CHAPTER 2: AWAKE
Anna wakes up in a cold sweat, and her first instinct is to call Keith or Beck, but then she realizes that she had only experienced a nightmare. In her mind however, all nightmares feel like reality since they take her back to the past when she was married to that monster. The fear of reliving that trauma sometimes keeps her awake all hours of the night, and once she does fall asleep, it’s only for three or four hours at a time. Sometimes, the only thing that keeps her fear and anxiety at bay is by not associating the name of the threat for what it is. He who should not be named, or “the monster” she tells herself, trying to force away those past memories.
ADAMWhenever Adam was at his boring office job, he would allow his thoughts to drift off to that night of the party. He wanted to know so much more about Anna, and thinking of her would make him mull over his past failed relationships. It’s not like him to throw pity parties for himself, but on this particular afternoon, he just felt more anxious and uneasy than usual, and so he impulsively decided to drive to a bar. All it took for him to get drunk was three shots, and the bartender had to wake him up after an hour and a half had passed. Once Adam took note of the time on his phone, he called up a friend to come get him. Which friend he called was of no concern to him- not that he didn’t enjoy hanging out with both Steve and Chase, but ever since Steve found himself a girlfriend, he hasn’t been acting like his usual self. Once the phone rang, Steve’s voice filled the receiver. “Are you at a bar?”
“Yeah. What of it?”
“You really shouldn’t be hanging out over there. You never know what kind of weirdos are over there stirring up trouble.” Adam rolled his eyes at the comment and rudely said “Thanks, Dad. When will I be able to speak to Steve, the best friend?”
“I’m just trying to help out here.”
“If you want to help me, then perhaps you can stop nagging me and get over here.”
“Okay, Mr. Attitude. I’ll be there in the next few minutes.” Once Steve had pulled up to the front of the bar, Adam made his way into the passenger’s seat. “Are you sure there’s nothing going on with you? I’m not here to be bossy or get on your nerves…”
“Oh, so now you’re deciding to be my friend?”
“Really, Adam? I don’t understand why you keep acting this way around me.”
“Just forget it. You won’t understand.”
“Is that your final answer, or do you want to try again?” Adam didn’t respond, and the two of them sat in the car in silence the rest of the way home. Once Steve put the car in park and they entered their apartment, Chase greeted them with some non-alcoholic drinks and a couple game controllers. “Tonight’s the night guys, so I want you to put aside your differences and get along for once. Can you do that for me?”
“That’s fine with me,” Steve said as he took a sip of his drink. “Do you think you can handle that, Adam?” Adam offered a snicker in Steve’s direction, which made Chase cock his eyebrow. He then laughed in amusement and said “sometimes I really wonder why you have to be immature, but none of that matters tonight! Are y'all ready to slay the final beast in Gandall’s Horn? It’s going to be a challenge like no other!” The three guys clinked their glasses together as a toast before sitting down, took one last sip and then started up the game.
CHAPTER 3: MOVE
When Anna first moved from her small house in back Connecticut, she knew she wanted a place that’s comfortable, yet spacious. Having never experienced living in an apartment, she knew that it would be more suitable for her to save up for a house in a neighborhood. The idea of living in an apartment always made her feel anxious and uncomfortable, and when Keith brought that up as an option, she immediately started to feel dizzy. “Okay, so we won’t go that route. I’m sorry if I hit a nerve there.” After a couple minutes of regaining her composure, she offered a small smile, knowing it wasn’t his fault.
CONNECTICUT, 1990Beck is the only family that Anna has since both her parents died a few years after she was born. Growing up, her older sister was someone she greatly admired as she always showed great strength. She also told great stories, and whenever Anna felt scared or sad, Beck would always show great loyalty and comfort her until she felt better. One instance of this is when six-year-old Anna found a snapping turtle while playing outside in the rain. Anna was a bit more fearless at that age and would play outside no matter what the weather conditions were, and when she found the turtle, she got so excited and wanted to bring it home to show Beck. The minute she stuck her hand out, the turtle stuck its head out and bit the tip of her pinky finger, making her jump and quickly run back inside the house. After shutting the door and taking off her raincoat, she trudged into the kitchen with tears in her eyes, telling her sister to kiss her injury. “It hurts so bad, Beck. Why did the turtle have to be mean?”
“Well little sis, that wasn’t just an ordinary turtle you found. You’ll have to be more careful next time, but I’m sorry he bit you.” Anna fiddled with the band-aid that her sister put on her finger before jumping off the kitchen island.
The relationship that Beck and Anna had as children remained strong until Beck decided to move out and attend college for her law degree. It had always been a goal she had in mind, getting her degree and becoming a lawyer, but because both of them had to rely on each other for the first several years of life, Beck would spend her days caring for Anna, and then reserving her studies in school for the evenings after her sister was asleep. It would have been foolish for Beck to admit that she didn’t care or didn’t want to stay with her sister, but at the same time, she knew that she wanted a life of her own, hoping that Anna would one day be able to achieve the same thing. When she found out about her marrying Seth in the middle of her senior year of high school, she had her suspicions and worries. For one, Anna still had yet to graduate, and she had only been dating Seth for a year and a half. Adding onto those feelings of worry was that even though she wanted to believe that Seth was a good person, something about him just didn’t seem quite right. At the time, Beck couldn’t figure out what that was, and so she didn’t say anything in fear of losing her sister out of anger or haste. The two of them relied on each other so much growing up, and when she finally moved out of her childhood home, the two girls just fell out of communication with each other.
PRESENT DAYAnna was enjoying some time in the shade of her backyard, listening to the birds and taking in the moment when she noticed something rustling around in a bush. At first the movement startled her, but then she relaxed herself when she realized it was just a squirrel scurrying around, trying to find an acorn or some other food to munch on. A slow minute passed and another sound startled her, and so she decided to get up and go back inside her house. Sometimes even on a good day when the weather’s nice, the littlest things can make Anna feel scared or anxious. When she opened the sliding door that led into the living room, she noticed a shadow lurking by the front door, or at least, she thought she did. She slowly crept into the kitchen, making sure to not make a sound as she took each step. Once she came into focus of the kitchen island, her eyes widened in bewilderment and confusion.
“Hey, I’m sorry to come in unannounced or for not calling in advance. I just wanted to see you.”
“Um… I don’t know what to say. Hi?” Beck offered a smile, but her sister couldn’t move a muscle on her face or in her legs. “Do you want to sit down, sis? Or should I pick you up like old times?” The thought made Beck chuckle under her breath, but Anna still didn’t say anything in return. “Look, I’m sorry if my presence startled you, but really, I just wanted to see you. It’s been too long.”
“You think?” Anna mutters. “You left me when I was eighteen. I had no one, and even after Seth and I got married and moved out, things weren’t as peachy as you may think.”
“I’m sorry!” Beck takes a few steps back, throwing her hands up in an act of guilt that remains apparent not just in her face, but also in her heart. “There are so many things I should have said to you back then. I should have told you sooner what was going on with me, and I should have reached out to you more often.” Anna stood frozen still, trying to process everything that had happened to her in the last several years of her existence after her sister had left. Part of her wanted to feel more angry, but instead, she just felt numb; maybe even a little hurt and betrayed. Between the trauma of what happened with Seth and the hurt she felt while seeing her sister after so long, part of her just wanted to run and hide. Instead, she felt as if every bone in her body was frozen in paralysis and she didn’t know how to move.
“Are you okay, Anna? You don’t look so good.” Silence. She couldn’t speak, and seeing Beck standing in front of her just put Anna in total shock. After a slow two minutes passed, Beck moved closer to her sister and put her arms around her. She could feel Anna trembling slightly, and the more she inched closer, she could feel and hear the pain in Anna’s stifled crying. Beck knew she would never understand what she’s been through, but in this moment right now, she could tell that her sister needed her now more than ever.
CHAPTER 4: STRUGGLES
Adam, Steve and Chase have been sharing a house together for nearly three years now, and while the three of them do enjoy being around each other, they bicker and argue just like any group of friends would. The only thing that’s made things more challenging recently is adjusting to Steve being the first in the group to have a girlfriend, and the way he talks about her makes Adam and Chase realize that he’s serious about his commitment and wants to eventually marry her. More so, it makes Adam realize just how jealous he may be feeling on the inside, though he would never admit that to Steve or even to himself sometimes. Maybe this is why he’s suddenly taken an interest in the new girl next door.
Adam was an only child growing up, and both his parents have careers that keep them super busy, and so a lot of his time was spent alone. His many hobbies and interests, which range from vintage cars and video games to anime and creating his own manga stories, give him enough to never seem bored or lonely on the outside, but since moving into this house three years ago, he’s been struggling to feel more secure within himself. These days, he doesn’t get into his other hobbies much like researching vintage cars or writing stories, but occasionally when he’s not working, he will find a new anime to watch. It was his interest in anime that led him to become friends with Steve at age eleven, and they’ve been close ever since. Chase didn’t come into the picture though until after he entered college his senior year of high school. Chase was part of the same dual academic enrollment program that year, and while the program gave him a lot of opportunities to get into a prestigious college of his choice while also receiving a scholarship, none of the colleges who asked to interview Adam really caught his interest. What he wanted to do instead was just not attend college at all and become his own boss, though the plan was never really well thought out.
Seeing that Adam could never make a solid plan work out, Steve had tried helping him multiple times with his exit plan for after graduation, but at the last minute, Adam had lost his nerve and started doubting himself. Being alone as much as he had growing up, this rarely gave him the opportunity to talk about his own emotional needs, and so this is a struggle that remains present in his life to this day. “Hey Steve, can I get some advice from you about something?”
“Sure man, what can I help you with?”
“Well before I say anything, will you promise to not judge me in any way?” Steve took a moment to pause before answering, and then he nodded his head in silence. “I know that we tend to butt heads sometimes, but ultimately, I do trust you. There’s this new girl next door and I’ve been wanting to get to know more about her. When she came over to the house a couple weeks ago, I found out that her name is Anna, but that’s all I know. I just want to know how to get closer to her…” Steve considered Adam’s words for a bit before giving a response. The silence was making Adam feel more nervous, but then it was broken when Steve asked “Are you into this girl, like romantically?”
“No. What gives you that idea?”
“Well, you haven’t mentioned this girl to either me or Chase at all until now. If you are interested in her in that way, then I wouldn’t want to give you any bad advice.”
“Dude, I just want to be friends with her.”
“Okay, I didn’t know!” Steve flashes a quirky smile and throws his hands up in surrender, tilting his chair back a bit before sitting up again. “You know, for someone who’s serious about marrying a girl you’ve been dating for only two years, you sure love to make assumptions. What do you know about Hannah anyways?”
“What does that have to do with anything? Besides, my relationship with Hannah is none of your business.”
“Are you going to give me advice or not?”
“I will give you advice after you apologize for that remark.” Adam rolls his eyes and mutters an apology under his breath, which Steve doesn’t hear. “Would you mind speaking up a bit? I can’t hear you.” Adam sighs gruffly and then finally says, “I’m sorry. Are we cool now?”
“I don’t know why you keep giving me this attitude, Adam. I honestly feel insulted by you bringing up my relationship with Hannah, which has nothing to do with your situation. You say you want to become friends with this girl, correct?”
“Yes!”
“Then first off, learn to be more open with others without getting all defensive. It’s okay if you feel nervous, anxious or shy.” Hearing this makes Adam’s eyes widen for a moment as this is the first time Steve has ever said something that made him feel seen or heard. “Thank you. Hearing you saying that means a lot.” Steve smiles and lays a hand on Adam’s shoulder, realizing that he’s finally said something right. “I’m here for you, man. We’re like brothers, and so if you really want to be friends with this girl, then I’ll give you my full support. You said she lives next door, right?”
“Yes. I just don’t know how to make that first move, though.”
“Don’t overthink it. If this is something you want, then all you have to do is go up there and say hi. Maybe even offer a housewarming gift to help break the ice.”
“That’s actually a good idea. Got any suggestions?” Adam stared at his friend for a moment, expecting Steve to have some sort of answer. It was then when Steve realized just how lonely his childhood must have been, and vowed to himself to be a better friend and brother. The two of them have been through so much together growing up; it’s the least he could do for Adam.
ANNA
Anna and her sister had spent the day together out in the city. They stopped by a few vintage shops in the area, and once they felt tired and hungry enough, they decided to bring some Thai food back to Anna’s house. The girls dropped their shopping bags off by the front door; Beck was eagerly talking about some of the great purchases she made. “I can’t wait to see the look on Eliza’s face when she sees what I got her! You remember me mentioning Eliza from school, right?” Anna chuckles at her sister’s delight and pulls her in for a hug. “I’ve missed this. I’m really glad you’re here.” Beck smiles in return and places her purse on the bar stool under the kitchen island. Since moving into the house, Anna has been slowly adding in more pieces of furniture to help liven up the space. The entire kitchen is about as big as an indoor swimming pool with the dining area being placed adjacent to the opening of the living room. One accommodation Anna knew she wanted was an open floor plan with not too many walls, and so she had called in some help to remove the wall that keeps the living room and kitchen area separate. She even asked to have the kitchen island be modified so that she can fit bar stools underneath. Originally, it was the same length as the structure it was standing on, rectangular and tight on all corners. This way, she can have people over if she ever got lonely, but of course, she doesn’t know anybody in this neighborhood.
Just as Beck and Anna started to settle in on the couch in the living room with their food, there was a knock on the door. Both of them stared at each other looking confused, and then Anna stood up to see who was knocking. At first she didn’t recognize him through the peephole, but once she saw the curly hair and glasses, she remembered and opened the door. “Hey, what are you doing here?”
“I-I just wanted to say hi and give you this.” He stuck out his arms, gesturing the basket of goodies in Anna’s direction. She gave a brief smile and took the basket, offering him to come inside. “Your name is Adam, right?”
“Y-yes. And yours is Anna, right?” Adam’s face starts to turn red, and he isn’t sure if Anna can tell. “Do you want to come inside and join us?”
“Oh, you have another visitor?”
“It’s just my sister. Beck, come here!” Beck got up from her seat and walked up to Anna’s side to introduce herself, shaking Adam’s hand and making a gesture to have him come in and make himself comfortable. “Do you want anything to drink or eat? We have plenty of Thai food!”
“Oh, it’s fine. I just wanted to stop by and give Anna the housewarming gift. I realized I never gave her a proper welcome.”
“Well isn’t that thoughtful?” Beck’s expressions towards Adam made him laugh a little, which helped to ease his anxious thoughts.
“I don’t want to overstay my welcome, but I appreciate you letting me stay for a little bit.”
“Wait! Before you leave…” Anna starts to say. “I want to give you something. Close your eyes.” Adam found the request to be odd, but he decided to go along with it. He started to tense up again when he felt something quickly brush along his cheek, and then his face grew red again. Once he opened his eyes, he felt confused and asked, “What was that? I don’t see anything that I can take home with me.”
“That’s because I gave you a kiss, silly.” Anna and Beck started to softly giggle like schoolgirls while Adam just stood there looking oblivious. “I really appreciate you stopping by, Adam. No one has thought to give me a welcome basket since I first moved here, so the gesture means a lot to me.”
“Oh… well, it’s my pleasure. I’ll see you later, okay?” Once he exited through the front door and shut it behind him, Adam had to stop a moment and sit on their front porch to take in what just happened. He didn’t expect the new girl to just kiss him like that, and why was she and her sister giggling while he had his eyes closed? Did her sister put Anna up to some kind of challenge, or did she do that on her own accord? So many questions started running through his mind and he found his cheeks turning red. No one has ever kissed me before… like, ever, he thought to himself. Deep down, he had to admit that he kind of liked it.