Anna: the unexpected

It was at the beginning of spring, in the floral hills of Scandinavian lands. Every year my brother and I waited restlessly for spring to come. Picking flowers, catching butterflies, and playing in the compound of our home. Those were graceful days! If only our parents would let us go beyond the gate to play with other kids from our little town. Maybe I would have made a friend or two, someone close by to go to for comfort in times of trouble. I was never fond of those homeschool hours nor bodyguards who always walked with us everywhere. But it didn't matter anymore. Life as I knew it was over. Everything had just changed overnight. My father, my mother, and My father's lawyer, Mr. Olsen, his most trusted friend, were all gone. And my little brother was nowhere to be found.

In that night, I was in our home library looking for a book to read. Then Mr. Olsen suddenly came into the library in a quick rush that he startled me. He closed the door behind him and looked into my eyes. I could see a strange look like one of fear as he halted to open his mouth to speak.

"Anna'', he said.

''listen to me very carefully, I know this comes as a shock, but you have to be strong for your parents and brother. I just came from the hospital where your father was. he did not make it.''

I helplessly looked at him with confusion in my eyes as if to seek an explanation.

Without wasting any more second, he continued talking. ''Anna, your parents, were murdered in a car accident. Your brother survived. Your father sent him to the cottage. Go there as quick as u can. You might find him there. They are looking for him. Don't let them find him before you do. After that go to town. Here is the address. My wife will be waiting for u. You will be safe there.'' He opened his bag, removed a small black notebook, placed it in my hand, and told me not to let it go no matter what. He said the notebook contained a list of names, people who murdered my parents and wanted to destroy my family.

Suddenly we heard men forcefully entering through the main door.

''Where is she?'' They screamed.

Mr. Olsen whispered, ''run, and do not look back.''

He immediately helped me out the window and closed it. Right after, these men were in the library. There were about three of them. One of them shot Mr. Olsen in the head, and he fell down in an instant, and there he laid, motionless.

I crawled away from the window, preventing myself from being seen. I was scared, crying without a sound, and hoping to find my brother. If I could get there safely.

There was a dark spot in the backyard. The camera in its direction had been removed for some repair. Luckily I had that information. I managed to climb the wall and jumped without anyone noticing. I headed toward the woods. Then ran as fast as I could, holding on to the book Mr. Olsen gave me. I needed to know what happened to my parents and the people behind it.

I had been running for quite a while and had no idea where I was. At night The woods were dark and scary. I only knew the path of the road from our house to our cottage. I needed to see for myself if my brother was there. I knew that my brother would possibly be in great danger. he was just eight years old. Yet, I still hoped to find him first.

I had to find a way to follow the main road without being noticed. I could hear people calling my name in the wood. They were trying to find me, but I knew it was a show. As soon as they saw me, they would find a way to kill me, destroy all evidence against them, and inherit my father's hard work. I could not let them get the last laugh. I was determined to survive more than ever. I kept walking in the dark wood and finally came across the road. I was so relieved when I got to the main road. I followed the road but still walked in the wood To avoid being seen. I soon reached our cottage. There it was, our most peaceful place.

I entered the cottage, and I started searching for traces of my brother's presence. I almost gave up when I heard a sound coming from a room next to me.

''Arvid,'' I whispered in disbelief. My brother was alive!

I ran to him, embraced him, and kissed him as if he had just risen from the dead. He had tears in his eyes, tears of longing. Without wasting any more time, Arvid grabbed a backpack from under the bed and opened it. There it was, a bag full of money, 20 000 dollars in total!

I asked him where he got it, and he told me what happened. as it was.

There were in the car with dad when a truck hit them. The vehicle flipped over and went down in the wood. My mother died instantly. Miraculously my brother managed to get out of the car with only a few bruises on his ankles. But Father had gotten stuck in the car after the accident. He knew that once they found him, they will kill him. Father urged my brother to go to our house in the wood as no one associated with dad at his company knew the place.

''Dad said he had always kept the money in the house in case of emergency,'' Arvid said.

I knew we had to leave this place. My father's partners at his company had started a search and rescue for my brother. they wanted to find him to eradicate all evidence, and now I was even another threat because I had all their names in my father's little black notebook.

''Let us run toward the town and leave these woods,'' I told my brother.

We knew no one there. Without someone to recognize us, people in town would not have a hint of who we were. If we lingered in the cottage, the people chasing us would find us and kill us.

I kept the small notebook along with the money in the backpack. And headed for the door.

''I'm scared'', my brother spoke with fear in his voice.

''Don't worry, hold my hand, and don't let go''. I took Arvid's hands.

We also took the key to avoid any trace of us if the cottage was found open. Then We followed the light from a distance that was growing from town.

We finally reached the town. It was somewhat downhill, a little far from our home. I had always wanted to come to see this place. But now, I was too tired and too shocked to care.

''Anna, I'm hungry, and I can't feel my feet anymore''. Arvid said.

''Let find this address first, then everything will be ok'', I reassured him.

''Can we please find a place to sit for a minute?''. he kept begging me to rest.

But where would we swiftly go? We knew nothing in this town.

Arvid was panting, His ankle was getting worse. So I carried him on my back, and he had the backpack on his back. The town had become quiet and a little darker as everyone seemed to have gone to bed. So we walked like that all night long, trying to find the address. on the other end of the town, there was a small house with big numbers on the front door 4452, it was the address! we were finally there!

We knocked impatiently, and a woman came to open the door.

''Mrs. Olsen?''I asked as if to test if she was the one.

''Are you the Hansen children?'' The woman responded.

''Come in, quick.'' he rushed us into the house and locked the door behind us.

She got my brother from my back and placed him on the couch.

''Poor thing.'' she reached for my brother.

''Let me first treat your ankle.'' she brought some bandages and painkillers.

As she attended to my brother, I sat there tired, disoriented, and speechless.

''I suppose you are Anna, sorry about your parent. My husband told me.'' She posed for a while.

''He said he was going to bring you here. I mean, my husband. Did he tell you when he was going to come? Is he still at your house? I realized he didn't come along with you?'' she looked at me as if trying to get some good news about him. as if he was dealing with some required contracts or perfecting up some backup plan for my dead parents.

I started crying helplessly. I didn't have a positive explanation for her. my mind was in a mess.

''Are you ok dear?.'' she reached out for my hand while still holding my brother's hands.

she was comforting us. But I had to tell her what happened to Mr. Olsen. I had to.

''They shot him,'' I cried.

''I saw it with my eyes. there was blood on the floor.''

Mrs. Olsen fell on her knees, and tears came from her eyes. she let go of my hands and my brother's and sat there on the floor without saying a word. what could she have done. It was a bitter night for her, for all of us. But we had to leave before they found us. So after a while, Mrs. Olsen started to pack some food and few clothes, and we drove as far away from our town as we could.

There was a friend of Mr. Olsen who was also a lawyer. He lived in the next town from home. We went to him and asked for his help. We gave him the money we had to use in our case. He helped us get my father's will and bury our parents. We also got protection from the government when I gave out the list of names in the little black notebook and the things they had done as written in its pages. It turned out to be a list of wanted criminals, but they had never been charged with any crime since they were no evidence before. Who knew that a simple small notebook would provide a long waited justice.

I then took over my father's company at 17 years old, something I never called for, but that was my new reality. Mrs. Olsen had no children, so she stayed with us. My brother and I were glad to have her by our side.

Spring had already started. The fields were greener, with leafy trees and vivid flowers.

Such things were once pleasing to my eye. Maybe there were still pleasant, at least to those with innocent eyes, who had not yet seen the bitterness of days.