumping buckets of water to stop the fire. I stop in my tracks.

"Annabelle? Get out of there now! Please!!!"

"I will Gilbert, I just have to do one more thing first"

I close the last door and I go to find Anne I see her coughing trying to get out and a beam falls in front of us. We can't get out. Oh no. I start to breathe more heavily. I'm gonna die in here like my parents, I don't want to die, I have to get out. I pull myself together, coughing and choking on the thick black smoke. I see a window not covered in flames and I ask Anne to gab the cloth by her and I wrap it around my fist to avoid injury. First punch, that hurt more than I thought. Second punch, I feel the glass on my fist. Punch three, I have succeeded but I can't breathe. I prop Anne up and get her through the window but I don't think I have enough strength to pull myself up and climb through the window.

"ANNABELLE!!!" Thats Gilbert. But its too late, I'm not gonna make it out and I don't want anybody to risk their lives for me. He pops his head through the window and sees me coughing and leaning against the wall to sit on the floor as I except my fate. He jumps through the window and picks me up, I am too weak to protest so I obey when he lifts me up and out of the window. I tumble out and I can't breathe. But I start thinking about Gilbert. Is he okay? Will he make it out? I don't want to lose him, I can't lose him. Because of those thoughts I start to breathe harder when the flashbacks of my parents dying in the fire curses my mind. I can 't breathe. The fear is suffocating along with the constant feeling of worry for Gilbert. Mama tries to calm me down. Now I can't stop the tears pouring down my face. I start coughing and I can't breathe, it feels like all of the smoke is closing up my throat and it burns like its own fire.

"Gilbert!! Thank god your ok!" As soon as I hear those words I calm down but my coughing doesn't stop. I don't wanna die, I can't. I'm not ready.

"GILBERT, OVER HERE!!!" He runs over and I feel his presence next to me.

"Open your eyes Annabelle, I need you to open them." Yet again, I obey and I open my eyes. I see his brown orbs filled with relief until I start coughing again and the tears pool down my face. I can't breathe and this time, it might be my last breath. I feel a hand on my chest and someone starts to perform CPR.

"Stay with me Annabelle, please. Come on Annabelle" Gilbert is trying to help me but I don't know what to do. Its like I forgot how to breathe. Suddenly my throat starts to open up and I can breathe again. But the tears don't stop, they're a mixture of happy tears and sad tears. The horrid memories of my parents fresh in my mind.

When I catch my breath as best as I can, I sit up and throw my arms around Gilbert. My tears soak his shirt but I know he doesn't care. We stay like that for what feels like forever. Mama politely excuses herself and the "excitement" had ended so we were all alone. I pulled away after a few moments and I looked him in the eyes, I felt his gaze moving between my eyes and my lips searching for an answer. I knew in that moment I needed him and only him, nothing else mattered. I went for it. My lips landed on his and I could feel the surprise, but he quickly responded to the kiss. It was quick, but you could feel the emotion poured into it. When we pull away we stared at each other in awe, I lean in again needing more. My lips then again land on his chapped ones and I run my hands through his hair. This time, I feel more passion and need than just our overdue feelings. When we pull away, we are both breathing heavily. He keeps his hands on my cheeks and wipes away the tears. They have gone from tears of fear, to happiness, but now I'm getting the same suffocating feeling as before when the memories of my parents flooded my head. The tears run down my face as Gilbert wipes them away, but there are too many. So instead he pulls me in for another hug. I let it all out, all of my emotions, I was exhausted.

Hey Guys!!! 

Sry I was inactive, I needed a break to brainstorm.I'm currently on another quick brainstorm and I have a really important art submission due in 2 days so I'll try my best to get back to this. 

I write best at 11 pm-2:30 am. ;) its weirdly my best hour.

 I take suggestions, so leave some in the comments.

ff abt me: I love Melanie Martinez  and 2008 Lady Gaga. (Also almost any type of music, 70's, 80's, 90's, R&b, I also do 1940's  french music. And ofc indie, and alternative)

What do you guys like? (Music wise)

<3