Blinded By The Past-- The Greatest Showman/Anne Wheeler Fanfiction

Chapter 5

*Not Edited*
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The Wheeler Siblings walked back into the tent, seeing everyone waiting patiently. Some looked worried, mostly Phillip.

"I'm fine," Anne told him.

"If this is too much, we understand,"

"Don't worry 'bout it,"

"What happened to you and Charlotte?" Helen asked.

"Well," Anne started out as she sat back in her seat next to her brother. "The next day, it was the last time I have ,"

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**Flashback, 1835**

Anne woke up early the next day. Her fellow slaves were still resting, making her look outside. She quietly made her way to the door and walked outside. She looked up, seeing the stars slowly fading. Anne knew the sun would come up at any moment.

She grabbed a wooden bucket and went to the water pump. The girl remembered her word she gave to her friend so she dumped the water in the bucket.

The slave girl carried the water to the tree that led to Charlotte's room along with a strong rope. She tied the rope around the handle carried the other end up with her. Once she reached the window, the child took the rope and placed it on the thickest branch above her.

She looked in the window, seeing her friend sound asleep. She wondered for a moment. Wondered what it's like to sleep in, what its like to sleep on a real bed. Anne quickly focused back on her task and did the secret knock on Charlotte's window.

Charlotte didn't wake up, only shuffling in the blankets. Anne did the knock again, making Charlotte slowly open her eyes. She rubbed them, then saw her mulatto friend. She smiled and opened the window.

"Hi Annie," She greeted.

"Hi Charlie," Anne replied.

"Do you always wake up this early?"

"Pretty much,"

"That must be tiring,"

"Sometimes, especially every time I visit you,"

Charlotte felt a bit of sympathy for her friend. She would sometimes see Anne and her family in the fields through the window and the outside porch. She would secretly wave at her, and she would sometimes wave back. Though most of the time, when Anne stopped picking cotton for even a second, a whip threatened to strike her.

The master's daughter knew how much Anne goes through. Every day, she would see her friend working in the sun while she sits in the shade. She would at times think about what would happen if she were poor. If she had to work every day.

Anne motioned Charlotte to grab the rope. She did and saw the bucket of water tied to it. Anne began pulling it, while the pale girl helped. At least attempted on helping.

Charlotte began feeling tired not long after. Sweat started to form on her forehead, an unusual feeling to her. As for Anne, she kept on pulling. She may have been the smallest out of all the slaves, but she was exceptionally strong for her age and size.

The water eventually reached the window, and Charlotte grabbed her porcelain jug. Anne poured the water into the jug, most of it spilling to the ground. Once it was full, Charlotte carefully carried it back to the table.

"Are you ready?" The slave girl asked. The pale girl smiled and began climbing out the window.

"Ready as I'll ever be,"

The two quickly climb down the tree. Charlotte was a quick learner, so it didn't take long to reach the ground. They looked around, no one was up yet. Anne led Charlie through the cotton fields, which was like a whole new world to the pale girl.