Secrets of the Past (2 page)

She walks in saying.

“Well how’s your day been, mines been terrible”

Before she could go on
, I blurted out my story.

Then as
I
get to the bit about the girl,
I remember and rush to the window, my eyes scan
ning
the street below, to see if they are still about, but they have gone.

Mel tells me she cannot make it tonight as she has to baby sit her sister, so we will not be going clubbing this
night, not that bothered as it has been a very unusual day, its warm, and I feel so tired.

Mel has to leave
so I decide a nice
relaxing bath, watch a bit of television
, and chill out a bit. Therefore,
I ran it
and jumped in, as
I lay there it seemed for an eternity, the water now slightly had a
chill to it, I decide to
get out. I quickly dried myself put my soft pyjamas on and sat on my great big sofa with my snuggly blanket.

I started flipping through the ch
annels to see what was on. I f
ound an old movie, just what I need a sad romance I thought. I felt so warm and sleepy, think I nodded off for a while.

       Then my hand touched an object, it was cold, I jumped forward, it was slightly sticking into the back of the sofa, I lifted it up and it was a silv
er locket.

W
here did it come from I thought?

Perhaps it fell from my pocket or Mel's when she visited earlier.

I tried to open it but it was difficult
, and then it clicked, so I carried it over to
the windowsill
and gradually opened it slowly.

I
nside was a picture of a woman with dark lockets with a high lacy top, she was stunning.

On the opposite side, there was a child about five years old also with dark hair in ringlets, very pretty.

It looked like it was very old, quite large to what we wear now.

I opened it wide
r
to get a clearer view.

This is when it all happened.

CHAPTER TWO

Suddenly the room began to dim, as I lif
ted my head to look up at what was happening
a tunnel of light appeared, and then it cleared.

My eyes scanned the room,
unbelievably in
my fireplace, there was coal burning in the hearth. A large china dog stood on the mantelpiece.

A corner unit full of ornaments.

The room very dark, with oil lamps flickering all around, a cat asleep on the rug in front of the fire, I thought a real coal fire? Mine was gas, what could be happening?

I just sat there, frozen taking it all in.

I was captivated, strange objects, old oil paintings adorned the walls of my room, very old fashioned.

Then I heard a woman’s voice, it startled me.

“Anna, now come on, you do not want to b
e late it’s time to get ready.”

As she spoke, I glanced down at my feet, amazed to see, a pair of black leather boots with lace ties all down the front, what was going on here?

I had a dress on that almost touched the boots, with a frill around it. Had tiny pearly buttons all down the front, then a large bow at the waist.

Looking up across the room, a strikingly attractive
woman I had ever seen stood in the doorway, with a beautiful smile.

She said,
“Come now you must not be late
”.

Then she added,

"
Look Anna, I know it will be strange at first, but you are a young woman
now
, and
Fredric
is from a fine
family a
nd your father has told me he
will very soon be running the business”

As I l
ooked at her, I could not speak. Like my voice had gone
, and why is she looking at me?

There is no one else here,
why
is she thinking
,
I am her daughter?

I sat c
ontemplating, should I stand up or stay seated.

I hesitated for a moment, but rose from the
windowsill,
and
as
I did, I noticed the sofa it was hard
with large buttons adorning it, high at back.

I followed her to the bathroom, through a very dark hall where she told me to remove my clothing and pointed to a beautiful dress, with white lace, it was stunning. It was a dark blue velvety material.

Then I felt myself
change,
I felt warm. It was as if I belonged.

I knew I was Amy, but felt I was Anna to.

Never less,
where am I?

   
It was such
a strange feeling.

It then hit me the locket
must have unlocked this secret.

I must have gone back to this time.

How I thought?

I
f
I wear the locket, I can go back. A
fter
all,
it was like a mystery,
no one would eve
r believe me.
This was so
exciti
ng, and it is happening to me
.

  
I
would be famou
s, o
o
ps
must not
be
carried away.

Eventually I opened the bathroom door and came face to face with this woman, I was close to her, she had the
most amazing
olive colored skin, with dark brown eyes, and almost black hair the was all on top of her head
. She had
curls dropping over her brow, with a large clip in the top. With pearl
earrings, quite large, not the sort I would wear.
Mum had some like them.

She said.

“Oh
Anna, You
a
re your mother’s daughter, Fredric
will gasp when he
sees you, you look beautiful
, look here in the mirror
”.

I stepped forward
I was gorgeous. A
bit like
me, but this dress on
me
had worked wonders.

No longer plain
Amy but pretty, stunning I thought.

I had a little cape that went around the shoulders that matched the dress also with lace adorning the edges.
I was already
wearing large earrings
, not mine.

While I was in the bathroom, I put on the locket, slightly heavy to what I normally wear, but it looked fantastic. The dress was exquisite I
look like a princess.

I am Cinderella.

I then opened the door to
the hallway, as I passed
o
n
the
hall
table, lay a letter, I picked it up, it read:

‘
Anastasia
Isabella
Shelby.
’

I as
sumed the woman to be Anastasia.

I had not noticed her standing t
he
re directly
in front o
f me
again;
s
he had white gloves in her hand.

“Here look, these are my favorite gloves, until we can shop for a pair, you may wear these
.
”

As she put them on my hands, she looked at me with proud eyes, as my mum used to.

She whispered

“Be the perfect young lady tonight, I wish yo
ur
father were here to see you.”

I felt a twinge of my mother’s love as she looked at me, the same feeling I had when I held her hand in the hospice where she spent her last days.

She ran her hand softly down my cheek, and smiled.

“My little girl all grown up, so pretty”
j
ust keep smiling, and you w
ill melt Fredric
’s heart
”.

All of a sudd
en, there was a tap on the door.

M
y heart missed a beat, as I
knew it must be this bloke Fredric
.
My hands were trembling.

Anastasia
then
said
,

“Quickly hurry, go now fetch your bag
.
”

As I returned to
the
door,
there
stood
the most gorgeous hunk
I had ever laid eyes on; he was around twenty five years ol
d, black hair, and a moustache.

Yes, I know, a
moustache, which
curled slightly at the ends
.

H
e immediately spoke
,

“Hello, all re
ady I see, you look beautiful.”

He
ushered me to the doo
r, placing his hand to my waist
, without touching
.

He wore a black suit, with a large cape that went all the way down to his shins that matched his trousers, and a large hat he held on his arm, also a dickey bow tie.
He had a red rose in his buttonhole.

“As I passed Anastasia, she gave me a smile and said

“Remember d
arling what I told you earlier.”

I took Fredric’s
arm and walked with him
down the stairs
to the
front
door.

When we got to the street below it was the most amazing sight I had ever seen, horses were trotting pass, there hoofs making so much noise, on the cobbled street.

Carriages
, just like the old movie films.

Oh my god I thought, is this real?

I hesitated slightly as I had always been a little afraid of horses,
but
only when I was close to them.

A couple of women, looking a b
it scruffier than the rest,
had messy hair, with very bright clothes on; I would call them women of the night., they turned to me with scowli
ng faces, eyeing me up and down.

Fredric
took the lead and led me down the path.

In front of me, a huge
carriage
stood
, with black horses; they were shining in the little light of the streetlamp.

A man stood with solemn face, staring into space, with his hand at the door of the carriage.

Fredric
then said, “Come take my hand
”.

I immediately placed my hand in his pal
m and climbed into the carriage
it
was quite high so
grabbed my dress and lifted it,
I really did feel like a princess now.

Fredric then
climbed in next to me, and off we trotted, up towards Star hill, up to the top, it was the most extraordinary experience I have ever endured.

I felt alive, happy, excited,
everything unimaginable to the lifestyle I normally lead.

How this could be happening? It must be a dream.

As we, journeyed Fredric
was close to
my side, he smelt luscious,
and he
did not notice I was looki
ng at him.
He
had very dark skin, his hair
smooth.

We
suddenly stopped, I took his
han
d
again,
and he led me into a building.

I had not
noticed where we were, and then
realized it was the High street
in
Chatham.

It was an old looking building. W
e entered
and
sat at
a table, it was very dark here, with oil lamps adorning every corner, candles on the tables. Many couples were dining, the women dressed in beautiful gowns.

The men suited and booted as they say.

In the corner, a man dressed very smartly, playing music with a violin, very softly, he turned and smiled.

We sat talking, eating marvelous
food.