The Sexton House - Harry Styles * COMPLETED*

42.

"It all started in 1902, the year Daniel was born. I was being forced into an arranged marriage with a young man named Max Williams. His parents and mine were life-long friends, they thought we were meant to be. But when I fell pregnant in late fall of 1901, everything changed...for the worse." I focus in on Anna as she explains herself. I recognize the name Max and I know exactly who he is. He had came to my house not long after I had purchased it, I had also seen him lurking in the cemetery.

"When my parents found out of my secret, they were ashamed, but they weren't devastated until I explained that the child wasn't Max's. My parents were so shocked and disappointed in how it seemed I would just throw myself at any man, which was so far from the truth since I had only been with Daniel's father." I urge Anna to continue her story, even though she still seems hesitant.

"They thought I had ruined my future with any wealthy man, since I was knocked up with the maid's son, who helped tend the garden. I tried to explain my love for the boy, but my parents only saw me as a burden that was now carrying extra baggage." Anna places a strand of hair behind her ear while fiddling with her thumbs.

"That's terrible... How could your parents be so cruel? Why couldn't they just accept the child with open arms?" Anna laughs, while shaking her head.

"That's not even the worst thing they did." I'm shocked to know they could be any crueler. "Since I was pregnant, they wanted Max to think the child was his, so they had us elope and of course within a few weeks I told Max he was to be a father. I felt awful for Daniel's dad, but I made sure to let him know the child was his. I would sneak out of the house and go visit him when Max wasn't home. Once Danny got a little older I had to stop bringing him with me since he never learned to keep a secret, but he was only three so what do you expect?" She laughs, reliving the memories of many many years ago.

"Who was Daniel's father? I don't think you ever said." I can only wonder who Anna was so in love with. Who did her heart belong to so many years ago?

"His name was Charlie." She says with a beaming smile stretched across her face. I stop, while my mouth falls slightly a gap. She can't the mean caretaker of The Sexton House Charlie, can she? It can't be, he's alive, and Anna is dead and has been for years. If he was still alive he would be over hundred years old.

"What is it? Did I say something wrong?" Anna question's trying to search my face for answers.

"You said this man worked at the Sexton House, right?" She nods her head, still wondering what my mind could be thinking.

"Sometimes I think I see him, but a much older version of the man I once fell so madly in love with. Sometimes when I close my eyes I can hear him, it's like he is right downstairs." Anna looks around the cemetery like she is actually trying to search for her first love, but I have this feeling I know exactly who he is and somehow he is very much alive.

"Who killed Daniel?" I remember reading in one of the books on the Sexton's how Daniel was strangled at the age of three.

"I had left Daniel with a sitter and headed for the park. I went there to meet Charlie, I wanted to bring Danny, but I knew he would tell on me. I spent a few hours there telling Charlie how great of a father he was to his son even if he wasn't in his life and how things were going to be better when all three of us ran off to Europe in that fall," Anna slowly explains, "But when I arrived home the house was quiet, too quiet and Max was sitting in the rocking chair with a smug grin." I have a feeling I know where this is going and I don't want it to be true for Anna's sake.

"Max had murdered my son, my husband had killed my child." I wrap my arms around Anna and hold her tight even though she has no emotions, but I just feel like deep down she does.

"I tried calling the police, but Max said he would kill me and my family if I did, so I kept quiet. Everyday from that day forward I regretted going to that park to see Charlie and knew if I hadn't my son wouldn't be dead."

"That is terrible. How could he be so cruel? Even if Daniel wasn't his, how could he kill a child he believed was his for three years?" I was furious with this Max dude and I just want to kill him, even though I know he has to be dead.

"I asked myself the same thing. About a month later is when I was struck by lighting I just had this awful feeling that day and I didn't want to spend the night with Max, but he insisted." I cannot fathom how cruel of a person this man is, I hope he is rotting in hell.

"I am so sorry." I'm not really for sure what else to say. I stand up and grab her hand and start to lead us into the woods.

| Authors Note |

I told you guys so much in this chapter! And there's even more to come. I plan for there to be about 8 more chapters left (unless I decide on more or less, depends on the story)

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