Anna

II

"You have bewitched me. Mind, body, and soul."
Pride and Prejudice

Anna cannot see. She feels blankets underneath her bosom. Her hands search the area surrounding her. She is on a bed. She slowly pulls her legs off the bed. Her feet connect with a hardwood surface. Sliding against the smooth flooring, she tries to find her way through the dark.

Candlelight slips through the bottom of a door. Anna finds it difficult to walk the short distance. Her head hurts, and it pains her to think about small things. Anna grabs the handle on the door, and pulls it towards herself. Anna sees a hallway. Numbers mark the doors placed inconspicuously throughout the dim-lit corridor.

A candle sits on the top of a small wooden dresser straight across from Anna's door. Above the candle is a mirror. The dusty mirror is nailed to the empty space in the wall, and Anna merely glances at her reflection. Her dress is burnt in several places, and Anna remembers the tragic burning of her town. She does not know where her current location is. Anna assumes she is rooming in an inn.

Anna haggardly limps down the hallway, and reminds herself not to fall. Halfway through her slow progress, she collapses on the floor. Anna lands with a loud thud. Anna wants to sleep. She wants to sleep forever, and never wake up. Anna closes her eyes.

Hands brush against the side of Anna's face, and they caress her cheek in a caring manner. Anna inhales deeply. She smells the strong scent of smoke, sweat, and a faint pine. Her head is cushioned on a soft pillow. The warmth eases her pain, and diminishes her atrocious headache. Anna is in the past night's unknown bed. Light comes through the thin curtains covering the windows.

She opens her eyes, and her vision is cloudy. Anna rubs away the grogginess with her frail hand. In front of Anna, a man sits. His eyes gaze at her intently. His dark, smoldering, brown eyes watch over Anna. Dirty-blond hair comes to his shoulders, and he wears the faint outline of a beard. The man is in his early twenties.

Anna jumps up from the bed. Her legs protest from the extreme amounts of pain, but Anna fiercely pushes herself away from the stranger. The man is a Northern soldier. His blue uniform is burnt and covered in ash. The Yankee's hands are on the edge of the bed, and are scorched with raw, burn marks. This man terrifies Anna. She presses her back against the the wall, and successfully accomplishes getting far away from the soldier.

He watches her with amusement, and his mouth curves into a small smile. It astonishes Anna how the man could think the matter is funny.

"Get away from me!" Anna spits at the man. Tears spill onto her cheeks.

The stranger stands up. His deep, brown eyes show with sympathy. "I am truly sorry, Miss. You were unconscious, and we did not want to leave you in the forest." He speaks calmly, and his voice soothes Anna.

She remembers the old stories about desperate soldiers taking advantage of young, helpless maidens. Anna cringes and pushes herself closer to the wall. If the man is willing to burn down a town, Anna knows he will not think twice about murdering or raping her.
The man takes notice in her fear and speaks again. "We will not bring harm to you. You have my word, ma'am."

Anna studies the soldier carefully. He wrings his sore hands while talking, but he speaks with care and confidence. Anna takes a step forward and frees herself from the safety of the wall. "Anna. My name is Anna Roberts." Anna simply states.

The man smiles, and introduces himself. "John Williams." Anna's eyes do not leave the man. He looks at her with longing, and Anna feels nervous under his attention.

"You will stay here until you are able to find another place to live." He says, generously. "I have took care of your boarding fees."

Although the offer is nice, Anna misses her town. She wants to tell John of how much she wants her familiar room in her town back. She keeps her mouth closed, and blinks back more tears. "Thank you." Anna whispers across the space between them.

"Goodbye, Anna." John nods his head in farewell. Anna likes the way he says her name. John rolls her name off his tongue, and enunciates it with his husky voice. John turns to leave. However, the door opens for him, and a young maid barges into the entrance shrieking, "Whore! Whore! Whore!"

•••

The maid grabs Anna around the neck, and John sprints the distance to stop her. John pries the maid's hands off Anna's neck. Anna gasps for breath. She has red bruises around the bottom of her neck. The maid grabs for Anna again, but John pulls her out of her reach. "

You whore!" The maid snarls at Anna. "You think we let prostitutes board at our inn?" She hisses out her words as would a deadly snake. The maid struggles against John's hold.

Anna being accused of prostitution confuses John. Anna is not a whore. The innkeeper only assumes she is a whore. Anna is with a group of soldiers, and all by herself. One can only make assumptions.

"I want her out now!" The maid screams. She thrashes in John's hold, and makes failed attempts at lunging for Anna.

Anna is cowering in the room's corner. John directs a look of approval at the terrified woman, and she quickly sprints out the door to the inn room. John still holds the violent woman. She yells and kicks with furious anger. John shoves the maid in the opposite direction of the door. She travels backwards and slams into the bed post. John rushes out of the door. He closes the exit and locks the door knob. Running down the inn corridor, John hears the woman's sobs and screams.

The group of soldiers are waiting for John when he arrives at the main entrance to the inn. The Yankees are rested and alert. Anna stands among them. John gives orders to evacuate.

Once outside, John watches Anna. She is walking along the left side of the Northern soldiers. Anna is an outcast among this group of soldiers. Her icy blue eyes are wet and puffy from crying. In attempts to make the young women feel better, John is making her situation worse.The innkeeper had thrown Anna out, and now she has nowhere to go. John is causing Anna problems that she should not have to bear.

John approaches her timidly. Anna notices John immediately. He wipes a trailing tear off her cheek. She flinches, and is surprised by the gesture. John does not start conversation. He continues watching Anna. John remembers the feel of her cheeks from this morning, and he remembers the softness of her dark hair.

Her eyes are stunning, and they pierce into John. Anna's eyes remind him of the clear, summer waters in Michigan. Michigan was John's home. The war is what came between his family and him. John is learning to accept the soldiers as his family and his brothers. Anna's eyes are wild, and they dart in every direction. John can see she is scared. He wants to hold her and he wants to comfort her, but he settles on words.

"I give you permission to stay with me, if you like." John casts a sideways glance at Anna. She smiles, but does not respond with words yet.

Anna raises her face to look at John. "I would like that." She whispers. John is relieved at her answer. His mouth curves into a smile, and John continues walking with the soldiers, alongside Anna.