Then And Now ( Closed for Forthinu )

[AliciaSunderland]

Name: Anna Campbell
Age: 35 years old
Height: 5'8
Weight: 130 lbs

Physical Description

Anna is a tall and slim woman who looks well after herself. With just above the shoulders semi-curly light brown hair, she enjoys wearing the latest styles, in this case a peach v-neck short sleeved shirt, tight over c-cup breasts and trailing down loosely to her hips, opening to dark, tight navy blue jeans and matching brown boots. With big blue eyes and soft pink lips, her complexion is fair and her make-up applied just enough to accentuate her soft traits.

History

While Anna is a nice and sweet woman today, it was not always the case. In her youth she followed the wrong crowd for a long time. She craved fitting in, afraid to be alone and rejected. Befriending the tougher girls, she followed them, causing mischief to others who were less fortunate. She did not enjoy it and was certainly not the mastermind behind any of the harassment her gang of girls caused, but she went along like a little sheep, being as cruel as the other girls in the group could sometimes be. She told herself that at least she was not alone, that she had friend - after all, back then, popularity was everything.

Now much older, Anna has turned tides. She's grown into an independent woman who seeks to help where and when she can. Her days of bullying are long behind her and she'd rather not reflect on those anymore then she has to. Now an Elementary School Principal, she sees herself in every bully she must encounter, dismiss and suspend and it breaks her heart to see these children suffering at the expense of others.

Anna's life is a good and cozy one: a good salary; a pretty home; husband of ten years and two boys. She's your typical soccer mom, taking her children to sports practices, pampers them but does not spoil them, and thus far has been well liked by her peers.

------------------------------------

May.

Summer was just around the corner.

For most teachers at HighRiver Elementary School, July was their favorite month. And of course it would be. Like their little students, it was a time for vacation, time to relax, and most of all stay away from the little monsters.

For Anna however, May represented the end of longing darkness as the days got longer, the trees bloomed with thick foliage and flowers; when snow was a thing of the past until the later seasons. It smelled good. It felt good. Already you did not need to wear your coat most of the time except during some still chilling mornings. And the children... Ah the children. They felt it too. They all said they preferred June or July, but let's face it. Whatever morosity winter had bestowed upon them was as quickly forgotten, regenerated by the warm sun rays, a promise of good times - pool time, ice cream, vacation to the country - ahead.

And yet, some things never changed.

Anna sighed as the faint knock at her office door came. The fist of a child, rasping at the door thinly, afraid it might swallow it whole would they knock too hard.

"Come in, Benjamin", she said pleasantly.

The door opened with a click and the thick boy slipped into her office, closing the door, and sat in front of her desk. He was the kind of child you could tell would grow thick and strong. Probably a football player. For now he looked slightly chubby but you could see it, right under there. Anna had seen it before. The ten year old boy sat with a pout, his head low and his fists clenched on his lap. He knew why he was here. He knew why he'd been called to the Principal's office.

She cleared her throat and sighed, hands clasped on her desk. "Benjamin, will you tell me what happened?"

He shrugged. He was trying to figure out some excuse. Something to get out of this mess. All that returned to her was a croak: "She was poking me. I told her to stop and she didn't."

"And that warrants cutting Jennifer's hair how?"

He looked up suddenly. Oh he'd gone too far, hadn't he. "She was POKING me."

"Then you go see the teacher in charge. And you certainly do NOT carry a pair of scissors around in the courtyard. Do you realize how dangerous it is?"

"But Principal Campbell!"

"Benjamin...", she sighed and moved around her desk, sitting on its edge, now right in front of the boy. She spoke softly, but with just enough authority to make him understand her point. She saw herself in that boy. Not so long ago, she may have been that boy. "I have witnesses who say she didn't do anything to you. Teachers and students alike. You planned this from the start. Please tell me the truth."

He lowered his head. "She's just some nerd..."

Anna frowned and now her voice could have cut through glass, "Don't give me that."

"I'm sorry..."

She shook her head. Benjamin was one of those children who, while they were brilliant and had everything in front of them, couldn't do enough to dispense all the energy contained in his little body. The only way he found to relieve some of that was through mischief: bullying. Jennifer was the kind of girl who drowned herself in books. Typical quiet girl. Never so much as looked at someone else long enough to lower her eyes right back to the floor in fright. Now her long brown hair wouldn't be the same for a long time. "Your parents are on their way to pick you up", she said at last. The look of sorrow in his eyes nearly broke her heart. This close to summer... His summer was likely ruined now.

"You'll wait out with the secretary while I speak with your parents. You'll also be suspended five days for this. Give you some time to reconsider the repercussions of your actions."

With that Benjamin left Anna's office. He wasn't crying but his shoulders twitched. He wasn't far from it. He was crumbling. She met with the parents briefly. It wasn't the first time and she didn't think it would be the last. She heard him sob behind the door when his father let him know his bike and XBox would be sold come summertime, and another list of punishments followed. Hopefully come next year Benjamin would have learned his lesson.

Hopefully.

By the time Anna was done with her load of paperwork for the day it was eight in the evening. By then she was the only once left in the school. She usually left at around five o'clock, but this close to the end of the semester she had more on her plate then ever. Besides, her husband was out of town and her boys spending this week and the week-end at their grand-parents. She chuckled at the thought of how her children reacted to sleeping at their grand-parents. You'd think life at home was more fiery then hell.

A nice night for herself would do just fine. Small supper, a glass of wine, a good movie.

The night was well planned ahead and she couldn't wait to get to it.

She closed the door to her office and walked down the corridor to the exit, hoping her bag over her shoulder, wondering if she'd have chinese or italian for supper tonight....

 

[Forthinu]

Brandon had waited a long time, patiently. He was at the end of his thirties now, a tall and athletic man, not the clumsy thin fool he was in his youth. He got stronger, and meaner, but he had all reason to be. He hadn't been in the clique back then, and they made him feel it, painfully, each day. The girls had been the worst, and the meanest one had been Anna. He had sworn to come back, and now he was back. He wondered if she would recognize him now; being stronger and older, his hair turned grey already. He had his longer hair combed back, wore shades and a dark suit, not to conserative, but elegant. And he had prepared. He sat outside in his car, waiting. He had checked which car she had and parked in sight, and he knew she was coming.

 

[AliciaSunderland]

Anna stepped out of the building, checked that the doors were well locked and walked toward her blue Honda. She pulled her thin brown coat around her, shivering. It was a little chillier then usual tonight. But then she usually didn't leave work so late either.

The Janitor's car was a few paces back, then it was hers. She'd have noticed the foreign car if she hadn't received a message on her cellphone then. She flipped it open and smiled.

Gramma made her choco cake : )))))))) Make some at home plzkthxbai! - Steven

She snorted, shaking her head, fumbling for her keys in her coat's pockets as she walked closer to her car, unaware of her surroundings.

 

[Forthinu]

Brandon started his Jaguar XJS and watched her closely. He would not lose her. Going after her on the parkinglot would have been plainly stupid. He needed a place where they would be alone for a while, and he one in mind she would not expect.

 

[AliciaSunderland]

Anna took her time getting home. She stopped to get her wine and finally settled on some italian. She was a terrible cook. That was a fact. Her children always made fun of her for it. It had bothered her at first but now she just played along. And she agreed to it anyway. That was why she was stopping at a restaurant for take-out and not making it herself. Recipe for disaster, so to speak.

Finally she was home. Thirteen hour days were painful. She cracked her neck, her shoulders, a bad habit her husband still reprimanded her own and she still did it; Took her food, the wine and stepped out of the car.

Their home was a two story high home, with a large oak tree at its front. It was the best come summertime. It might look like an undead sculpture during summertime but it kept the house within shades during the warmest days of summer. That and it was gorgeous. The home itself was well tended to and decorated, with roses boarding its front. White and red, paint the roses, said the Queen of Hearts. That was her little thing. She fumbled through her keys and unlocked her door to step inside at last.

 

[Forthinu]

He had followed her, waiting patiently. He had waited so long, and she was the first on the list. He parked his car out of sight and walked to the mansion. Much nicer then she deserved, but big and remote enough for him. It wasn't any problem for him to get into the garden and move carefully around without getting seen from outside. The first thing he did was separate the doorbell and telephone line outside. Then he checked for all entrances, doors and windows. He had gotten her private number before, and checked if anybody was at home.
He grinned as he walked to the frontdoor and knocked at it. He was sure she would not recognize him, or at least not yet.

 

[AliciaSunderland]

Anna settled her food on the counter, opened the wine, poured a good amount in a balloon glass and sipped it like it was the finest thing she'd tasted in her life.

What a day, she thought, pulling off her coat and shoving it lazily on the stool nearby. She'd pick it up later. This was HER night. The hell with good manners and picking after herself. Hah! Next she removed her high heals and settled them by the stool as well. Something else to pick up later. She rubbed at her heals, massaging them momentarily.

She started up the stairs to get into something more comfortable when she heard a knock at the door. Her shoulders dropped and she sighed heavily.

"Aw, seriously", she complained.

It was probably the neighbor, miss Scott, AGAIN. 'Oh I saw you get home', she'd say, 'I thought we could spend some times chatting!' Miss Arianne Scott was a good woman, late fifties, but she'd lost her husband about a year ago and craved company. Anna had had the idea to keep her company after Mister Scott passed on but since then Miss Scott had been at her doorstep more often then she'd wished. She felt bad for the old woman though, so she never declined her.

"Well maybe a few minutes won't hurt", she said aloud. She could always say she wasn't feeling good, that with the end of semester and all, and send her home. Miss Scott would have had her fill of interaction and Anna could take her well deserved rest.

She didn't look through the peep-hole, convinced that it really was Miss Scott, except that was not what greeted her at all once she opened the door.

"Oh... Hello", she said pleasantly though she was clearly surprised to see a man there instead of a short little lady, "Can I help you?"

 

[Forthinu]

Yes." smiled Brandon. "I wanted to see your husband. Is he at home? I'm Toni Fuller."

 

[AliciaSunderland]

Anna raised an inquiring eyebrow, "I'm afraid my husband's out of town until Saturday. He probably forgot to re-schedule with you. He did, didn't he?" She sighed. He was amazing at forgetting these things. Dear lord...

 

[Forthinu]

Brandon surpressed a smile. "To bad, but don't mind. Greet the children from me, then, and goodbye." He turned around, ready to go.

 

[AliciaSunderland]

Anna watched him a moment, frowning. "Hey! Wait a moment! Mister Fuller!" She jogged up to him, hopping down the three stone stairs leading to the porch by her front door. "I don't know what this meeting was about. I mean, I don't really mingle in his work but maybe I can reach him by phone. I just hate when he does that, and if he was busy... it'll teach him a lesson in not re-scheduling his appointments. Why don't you come in with me and we'll see what can be done?"

 

[Forthinu]

Brandon hesitated. "I don't want to steal your time. Sure you have a lot of things to do?"

 

[AliciaSunderland]

Anna shrugged and smiled. "I just got home. I wasn't going to do much more then watch a movie. A bit of time won't hurt, not really. I have some italian food I brought home with me. You probably already ate supper but I'm offering. I can never eat the whole thing anyway, and I'll try to reach my husband in the meantime."

 

[Forthinu]

"Very well, then..." Brandon smiled. It worked better then expected, the husband would be long away, and there was no sign of the boys. He had taken care of the phone, so there should be no trouble.
"I will just shortly go back to my car, the parking meter will run out, so I will move it to the other side."

 

[AliciaSunderland]

Anna nodded. "Of course, that's not a problem. Just walk right in when you're done."

With this she turned and walked back into the house, removing the slippers she'd put on quickly before chasing Toni down the stairs. Back in the kitchen, she took two plates. So much for her night to herself but then he'd be gone within the hour, she was pretty convinced of that. Besides, he looked far more interesting then Miss Scott by a few miles.

She slipped the dish out of the bag - Spaghetti Carbonara - and split the contents evenly between both plates, settling one on one side of the counter and the other on her side where she stood, and waited for Toni to return. She'd at least have the decency to call her husband in front of Toni. And she seriously hoped he would be busy - teach him not to re-schedule again alright.

 

[Forthinu]

Brandon quickly got the prepared bag out of his car and moved swiftly into the garden, where he blocked all windows from outside. Finally he went through the maindoor and blocked it as well, using small wedges specially made for that purpose. He took care that she did not see him doing so. Every way out of this house was blocked by now, except for him. He kept his bag and walked inside.

 

[AliciaSunderland]

She heard the door close and took another bubble glass. "In here", she called. "I have some wine too if you'd like a glass!"

 

[Forthinu]

"Sure." grinned Brandon as he walked in and set his bag on the floor. He picked up the glass. "To an unforgetable evening!"

 

[AliciaSunderland]

Anna made a small laugh. Unforgettable evening? Spaghetti Carbonara and wine certainly was nothing special, not while phoning her husband to remind him that she shouldn't have to take care of his business for him. Regardless, it was a charming gesture. She raised her glass as well and nodded, taking a quick sip, then picked up a notebook on the side of the counter. "Alright, let me see... He said his cell phone would die when I last spoke to him this afternoon and he was going into a meeting... So he didn't charge it since I'm pretty sure. He's really bad at that as well." She sighed, but smiled with good humor. "Ah there it is, number to his hotel."

She picked the receiver from the wall, dialed and set it to her ear with another sip of wine as she waited. When she heard nothing, she frowned. "Well that's weird... " She put the receiver back in its cradle and picked it up again, moving it to her ear. "Now what?" Still dead. Well wasn't this just freakin' perfect. She tugged on the line and found it was still connected. Probably a problem with the lines outside. "If it doesn't work, you can use my cellphone. I just need to charge it. It died when I came home so it should take about half an hour before you can use it."

 

[Forthinu]

"No problem, I am not in a hurry. We can have dinner first, before we get to work." He grinned at her.

 

[AliciaSunderland]

She nodded and plugged the cellphone to the wall. "I suppose we can. So tell me", she pulled the stool from beneath the counter and sat on it, smiling at him, "what kind of business did you have with my husband? You work with him directly?"

 

[Forthinu]

"No, not directly, but we are in the same field. But let us get to business after dinner." he started eating and looked around, checking the surrounding, and if he saw anything useful for the more interesting part of the evening to come.

 

[AliciaSunderland]

"I suppose", she smiled, picking at her own plate. She couldn't tell what it was, but she had a nagging sensation that something was off. It wasn't the phone, it was the atmosphere. In her big home, with the cathedral ceiling and the opened space, she suddenly felt claustrophobic.

The house itself was a two story home. From the main entrance was a corridor with ornamental desks, decorations and a large mirror with a golden painted rim. It had that rustic feel many homes in the neighborhood had. That corridor opened to the kitchen where they sat, just before the set of stairs leading to the bedrooms on the second floor. The kitchen's floor was made of gorgeous tiles, and where they sat was an island counter, marble. Behind Anna was the counter against the wall, made with the same rustic patterns, the sink and her set of knifes on one side, the clean dishes out to dry on the other side. Above stood the cabinet, all made of red cherry wood.

All of it opened into the living room, the floor going from the white tiles to dark wood. The three seat couch was made of leather, with the coffee table in front of it with more ornaments and under that table lay a detailed red and cream carpet, obviously handmade and foreign. The flat screen rested above the fireplace in front of the couch and on each side was a lazy boy of the same set of seats, resting diagonally. Above were slow turning ceiling fans, the walls covered in replicas of Neo-Classical paintings.

It was a very cozy place to say the least.

Anna took a sip of her wine. That sense of claustrophobia wouldn't leave her and she could not put her finger on it. Still, she remained as amiable as she could, concealing the growing feeling that something was really wrong. And there was a sense of familiarity to this man now that she looked at him. The name told her nothing but... And then her curiosity got the best of her. Maybe with more chatting she would relax and her paranoia would subside.

"It's funny... I feel like I've seen you somewhere before. You look quite familiar. Have we met before? Or is it just me?"

 

[Forthinu]

Finally they had finished eating, and he wiped his mouth. As dinner was finished, there was no reason to spoil the evening. It could only become better.
"Yes." he said slowly. "You know me from a former time, when I was a vey different person. I have changed, and got stronger, and I have learned my lessons in ruthlessness. I have learned it from the clique." he look directly at her. You belonged to that clique. You should renember."

 

[AliciaSunderland]

She wiped her mouth as he did so, more out of manners then anything else. She wasn't very hungry and hardly ate much by the time he responded to her. That sense that something was horribly wrong was only expending further and now that he responded...

She looked at him intently. Clique? Former time? Her chest tightened.

"I'm sorry... what?"