𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙖𝙢𝙚 ▻ 𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘴 𝘚𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘣𝘺 [2]

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘖𝘯𝘦

𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚 𝘗𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘖𝘯𝘦

...

     AT THE SAME TIME the booming sound of a gun shot echoes through the dark, empty air at the train station in Small Heath, the sound of a pair of hair shears delicately slicing through the strands that lay between can be heard at the Flander estate in Dartford.

     As Grace Burgess sends a bullet into the chest of her former colleague and not so secret admirer Chester Campbell, Elizabeth Alder takes the first snip at her golden hair with her shining silver shears.

     One after the other, small clusters of the beautiful golden hair that the eldest Shelby brother always joked could cure the plague, delicately float to the Alder's lap beneath as she sits in her bed.

The moment Elizabeth stepped into the estate in Dartford, a ping in her heart could be felt throughout her entire body. Dare she say she almost forgot about the ever-looming eerie feeling that the grand home exuded. And dare she even begin comparing it to the feeling of her childhood home back in Small Heath. Or worse, the home next door to it.

Before her thoughts were able to consume her mind in full, the feeling of a stranger's hand gently rests on the middle of her back. Looking up, her hazel eyes were met with blue ones. And it was as if for a moment her heart skipped a beat; The swelling of happiness threatening to surface but dwindled just as fast as the shade of blue the eyes possessed don't match what her heart had blindly hoped for.

A smile from William shines down at the golden haired girl beside him, who inside unknowing to him uses all of her strength to produce a smile back and mask the undeniable feeling of heartache and disappointment in her chest.

Not those ocean eyes.

     Why was it that she felt the way she did? The question ran ramped through her mind as they walked through their home together for the first time in what seemed like forever. Why did she feel this way when this is what she chose?

Words from William along the journey home from Small Heath loom in her thoughts with each snip of the shears.

"Marriage."

Snip.

"Happiness."

Snip.

"Family."

Snip.

"Children."

Snip.

The idea of any of those words being true within the walls of the Flander estate seemed almost impossible to Elizabeth. But so did ever seeing Thomas Shelby again. Until it happened.

Over dinner Mr. Flander did what he could to convince his fiancé that his words were possible and that he would make necessary changes to make them true - The word 'change' sparking through Elizabeth's mind ever since.

     Change.

     It was that moment at the dinner table with her fiancé in which Elizabeth Alder knew the first step in which she had to make to truly commit to her decision.

     She had to change.

     To become Elizabeth Flander, she had to rid herself of Elizabeth Alder - in every way; Or she would always have a wandering piece of herself in Small Heath which she knew was enough to pull everything in the opposite direction of her choice.

     Snip after snip Elizabeth's golden hair transformed from collectively hanging long near her ribs to just barely touching her shoulders, and delicate bangs framing her face.

     New, was the word that ran through Elizabeth's mind as she sets the shears down and looks at herself in approval in the travel box mirror that is sat in front of her in her lap. It was as if a small weight was lifted off of her shoulders with the separation of her and her long locks.

     Change.

     New.

It had to be done.

     As she continues to stare at the reflection of herself, Elizabeth could still feel her past whispering back to her, calling her back home; And she had a thought that just might make it disappear for good.

...

[ Chapter Status: Not Edited ]