Zack’s POV“Freda, I have something to tell you. “ I said. I had offered Annie to stay in the mansion. She has been living in God knows where, for how long. This used to be her home before we both left that day and she never got to return ever since. Till today. Freda had returned home a while ago. She had looked surprised to see I and Annie together. Apart for the brief air of awkwardness, Freda seemed fine with seeing Annie in the mansion. I know it is not comfortable for Freda, but I still have a duty to fulfill to Annie. I had promised to protect but had failed in the past. I failed to protect a woman I claimed to love and because of that, she had lived the past years in solitude. Now that I and Annie have found each other, I feel indented to her. I have to make up for all those years. “What is it you have to tell me? “ Freda asked. She had a certain look in her eyes. They were full of dread and sadness, I think. It breaks my heart that she feels that way. But I need to do t
Annie’s povStreams of daylight filtered into the room through the curtains. The weather was a little bit chilly. I slid deeper into my covers trying to gather as much warmth as I could. I had such a wonderful sleep last night. I had not slept this long at a stretch in a long time. I didn’t want the night to end. The bed was comfy, the duvet very comforting and the pillow so soft. My dream for once didn’t leave me waking up in terror. I had a wonderful sleep without any nightmare. A typical dream I would have in the past would be about me running, and running, and running. Always pursued by a masked creature of the dark and never really knowing whereShe y to go. Other dreams would be replaying what happened in the past and ends with Zack dying. All the time. I usually woke up with a scream, panting as beads of sweat stream down my body. But last night was peaceful. I slept like a baby. I dreamt of heaven. Heaven with Zack and I kissing and holding hands. What a beautiful dream!
Freda’s pov“Hello?”There was silence on the other line. I waited for a bit. Still silence. Maybe it is wrong number, I thought. I cut the call. The phone rang again. Same number. I waited for it to stop but the person was persistent. “Hello? “ I said. “Who is this please? “A strange voice on the other end of the line spoke in a low, eerie tone, “Freda, you need to be careful.”Mu heart pounded in her chest as I strained to recognize the voice. “Who is this? What do you mean?”The mysterious caller continued, “Annie is not what you think she is. Her return is not a coincidence. There are secrets you don’t know.”My breath caught in my throat as my mind raced with a whirlwind of emotions. I had no idea who was on the other end of the line or why they were warning me about Annie. The voice had an unsettling edge to it, and the cryptic message left me feeling even more anxious and uncertain.“Wait, who are you? What do you mean by secrets?” I demanded, my voice quivering.But the lin
Freda pov“It’s too late already. I must warn you about Annie. Beware of her. She is not to be trusted. “ she added. “Here is an address. You will find the answers there and you will finally understand what I meant. “ she said, as she brought out a piece of paper and placed it in my hand. “Someone will help you. “ she said. “Who is that? “ I asked. But the woman had no strength left to respond. Her chest rose and fell one final time before falling still. I bowed my head, devastated by the loss of a patient I had grown emotionally attached to in just a few hours.Dr. Reynolds approached me with a solemn expresssion. “Oh, Freda. “ he said. “I thought she would make it. “ I thought she would make it. “ I said. “I know. “ he said. “She fought hard. “ I said. “Yeah, she was a fighter. “ he said. “We all get one of those nights, where we loose a patient, especially ones like her. “ he added. “I just wished tonight was not one of those nights. “ I said, using one hand to wipe the
Annie's povIt is another day at the red moon pack. I must say, I really missed this environment. It was so much easier than living oversees. Apart from the lesser population factor, it was a place where nature was at it's peak. There were trees and flowers, shrubs, moss and ferns as well as large landscape of open fields. The air here was certainly better. I had missed home. Outside the pack had always made me feel suffocated and I had to struggle to get by every day. But I am home now. I am home with my husband, Zack. We are going to rebuild our lives together once again, from where we left off. We have not discussed that topic yet. I am a little weary about it. This is because I don't know the extent to which Zack's love for Freda runs yet. I need to be certain about that so I can play my cards right. What I have been doing far is trying to drive a wedge between them. I know Zack still feels guilty and a little bit of grief for how he thought I died and the fact that I have
Annie’s povI chuckled, a cold, bitter sound. “Not for long,” I said, my voice icy. “I have information that could destroy you, Freda.”Freda’s expression grew more defensive. “What information?” she demanded.I leaned in closer, her eyes locked onto Freda’s. “I know about the drugs,” she said, her tone laden with accusation. “I know you’ve been taking them from the storage without permission.”“I don’t know what you are talking about. “ she replied, feigning ignorance. I smiled. So she wants to go the hard way. I got a laptop, set it up and put in the flash. I located the pictures and opened it for her to see. Her face paled, and her eyes darted around nervously. It was clear that Sylvia’s information had hit its mark. She didn’t deny the accusation but stammered, “I can explain.I leaned back, a self-satisfied smile playing on my lips. “Explanations won’t save you, Freda,” I said. “You’ve been living in this grand illusion, but it’s time for the truth to come out. Zack will see yo
Freda POVI sat at my desk patiently awaiting the verdict of the board meeting. I couldn’t believe she was really serious about this. Just then, there was a knock at my door and Vivian stepped in looking all proud.“What’s it?”, I asked her. Her expression told me everything. She was here to gloat.“You must be in very big trouble Freda, the whole board is present. The last time the whole board was present was when there was a major financial scandal”. She said feigning concern in her voice.I shrugged.“I was asked to summon you to the board room. Pray to your God that you don’t get fired today”, she said before heading out of my office.I swallowed hard. This was it, I said to myself.I tidied my desk and put on my lab coat. If I am to present myself before the board, I was going to appear all professional. It should be a reminder to them what the medical profession is really about.I walked to the room, ignoring all the eyes piercing, and judging stares directed at me. Slyvia walk
Freda’s povIt has been a week since I got suspended from my job at the hospital. All thanks to Annie. Apparently she has shares in the hospital and was able to influence the opinions of the other board members including Zack. Turns out that she was right after all.Zack will always be on her side and never on mine. At least not anymore as he used to be. All the promises he made to me in the past, he was faltering on them, all because of Annie. I guess what they say is true; you never truly get over your first. I got suspended for taking drugs from the hospital without due process. I did this only because I wanted to save Zack’s life from death. His injuries were severe and he needed medical support. I couldn’t have done it without the medication I used. And in the end, he let me take the fall for it. Alone. I could not have been more heartbroken. I was so sad and angry. At myself, at Annie and at Zack. Annie is clearly trying to ruin my life and he is not even doing anything about