A Collection of Daydreams

THE BLACK-EYED CHILDREN

The early morning light was streaming in through the hallway windows, basking the room in its warmth. Noise from the street entered an otherwise quiet house through the open front door. Mr. Ackerly was standing at the doorstep, looking at his young child who stood there fidgeting, the sun seemingly lighting his bright red hair, so similar to his daughter's, on fire.

"Now, Annie," he started with a very stern tone, "I expect you to be on your very best behavior while I am away, am I clear?" he asked, looking his daughter in the eye.

"Yes Papa," the girl answered in the high voice of a child.

"Good, I will be back as soon as I can," he said leaning in, giving his daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Be a nice girl and do what Miss Burrell says. Miss Burrell, are you sure you can handle her?" he asked the nanny, giving a small nod towards Annie.

Now Annie might not have been the nicest of girls, but she was not a troublemaker by any means. She just had something people would call a spirit as fiery as her hair. She in turn, preferred to call it her little charm. The truth is she, just as countless other six-year-olds, believed to be always right and was generally a stubborn little girl.

"Of course Mr. Ackerly, Annie is a bee's knees," the nanny said, earning a smile from the girl in question.

"See Papa, we will be fine. Don't worry," Annie told her father, giving him one last hug before he stepped through the doorstep to their front lawn.

"Okay fine, I believe you. Goodbye Miss Burrell. Bye Ann." Mr. Ackerly said his goodbyes before making his way over to the driveway, getting into his shiny, well-kept Rolls Royce.

The two girls watched him from the doorstep waving to him on his way out of the driveway. Annie's face shone brightly with a big smile, showing off the gap in her front teeth, as she stopped waving him off, putting her hand down. Glancing around she took a quick look at the street assessing the situation her neighbours were in.

The street was already bustling with life as children played in the lawns of neighbouring homes, parents watching over them. Many people also seemed to be at the park right across the street, enjoying a quiet morning stroll. Everything was so bright and lively, that Annie's smile grew only bigger.

She was a kind soul who always seemed to enjoy the happiness of other people, always sensitive to their emotions, just like her mother had.

Her mother, Annie thought, looking into the distance. Her mother was always a kind soul or so Papa said.

You see, she had never known her mother. Mrs. Ackerly died of the Spanish flu, when Annie was just a little baby. Tragic events shadowed the family, as not long after Mrs. Ackerly died Annie's older sister, Lizzie, followed.

"Annie? Annie?" the sweet voice of Miss Burrell reached Annie, pulling her out of her thoughts.

She turned around and bore her big, blue eyes into the girl's, staring at her. Miss Burrell was a very young woman, a girl still, with round brown eyes, high cheekbones and a thin face. Her long brown hair fell to her waist in soft waves. She was indeed very pretty, so much Annie could tell.

What she could also tell was that she had her completely wrapped around her little finger. She was a bright and charismatic one, always swaying people to her side.

"Yes, Miss Burrell?" she asked her.

"Oh God I thought your mind was somewhere else. You gave me the heebie-jeebies. Now come on inside, we will get breakfast," the nanny told her.

"Coming!" exclaimed Annie, glancing at the park for the last time before closing the door.

Now don't get fooled by her age, our Annie prided herself on her observation skills and Miss Burrell was not a person to miss the Important either but this time they both failed to notice it.