Before the Darkest Storm

Prologue

Copyright ©2012 MandyMuch

All Rights Reserved.

Note: Please realize that this story is currently NOT edited. I am working on slowly editing the whole story so please DON'T comment on my mistakes. I am aware of them, and I am working to fix them. Please remember that these are my rough drafts so they won't be perfect.

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Prologue:

(In the point of view of a 10 year old Anastasia)

The mucky water splattered around me as I jumped in the large puddle on my way to see Loretta. The rain had been pouring down continuously for the past three days. It hasn't stopped once- well maybe it has, but I wasn't awake to see it.

Colby, the tall burly caretaker followed me down the wet path towards the horse stable. It was a long ways away from the main house but when the clouds were dispersed and the sun was high, it was quite beautiful. When we reached the stables we were greeted by loud snorts, neighing, and a smell so distinct that it could only belong to horses. Colby turned on the bright lights and left to fetch the horse feed.

I made my way to my beloved Loretta. She was a gorgeous thoroughbred Arabian horse, with a body as black at the midnight sky. She has a white diamond between her eyes and her hooves were the color of fresh fallen snow. She was just a year old, but I could already tell that she was going to be a tough one. I spent some time brushing her and talking to her about the horrible weather. Colby thought I was strange, but really who else would talk to her if I didn't?

Colby was doing rounds with the vet while I sat by Loretta. She was gifted to me by my mom, just a few months before she died of cancer. People often think that I am still grieving over her death, but in fact I am very grateful that she was able to get away from all the pain. My mom had a rare form of leukemia. At first the doctors weren't very sure about what she had, because leukemia often affected young children not women of my mother's age. But after ample tests they confirmed their diagnosis, by the time they finally found the cancer it had spread so much that not even the best hospitals or doctors made a difference at the end.

Yes, I was sad about her death, but I knew that she would always be in my heart and in my mind guiding me through life.

"Ana, your dad just called, he wants you home right now. I'll send Taylor to escort you back." Colby said breaking off my train of thought.

Taylor was Colby's son; he was studying to be a vet so he spends every minute that he's not in school, trailing behind Dr. Johnson, our vet. I could see him making a great vet; he was always so gentle with the animals.

"It's okay Colby; I can go back by myself." I said standing up and dusting off the dry hay that stuck to my butt and the back of my shirt.

Colby grumbled out something that I probably shouldn't have heard. I knew I wasn't allowed to go back and forth to the house from here by myself, but I never understood why.

"I'm ten years now, you know? I'm a big girl. What's the worst that could happen to me between here and the house?" I asked placing my small hands on my waist.

Colby didn't even answer me before turning and heading back to the office he came out of. I let out a puff out air.

"Boo!" Taylor said coming up behind me. I just laughed at him; he always made so much noise when he moved that I could hear him approaching from a mile away.

"You know that never works Tay-Tay, so why do you still try it?" I asked looking up at his brilliant blue eyes and messy blonde hair that had a few pieces of hay stuck in it.