VISITOR

The doorbell rang. Who could it be?

Anne was in her dark bedroom. The curtains were drawn and she had chosen the darkest corner of the room, where she sat and blankly stared ahead. There were thoughts in her mind and there weren't. It was funny how people assumed that past doesnt determine the future. Perhaps they didn't know that there was a girl trapped in her mind who had no past and who had no desire to think of the future. Even the present was a stranger awkwardly looking at her. Waiting for her to acknowledge its 'presence' but she was oblivious of it. She was empty.

The bell rang yet again. It had been ringing for 6 minutes now. A bell after every 30 seconds. Someone was very determined to meet her today. She had left it just as it was but now she was getting impatient. Anxiety.

She went downstairs as lazily as she could and just as she stood before the door her heart rate quickened. She peeped through the door hole and found no one. It was a relief that whoever it was had left so she calmed down and opened the door just to be sure. At once her heart skipped a beat. A child who appeared no more than six years old was standing there. His eyes were small but they were the oakiest brown she had seen. There was warmth in his eyes and his smile had the upper left tooth missing. He was dressed warmly, a green scarf to go with his green-coloured cap and the green overcoat. A leaf in winter he appeared to be.

"Granny says lunch is ready". He said and left. This was very confusing. Why would someone stay at their front door for so long just to say this? and just as she was about to close the door and return to her darkness a thought struck her. Could it be Mrs Woods? But to believe a child? Someone might be pulling a prank or something. Perhaps, it was truth or dare like she used to play to disturb her neighbours back in..... the feeling rose again. It was slowly becoming an addiction.

That was it right there. Her chance to pounce at something and just at the brink the bridge broke, she fell into the river of thoughts, of emotional blankness, of thoughtful blankness. Unaware that she was standing in the main doorway. The door was wide open, she was exposed to the people and the merciless wind. They could see her. The wind was gently caressing her cheeks, slicing them but it didn't matter, she had drowned in her thoughts. They had consumed. the feelings of having been suddenly defeated by the amnesia but this defeat was a little more tiresome than the ones before.

The boy reappeared. "hey! Are. Ere you.. umm okay?"

He waved his tiny hands in front of her eyes. She had returned.

The boy was moving his hands and mouthing words. At that moment it occurred to her that in fact, the boy was trying to communicate with her through sign language.

"um.. yeah I am fine and I am not deaf so you can stop this". She forced these words out. The words fell to her feet and were now staring at her, questioning as to how she had managed to produce them.

"Okay! COOL!" the boy held his thumbs up.

"sooo.. are you coming? I mean, gran told me to come with you if I were to come at all

oh"

"its alright I can wait here if you need time to get ready."

This was not comfortable. She had assured herself that she can't meet anyone. She will have to decline.

"Hey can I not come?"

"hm?" his brown eyes now wide were looking directly at her face, which she now realized were not focused on her when he arrived or delivered his message.

"I can't come." It was a statement.

"please do. I won't leave until you come with me". The boy was resolute. But why?

"I just can't and if you want to wait then fine WAIT"

She now shut the door and backed away. Blood flushed her face and breath out of control.

"it was a prank, it was a prank it was a prank..." She was muttering under her breath.

Thirty minutes had passed. The snow now fell more rapidly yet soundless.

The landline rang. It must be her aunt. But Anne let the phone ring. And then a voice message was recorded. She listened.

"hey, darling. Umm the weather is pretty bad today and it's getting worse. I know its an uncomfortable thing but please go to Mrs Woods I dont think I will be able to make it before midnight if at all"

No choice. She was left with no choice. Loneliness though a friend wasn't much appealing to her. It was a poisonous friend.

She peeped outside. To her horror, the boy was standing outside. He had been there all this time in the cold. She felt guilt.

The guilt triggered her limbs to move faster she pulled out a coat and a warm cap and muffler and ran outside.

"hey I thought you werent coming." the oak-leaf boy shone his tooth at her.

"AND I THOUGHT YOU WOULD LEAVE!"

"I am stubborn" as if this was the most obvious thing. But indeed it was. Every child and adult in the street of pinesfall knew the was stubborn.

She gestured him to lead her while she locked the door.

And so this oaky brown-eyed boy had won against an already lost girl lead the way.. 6 vs 16.

The 6 won.

The snow fell freezing his victory streak. For when we move forward you'll see that the brown-eyed boy never lost a single battle shall it be a competion or not.

"by the way I am Benjamin but you can call me Benji." Catching snow flakes on his tongue.

it was nice. The boy had nice written over him.

"Anne WINTERS"

"wow your name is so cool, LITERALLY"

DE JAVU. it hit her in the most self-evident manner and with the feeling of deja vu they arrived at 54 pine street, pinesfall.