When Annabelle, a young eighteen year old is sent to her grandmothers attic to fetch something she discovers some old photographs and newspaper clippings from 1919. The dates go back to when her grandmother was a child and lived out her own teenag...
After spending my first night at my grandmothers house gorging on our favourite snacks and talking about what we had been up to in the time that had passed between us it was now morning. I awoke to the smell of fresh tea beside me, fluttering my eyes open I saw the silhouette of my grandmother through my sleep ridden eyes. "Nan is that you?" I sat upright in my bed and took the tea on my beside table as my nan sat down across from me. "yes its just me, Annabelle I need to know why you left home? your parents called this morning worried sick".
A sigh escaped my lips and I felt a wave of exhaustion wash over me, "its a little complicated" was all I could manage to say. readjusting her position she moved to the end toward my bed "well I have all day". I shifted my gaze and looked into the hot brewing tea in the small dainty cup I held within my hands. "I just... I just feel like I don't belong in that house. Im just too different and I feel like im loosing myself more and more if I stay there". "well your always welcome here, I actually want to show you something but I need your help fetching it. There are some photos in the attic".
I placed my tea down beside me on the wooden side table and swung my legs off the side of the bed. I walked towards the attic door and walked up the small steps before looking around "they should be in an envelop right next to the door" my grandmother called from behind me. I scanned the surrounding space and lifted a few dust covered objects before my fingers brushed against a brown paper envelope with beautiful running writing with the word Shelby's written on it. I closed the door after leaving the attic behind me as my nan lead me back towards my room. We both sat side by side, upright in bed as she began talking.
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"These photographs belonged to my mother from when she was growing up in Birmingham. At the time she knew some rather dangerous people, she was quite the rebel for a lady in her day might I add" A small giggled escaped my lips and I rested my head upon her shoulder. "Some of these people became rather good friends with her, one family in particular being the Shelby's" "Who were they?" I questioned wanting to know more about the ancestry of my family. "well I don't know where to start..." I shifted a little in my seat. "maybe the head of the family?" I smiled "Well the head of the family was a heartbreakingly gorgeous man who went by the name of Thomas Shelby, in fact this is him right here" she spoke as she pointed to the black and white photo she had just pulled out of the brown envelop.
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She was right, even with the small amount of his face being visible I could already tell that he was indeed a sight to be seen. "your definitely weren't lying" with nudge and a chuckle she continued to talk more about the wonders of the Shelby family. "Thomas had 3 brothers; The eldest Arthur, The jokester John and the youngest Finn. They also have a sister Ada and cousin much like Thomas, his name is was Michael grey" I noticed my grandmother shake her head slightly. "what?" I tried to pry more as a smirk spread across her face "his mother Polly Shelby was a wickedly brilliant women" I chuckled and she got up out of her seat. "I may have gotten a little carried away but what I meant for you to get out of this was all of these people were seen as different and a lot of people admired that... as well as despised it which is probably more of what your feeling back home".
With that she left me to my thoughts to run wild, I decided I was going back up into the attic to put the photos back and do a little more snooping around. Opening the door I slipped the photos back where id found them before having a final look around the cramped space. Right as I was about to leave my eye spotted a large black button up coat, as I ran my fingers across the fabric I could tell that it was of high quality. However it was not from this time. I turned over the inside collar to reveal the infamous name of whom myself and my nan had been gossiping about. Thomas Shelby. A wave of excitement ran through my veins, instantly I placed the garment upon my body and adjusted it to fall perfectly.
"Nan im going for a walk!" I called as I ran from the attic down the wooden stairs and out into the blossoming garden. "how long will you be gone?" she called after me as she watched from the kitchen window. "2 Hours at best!" I responded before continuing down the cobblestone pathway and down the street onto the mainstream concrete footpath. I once more passed the other teenagers sitting on the front porches of their houses most probably murmuring poisonous words about me as I walk by. I couldn't get over the amount of adrenaline running through me at this time, there was just something so intriguing about the life of the Shelby family that left me wanting to know more.
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I came to a small park and followed the pathway through until I was walking upon a riverside and the path had turned to uneven stone. Looking ahead I began walking towards a cobblestone bridge that would lift above me as I walked closer. A strange sensation came over me and a tingling in my fingers began, there was something about this bridge that was making me feel uneasy yet excited all at once. Slowly yet carefully I walked under try now dark bridge. However with this going under I emerged in a place that utterly confused me...
