Anna was only fourteen years old; her life was a tangle of troubles. The once-small town she called home now sprawled, its growth accompanied by rising crime rates and soaring costs. Freedom dwindled.
When she was little, life had seemed like an endless adventure. Her family, especially her grandmother, had been her playmates—dressing up, exploring, and laughing in the sun-drenched playground. But time had a way of erasing magic. Now, her grandmother's visits were rare, and the playground lay abandoned.
Anna's struggle to meet her parents' high standards left her perpetually teetering on the edge of tears. Their constant fights, like a storm that refused to pass, wore her down. And the dullness of her existence gnawed at her soul.
She sought solace in fantastical stories—the mighty wizards, sneaky burglars, and ancient curses seemed to become like her friends. In those pages, she became a character herself, sitting alongside heroes who battled dragons and danced with destiny.
Yet even the magic of books waned. Her parents' fights escalated, and her beloved grandmother's disappointment cut deep.
When life became too much, Anna would gaze at the night sky, praying for escape. Stars became her confidants, and she whispered her longing to join the fictional worlds that had become her refuge.
One fateful night, after her parents' latest cruelty, Anna's prayers were answered. In the dim corner of her room, a raspy voice emerged. "I hear you've been seeking a way out," it said.
Anna's fear mingled with hope. "Yes," she stammered in reply.
"I can give you what you desire but it will come at a price." The figure materialized—a shadowy form demanding her attention. "Sign your name on this contract," it urged, offering a quill and parchment. Desperate for escape, Anna scribbled her name without reading the fine print. The contract vanished, leaving her trembling.
Morning arrived, unchanged. Disappointment settled in; perhaps it had all been a dream. She climbed into the car with her mother, heading to school and her mother to work. But fate had other plans. As she left her mother's own car, A truck materialized, hurtling toward Anna. It struck her, and darkness swallowed her world.
When Anna awoke, she found herself in an empty void. Desperate, she called out, but silence echoed back. Then, the raspy voice returned. "An easy catch, you were. What's your name?"
Panic gripped her. "My name is—" She hesitated. "I can't remember— I can't remember anything! Where am I?!"
Anna stood in the void, her memory a tattered veil. The raspy voice echoed in reply, its malevolence palpable. "Remember that funny little paper you signed? Well, it's the contract that gives me ownership of your soul." Escape seemed impossible. She searched the darkness for answers, her mind racing. How could she undo this pact? The contract—its ink now etched on her very essence—mocked her.
YOU ARE READING
The Fate Trilogy: Anna
FantasyAnna is 14 and overwhelmed by life. She yearned to join the fantastical worlds she always read about. Unexpectedly her prayers were answered after unwittingly signing a contract and unintentionally selling her soul. "She finds herself in the void, a...
