A glimpse of her past - I

Anna stood there motionless clutching the hem of her dress so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She was always terrified of darkness and the incidents of her pasts had only intensified her terror towards darkness and the bitter memories which it brought along with it. She shuddered on recalling those moments when she lost her everything and somewhere herself too.

When the darkness engulfed everything around him, the first thought that came to Regan's mind was Anna. He halted in his steps and before he could register anything, he heard a soft whimper. His body tensed on identifying the source of the faint sound and without wasting a second, he rushed in its direction. He berserkly called her.

"Anastasia?"

He found her in no time at the same place where he bid her adieu. He took out his cell phone and switched on its torch which lightly lit up the space around him.

She had tightly closed her eyes. It seemed as if she was trying to clog all the pernicious experience of her past that were surfacing in front of her. He saw her trembling in fear. He called her again, this time more softly.

"Anna?"

She opened her eyes and a lone tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She blinked her lashes and saw the faint light around her.

"Re.....Regan!"

She couldn't stop and her eyes started watering frantically. He was holding the last thread of his patience. Seeing her so petrified and vulnerable, he instantly cupped her face and said, "Shhh... enough Anna. I have got you. See... it's no more dark and everything is okay."

She nodded her head and he immediately enveloped her in his arms. His heart clenched in pain on witnessing her condition. She clutched his suit tightly from the back and sobbed more.

"Re.....Regan I... I.... They.....they will take.... take me. I don't... I don't want to... They will force..... force me... I..." She said between the hiccups and bawled again.

Although, he couldn't understand anything, all he knew was to take away her fear and pain that was hurting her so severely. He cupped her face again and said, "I am here Anna. Nothing is going to happen, alright? No one can touch or take you away from me. I am here with you and I am not going to leave you. No one can force you or lay a finger on you until I am alive, okay? Trust me Anna."

Without uttering a word she surrendered herself in his embrace. He had no clue about the reason of her panic and anxiety but now he was hell bent to know about her agonizing past that made her to react like this. He gently held her and took her to the couch. She was still in his arms. Eventually, her sobbing subsided and her breathing became soft. When he slided away from her, he noticed she was asleep in his arms. At the same time, the power was back and the whole mansion was illuminated again.

After a while, he saw someone charging towards them. It was Samantha. She was an old lady in her fifties. She was Ashton's nanny since childhood who was very close to him. When he built this mansion for Anna, the first thing he did was to appoint her as the caretaker of their home in their absence. She had no children and always considered Ashton and Emily as her own. He explicitly appointed her to take care of Anna, especially in his absence, to ensure her comfort and safety. It took no time to built a warm rapport amongst them owing to Samantha's motherly and caring nature and Anna's gentle and innocent conduct.

She was well aware of Anna's fear of darkness. Initially, she didn't want to leave her alone in the mansion again as she knew what happened last time when she visited the place in her absence and ended up getting sick due to the emotional turmoil, but later on Anna's insistence that she would be okay, she left for the outhouse where she lived. When the power was cut, she immediately worked on the arrangements to bring the power back. When she was done, she hysterically rushed towards the mansion as she couldn't bring herself to think about Anna's condition. But to say, she was surprised would be an understatement.

She gasped at the sight. Anna was soundly sleeping in Regan's embrace while he was sitting there calmly, gently rubbing her back to sooth her. She halted in her steps and her eyes widened.

"Oh My God! Anna?"

Before she could speak anything further, he stopped her and breathed in a soft voice, "She is exhausted. Let her sleep."

She nodded in agreement and said, "She is too scared of darkness. I don't know how it happened. I shouldn't have left her alone. Thanks for taking care of her."

He curtly nodded and scooted her in his arms.

"Where is her room? I'll take her there. And make sure, this time, you won't leave her alone or else I don't know what I would do." He said coldly.

Samantha could sense the deadly aura surrounding him. She couldn't speak a word and meekly said, "I'll take you there."

Regan entered her room and gently laid her in the bed. He tucked her in the blanket and kissed her forehead lovingly. When Samantha noticed his actions, she couldn't believe that he was the same man who was so cold and aloof some moments ago. He melted down on looking her and was so much gentle and caring towards her. A knowing smile appeared on her wrinkled face. She could see the love and affection in his eyes for her. She was more surprised with Anna who succumbed herself to him. She took no time to guess that indeed the man was someone close to her whom she trusted enough to lean on, especially after that horrible incident of the past.

Regan stood up to leave her room but stopped in his tracks when his eyes landed on the photo frame kept on the bedside table. It was the photograph of her and Ashton. She had laid her head on his shoulder while he was kissing her forehead. Her face was adorned with the most beautiful smile which he never once noticed since he met her. He could see the glimmer in her eyes that shined brightly due to happiness. There was no emptiness in them. Indeed, they seemed to be full of life which now was nowhere to be seen. He took it and observed it carefully.

Samantha observed his actions and could easily guess the reason behind his frown.

"Ashton" She said and he froze at his place.

It was then when he noticed the different pictures of him and Anna hanging on the walls of the room. The pain that he felt sometime before exhilarated and he didn't know how to react on the things in front of him.