Collection of Short Stories

Remembering Annie

This was a school assignment (Year 10). The stimulus was Relationships: connections with people, place and things may fade, but the imprint may last a lifetime.

The old, grand house just didn't seem that same without her anymore. It seemed empty like something vital was missing, like the heart from its body. Caroline felt alone. Hollow like the house. She looked around sadly; her room now seemed lifeless and bare. The room seemed to notice that something was gone. She sniffled and wiped away a stray tear. It had been time to let go, even if it had been hard, she had done the right thing, she knew that now. The lonely, petite girl sat in the middle of her small, pink room, her thoughts drifting to another time.

She had first seen Annie when she had been just 4 years old. It had been a cold and wet winter's day. The oven fire warmth spread through the house and if you went close enough to the burning oven you could almost smell the fire crackling upon the burly, coarse wood, which her father always cut to big so that it looked like half the forest was in their oven. Caroline had been bored at home, since her older sister Gwendolyn was at a friend's house, her mum was out grocery shopping and her dad was just too busy with paperwork and had gone into hibernation in the study. It was then, when she had been feeling utterly miserable in the horrid weather, that she had seen her.

Caroline had been sitting in the living room, close by the fire, staring out at the window, watching the raindrops dance and play upon the window glass. She stifled a yawn, as she watched the raindrops, they were making her sleepy and she had to try very hard to stop her eyes from closing. Suddenly she saw a flash of red. Caroline blinked; she must be going mad now. Before her, swinging on her swing was a young red headed girl. She was laughing and singing very loudly.

"I'm singing in the raining,

Just singing in the rain,

What a glorious feeling,

I'm happy again!" she laughed, soaring higher and higher. Caroline's mouth opened in surprise. How dare someone swing on her swing without her! All of the sudden the girl stopped and looked directly at Caroline. She beckoned Caroline to come join her on the swing. Caroline hesitated for a moment before going out into the hallway then putting on her bright pink gum boots and yellow flower rain jacket. She opened the back door carefully not wanting to alert her dad before quickly running out to join the mysterious redheaded girl.

"Do you want to play with me?" the red headed girl asked, smiling at Caroline, dimples forming on her cheeks. Caroline nodded feeling excited, the rain and wind seemed to fade around her.

"My name is Caroline, what's yours?"

"I'm Annie". The redheaded girl replied she had faint freckles along her fair nose. The girls watched each other for a minute, deciding what to make of one another before slow smiles reached both girls lips and they started to giggle.

"Tag you're it!" Caroline laughed and raced off, with Annie running closely after her. The two of them had formed an instant bond.

From then on Caroline was never alone, for Annie had become her constant companion, her most trusted friend. Annie taught Caroline many valuable life lessons, how to be a good friend, to be creative and to make the most of your everyday life. Until last week everything had been perfect, they both had each other. But then Gwendolyn, Caroline's older moody teenage sister, had to ruin it.

The two friends had been having a tea party in Caroline's room when Gwen interrupted them by coming into the room, she had been curious to whom Caroline was talking to.

"Are you talking to yourself again?" Gwen snickered as she came in leaning against the doorway, her small eyes narrowed upon her younger sister, sitting by herself on the fluffy carpet.

"No, I'm talking with Annie." Caroline answered without looking up, pouring another cup of tea for her and Annie. Gwen laughed loudly, her blonde curls bobbing slightly. Carline clenched her fists together getting annoyed, why did Gwen always have to be so horrible towards her?

"Oh Caroline, grow up. You're a bit too old for imaginary friends now aren't you?" Gwen sneered, rolling her eyes, "You're turning 10, stop such being baby." She added, before ruffling her sister's neat blond hair and leaving the room, still laughing to herself.

Caroline sat there feeling confused and a little troubled, her heart speed up a little. Was she really too old? She thought of her school friends, she was sure none of them had any imaginary friends anymore. But could she really survive without Annie? Without her being there for her and giving her clear advice? It was then that she had decided that it was time; she needed to join the real world.

"Caroline? What's wrong?" Annie asked looking at her with concern in her emerald green eyes; the tea had become cold by now. Caroline took a deep breath and turned to face Annie, small tears threating to form in her eyes, it was now or never.

"Caroline!!" A voice broke into the young girls' thoughts. Caroline jumped up and quickly wiped away her tears before turning to her mother who was standing in her doorway.

"Your friends are--have you been crying?" Jane asked looking at her youngest daughter with concern. She never liked to see her any of her daughters upset.

"Annie is gone." Caroline whispered, tears building in her blue eyes again. Jane looked at her daughter with understanding. She swiftly rushed to her daughter's side and hugged her close, murmuring soothing words. She embraced Caroline close, holding her like only a mother could.

"Come on now, the princess is missing out on her party!" her mother said letting go of her, trying to cheer her up. She wiped the crystal looking tears from Caroline's now wet face.

"A princess shouldn't be crying on her birthday now should she?" she said quietly. Caroline shook her head, a small smile forming on her face.

Caroline skipped out of her room feeling much lighter and happier; mothers just always seemed to have that magic touch. When she reached the garden, where her friends were waiting for her, Caroline's smile grew bigger. It would be alright, she had learned many things from Annie now it was time to use those values with her real friends. It would be hard had first but she knew Annie wouldn't want her to think like that, she would want her to move on.

The imprint that she would leave behind with would stay with her forever through her many years to come, even if Caroline didn't know this yet and didn't realize but it would always there at the back of her mind and heart. She giggled and did a little dance humming 'Singing in the Rain" before skipping off to join her friends, feeling excited to play with her friends.

From a distance a young red headed girl, invisible from the rest of the world watched Caroline join her family and friends in the flowering garden. She observed a little longer before closing her eyes. She smiled, feeling complete. 

The girl disappeared with the breeze.

 Her time was up.