Categories > Original > Romance
Anna in the Looking Glass
0 ReviewsFar from perfect but I welcome all comments and criticism. A short story of two young people and a train journey that will change their lives forever.
Author's Note: I'm considering submitting this as my GCSE English original writing courework, so any feedback at all would be much appreciated. Also I wrote half of this whilst reading On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan, so please let me know if it shows too much :)
With a final push of exertion the train left the station and the journey that would change Anna’s life began in a puff of smoke. Oblivious to the many windows about to open she was only aware of the familiar door that was slamming in her face as she waved goodbye through the misted pane to the figure of her mother, shrinking into the distance. She idly traced a teardrop on the icy window, not taking in the receding urban sprawl being fast replaced by wilderness, whilst she considered the prospect of a father unseen since before her hospitalization. Wading through memories she tried to match a face to the voice heard countless times through the telephone receiver these past two years but yet again her memory failed her. The click of the compartment door startled her from her frustrating reverie, drawing her attention instead to a tall silhouette standing in the dim doorway.
Upon hearing of the arrival of his sister’s baby Will immediately packed his rucksack, locked the door to his room and bade farewell to his university companions, catching the first train to Cherry Barton despite the late hour. It was a long journey but well worth it see the fruit of Cathy’s relentless labours, finally resulting in a child. Due to his spontaneous arrival he had no reserved seat and had just resigned to standing when he spotted an empty compartment at last. Sliding open the door he saw that he was mistaken; instead of being deserted he found a girl, only just younger than himself, gazing distractedly at the abysmal weather. Already too late to turn back he offered his request as politely as he could, “So sorry... no other seats... would it be okay if I...?” He felt his body stiffen at the reminder of his social inadequacy. The girl appeared not to notice and gestured kindly to the opposite seat, her large inquisitive eyes never leaving his uneasy ones. Settling down he withdrew a book from his luggage and began to study, whilst the girl returned to her piteous window.
Anna felt slightly awkward in the presence of this foreboding character but the deeply engrained urge to please masked her discomfort. Her mother had always taught her to give all she could and take nothing back, though Anna was unaware of just how much of her past demonstrated this belief. Glancing at her watch she was surprised to find that an hour had passed since setting off, though this was hardly an achievement in the many more hours that waited before the journey was complete. Trying desperately not to return to the ominous prognosis that filled her empty mind, she returned her attention again to the stranger. He was not like anyone she had ever seen before, though she felt within her stir the unfamiliar twinges of déjà vu, a feeling long forgotten. She was sure she had not laid eyes on him before, though she knew already that this meant little. In the fog of three years ago anything was possible, though as he showed no signs of recognition either she took this to mean that she was correct. He had a strong determined jaw and the shadow of stubble, though instead of appearing unkempt he seemed as if he had better occupations to attend to than sleep. She felt that instead of remaining in silence, as the man seemed to desire, she would act upon a whim. A daring thrill pumped through her veins as she spoke.
“I feel as if we know one another, though I’m almost certain we’ve never met.”
For a second Will believed he had imagined the silken voice of his fellow traveller, though once looking up from the pages of his biology textbook he was again struck by the alluring magnetism of her sparkling blue eyes. Like pools of the ocean they were, suggesting something deep and mysterious behind the pretty exterior. Her tousled brown locks stroked her defined cheekbone and her forehead seemed forever set in seriousness. Clearing his throat he replied that to his knowledge, they had not.
“My name’s Anna.”
“Will,” he answered gruffly. He did not mean to appear unfriendly, but that was all he knew how to act. For two years he had tried his very best to become invisible until his moment arose, when he was a successful doctor, awed by his friends and family for his hidden genius.
“No, I don’t seem to remember a Will... though to be honest I don’t remember a lot these days.”
“I find that sometimes. One’s head can only contain a certain amount of knowledge at once,” he did not mean to sound pompous but Anna seemed unaware.
“Oh I wish that were the case!” she giggled uncertainly. “I suffered from an illness a few years ago – not contagious, don’t worry – but I struggle to remember anything from the year before I was diagnosed.”
Will wished he could forget the events of three years ago, for without them he was sure his life would be very different. How a seemingly insignificant event triggered such a metamorphosis in him he did not know, but with the end of his first serious relationship he changed. A confident lad of sixteen he was, aspiring to become a rock star, of all professions! Though his dreams seemed foolish now he wished he had outgrown them naturally. She was not his first girlfriend but between them things were different. Young love adapted a different form; something special that blossomed unexpectedly between them, tying them unbreakably together. Three blissful months they had had together, before things began to change. In hindsight it became apparent that his first love had possessed a haunting secret, evident in her protruding bones and hollow cheeks. The realization that she had been a victim of anorexia nervosa did not become clear to him until midway into his A level psychology class, and it seized his heart in an icy grasp. Three months previous he had ended their relationship, misinterpreting her silence as distrust, he found her lack of self esteem infuriating as he tried impossibly to compliment her, to assure her of her beauty. She assured him he was well justified to sever their ties, and like a fool he had believed her. After the epiphany he realised all was not lost, he saw salvation from his miserable state in the reformation of their love. He would stand by her the whole way and together she would recover. Only she disappeared before he had a chance.
The perpetual ticking of Will’s wristwatch was going to drive her insane. After her attempt at conversation had failed Anna withdrew back into the discomforts of her own head and concentrated on the present. The present was all she knew, her only possession. Without the past she had no future, of that she was sure. After leaving the ward her mother had tried in vain to restore normality in their household, but the words unspoken bred secrets in every corner. Fragile as cobwebs, Anna clung to the facts that her mother had assured her of: she had been in a car crash and escaped physically unharmed, only her memories of that previous year had been lost forever. Her father had moved to Hull to recover with his family, and had remarried. Though there were so many holes in these bland statements that Anna tried to ignore: the protruding white snakes wrapped around her wrists seemed wounds of a different nature, though her mother assured her they were birthmarks. With no one else to trust Anna had to take as much from her mother’s words as possible. She could not doubt them, for if they proved untrue what else did she have? Reminiscences of childhood, but none of the vital years of adolescence. She was withdrawn from school to continue her education at home with a private tutor. Money was never an issue within their two-person household, and the few needs that they had were met by a cluster of staff that resided within their large Georgian manor.
Upon his return from the buffet car Will discovered Anna fast asleep with her head resting against the window pane. Her exquisite features were illuminated by the moonlight, delicately tracing her elfin cheeks like a lover’s touch. He felt within him the stirrings of desire, not felt since the tragic loss of his first love all that time ago. He could hardly remember her now, her image in his mind was faded like an old photograph, crumbling at the edges. Sipping his third black coffee, Will opened his textbook and returned to his studies, to his good friend – solid, reliable fact.
Clouded darkness enveloped Anna, but in the distance she could make out a tiny glimmer of light. Was she dying? The light danced playfully before her, growing larger and larger. She sees a skeletal young woman, fragile and emaciated in her girlish underwear. She tucks a strand of fine lank hair behind her ear, her colossal black eyes sunken and lost in the ruins of her face. It is easy to tell that she was once beautiful, but that beauty had been starved to pure anatomy. Anna watched horrified as the girl’s hands roamed around the remains of her body, pinching at skin before finally taking refuge in the solace of her ribcage. As the mist that lingered in the background began to clear, Anna sensed a burden lifting from her heart, the constant sickness faded to nothing. A young man stood behind the figure, drowning in his own sorrow, reaching forwards... The light danced across her line of vision again until Anna realised it was behind her. A tear rolled down the girl’s cheek as Anna touched the heartless glass of the mirror before her and with a jolt snapped back to reality.
Without meaning to Will found his hand on her shoulder, jostling her awake. He could not bear to watch the tears streaming down her cheeks, so badly did he want to free her from her misery. Anna’s eyes opened wide, terrified, before she did something unexpected. She reached forward and stroked his cheek, wiping away his own tears that he never knew existed. A warm rush of knowledge flooded his heart as the sun rose golden and true above the landscape, bringing yet another day.
The train glided elegantly into the train station of Cherry Barton and released its passengers with a sigh. The early morning light cast two shadows across the platform as the young lovers stepped off the train, liberated from the chains of their past. Free to have a second chance.
With a final push of exertion the train left the station and the journey that would change Anna’s life began in a puff of smoke. Oblivious to the many windows about to open she was only aware of the familiar door that was slamming in her face as she waved goodbye through the misted pane to the figure of her mother, shrinking into the distance. She idly traced a teardrop on the icy window, not taking in the receding urban sprawl being fast replaced by wilderness, whilst she considered the prospect of a father unseen since before her hospitalization. Wading through memories she tried to match a face to the voice heard countless times through the telephone receiver these past two years but yet again her memory failed her. The click of the compartment door startled her from her frustrating reverie, drawing her attention instead to a tall silhouette standing in the dim doorway.
Upon hearing of the arrival of his sister’s baby Will immediately packed his rucksack, locked the door to his room and bade farewell to his university companions, catching the first train to Cherry Barton despite the late hour. It was a long journey but well worth it see the fruit of Cathy’s relentless labours, finally resulting in a child. Due to his spontaneous arrival he had no reserved seat and had just resigned to standing when he spotted an empty compartment at last. Sliding open the door he saw that he was mistaken; instead of being deserted he found a girl, only just younger than himself, gazing distractedly at the abysmal weather. Already too late to turn back he offered his request as politely as he could, “So sorry... no other seats... would it be okay if I...?” He felt his body stiffen at the reminder of his social inadequacy. The girl appeared not to notice and gestured kindly to the opposite seat, her large inquisitive eyes never leaving his uneasy ones. Settling down he withdrew a book from his luggage and began to study, whilst the girl returned to her piteous window.
Anna felt slightly awkward in the presence of this foreboding character but the deeply engrained urge to please masked her discomfort. Her mother had always taught her to give all she could and take nothing back, though Anna was unaware of just how much of her past demonstrated this belief. Glancing at her watch she was surprised to find that an hour had passed since setting off, though this was hardly an achievement in the many more hours that waited before the journey was complete. Trying desperately not to return to the ominous prognosis that filled her empty mind, she returned her attention again to the stranger. He was not like anyone she had ever seen before, though she felt within her stir the unfamiliar twinges of déjà vu, a feeling long forgotten. She was sure she had not laid eyes on him before, though she knew already that this meant little. In the fog of three years ago anything was possible, though as he showed no signs of recognition either she took this to mean that she was correct. He had a strong determined jaw and the shadow of stubble, though instead of appearing unkempt he seemed as if he had better occupations to attend to than sleep. She felt that instead of remaining in silence, as the man seemed to desire, she would act upon a whim. A daring thrill pumped through her veins as she spoke.
“I feel as if we know one another, though I’m almost certain we’ve never met.”
For a second Will believed he had imagined the silken voice of his fellow traveller, though once looking up from the pages of his biology textbook he was again struck by the alluring magnetism of her sparkling blue eyes. Like pools of the ocean they were, suggesting something deep and mysterious behind the pretty exterior. Her tousled brown locks stroked her defined cheekbone and her forehead seemed forever set in seriousness. Clearing his throat he replied that to his knowledge, they had not.
“My name’s Anna.”
“Will,” he answered gruffly. He did not mean to appear unfriendly, but that was all he knew how to act. For two years he had tried his very best to become invisible until his moment arose, when he was a successful doctor, awed by his friends and family for his hidden genius.
“No, I don’t seem to remember a Will... though to be honest I don’t remember a lot these days.”
“I find that sometimes. One’s head can only contain a certain amount of knowledge at once,” he did not mean to sound pompous but Anna seemed unaware.
“Oh I wish that were the case!” she giggled uncertainly. “I suffered from an illness a few years ago – not contagious, don’t worry – but I struggle to remember anything from the year before I was diagnosed.”
Will wished he could forget the events of three years ago, for without them he was sure his life would be very different. How a seemingly insignificant event triggered such a metamorphosis in him he did not know, but with the end of his first serious relationship he changed. A confident lad of sixteen he was, aspiring to become a rock star, of all professions! Though his dreams seemed foolish now he wished he had outgrown them naturally. She was not his first girlfriend but between them things were different. Young love adapted a different form; something special that blossomed unexpectedly between them, tying them unbreakably together. Three blissful months they had had together, before things began to change. In hindsight it became apparent that his first love had possessed a haunting secret, evident in her protruding bones and hollow cheeks. The realization that she had been a victim of anorexia nervosa did not become clear to him until midway into his A level psychology class, and it seized his heart in an icy grasp. Three months previous he had ended their relationship, misinterpreting her silence as distrust, he found her lack of self esteem infuriating as he tried impossibly to compliment her, to assure her of her beauty. She assured him he was well justified to sever their ties, and like a fool he had believed her. After the epiphany he realised all was not lost, he saw salvation from his miserable state in the reformation of their love. He would stand by her the whole way and together she would recover. Only she disappeared before he had a chance.
The perpetual ticking of Will’s wristwatch was going to drive her insane. After her attempt at conversation had failed Anna withdrew back into the discomforts of her own head and concentrated on the present. The present was all she knew, her only possession. Without the past she had no future, of that she was sure. After leaving the ward her mother had tried in vain to restore normality in their household, but the words unspoken bred secrets in every corner. Fragile as cobwebs, Anna clung to the facts that her mother had assured her of: she had been in a car crash and escaped physically unharmed, only her memories of that previous year had been lost forever. Her father had moved to Hull to recover with his family, and had remarried. Though there were so many holes in these bland statements that Anna tried to ignore: the protruding white snakes wrapped around her wrists seemed wounds of a different nature, though her mother assured her they were birthmarks. With no one else to trust Anna had to take as much from her mother’s words as possible. She could not doubt them, for if they proved untrue what else did she have? Reminiscences of childhood, but none of the vital years of adolescence. She was withdrawn from school to continue her education at home with a private tutor. Money was never an issue within their two-person household, and the few needs that they had were met by a cluster of staff that resided within their large Georgian manor.
Upon his return from the buffet car Will discovered Anna fast asleep with her head resting against the window pane. Her exquisite features were illuminated by the moonlight, delicately tracing her elfin cheeks like a lover’s touch. He felt within him the stirrings of desire, not felt since the tragic loss of his first love all that time ago. He could hardly remember her now, her image in his mind was faded like an old photograph, crumbling at the edges. Sipping his third black coffee, Will opened his textbook and returned to his studies, to his good friend – solid, reliable fact.
Clouded darkness enveloped Anna, but in the distance she could make out a tiny glimmer of light. Was she dying? The light danced playfully before her, growing larger and larger. She sees a skeletal young woman, fragile and emaciated in her girlish underwear. She tucks a strand of fine lank hair behind her ear, her colossal black eyes sunken and lost in the ruins of her face. It is easy to tell that she was once beautiful, but that beauty had been starved to pure anatomy. Anna watched horrified as the girl’s hands roamed around the remains of her body, pinching at skin before finally taking refuge in the solace of her ribcage. As the mist that lingered in the background began to clear, Anna sensed a burden lifting from her heart, the constant sickness faded to nothing. A young man stood behind the figure, drowning in his own sorrow, reaching forwards... The light danced across her line of vision again until Anna realised it was behind her. A tear rolled down the girl’s cheek as Anna touched the heartless glass of the mirror before her and with a jolt snapped back to reality.
Without meaning to Will found his hand on her shoulder, jostling her awake. He could not bear to watch the tears streaming down her cheeks, so badly did he want to free her from her misery. Anna’s eyes opened wide, terrified, before she did something unexpected. She reached forward and stroked his cheek, wiping away his own tears that he never knew existed. A warm rush of knowledge flooded his heart as the sun rose golden and true above the landscape, bringing yet another day.
The train glided elegantly into the train station of Cherry Barton and released its passengers with a sigh. The early morning light cast two shadows across the platform as the young lovers stepped off the train, liberated from the chains of their past. Free to have a second chance.
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