Anna White

Anna jerked from sleep.

 

She heard the crashing of waves on the seashore, the whooshing of whips, and the grunting of men in the compound, but none of these had woken her up. A nightmare had, and it had been so clear like she was present.

 

Anna's heart was thumping loudly, and every joint in her body quivered with dread. The cold air in her room from the sea touched the sweat trickling down her face and the back of her neck, but it did nothing to stop it. With shaky hands, she touched her nightgown, it was soaked. She looked around her, the sheet was also soaked.

 

She hadn't wet herself. She had never done that before in her life. This was something else, and she was unsure of what it was, even though it came with the air of dread. 

 

The whooshing stopped as did the grunting of men.

 

The nightmare. She tried to recall the images, but all she could see were flashes. No. She had to remember. Something in there had... Yes, now she saw it. There had been a house, the house of silence it looked like, then it was gone and there were five shadowed feminine figures with different colours of hair.

 

At their feet lay bones, but they were looking for more. They had said something, no, whispered something, and it was to find someone or a group of people, she wasn't sure which. But there had been a warning, one whispered to her.

 

The door to Anna's room opened, and she jumped. It was only her maid, Harriet Foster.

 

Harriet was a slender lady with dark hair, and she was the daughter of one of Anna's father's men.

 

"Sorry my lady," Harriet said. "I didn't mean to wake you." 

 

Harriet began closing the door when Anna said, "Wait." Her maid further opened the door. "Has my father's ship departed?"

 

Harriet said something, but Anna didn't hear her, for she was reflecting on her own words. 

 

Ship. The sea. And now she remembered the warning.

 

"Do not let your father venture to the sea," a voice had whispered to her in her dream as she beheld the sight of the five ladies now getting to their feet. 

 

"Why," Anna had asked.

 

The voice had cackled higher than its whisper. "He would die. Warn him. And if he doubts you, tell him to check the coast at sunrise."

 

The sun wasn't yet up.

 

"My lady," Harriet called, getting her attention. "I said your father's ship hasn't departed."

 

"And we mustn't let it depart." Anna briskly rolled out of the bed and got to her feet.

 

It was now Harriet took note of her mistress' soaked nightgown and her gaze widened. "My lady! Are you okay?"

 

Anna approached Harriet. "No." she walked past her maid in haste to her father's... She paused to turn back to Harriet who was still looking at her awkwardly. "Where is he?" 

 

"In his study." 

 

With quickened footsteps, Anna ignored the gazes of the servants as they followed her through the compound. She looked at the prisoner sitting with his back against a wooden bloody pole with his hands held up with chains, and she could spot the red straight marks of whips on his body. No doubt, the men who had done this to him had been the ones grunting, and he had barely made a sound.

 

He slowly raised his head to look at her, but she looked away. 

 

There was a guard before her father's study, and the guard began to say something to her, but she ignored him and walked inside to her father sitting on his desk, scratching with his pen, leaving inked words on a document.

 

"You mustn't go," Anna said and felt the hand of the guard behind her.

 

Her father looked up at her, and curtly nodded, the guard released his hold of her and withdrew out of the room.

 

Lord White, they called him. He was the only man Anna knew who did things rationally, acting on patience, and true justice. His leadership on Crest Hill after all had kept the people from the notorious Baron's men. But now, the Baron's men seemed more persistent, and were beginning to ask so much from Father. He was from a pure line of Whites, a family that burnt and imprisoned people with supernatural abilities, she was told, but mother's love for him had changed his perspective on supernatural creatures, and he had eloped with her to this place.

 

"Father!" Anna said. "You must not go overseas. You won't make it to the other side."

 

Lord White looked at his daughter through a blank expression, and he leaned back against his seat. He noticed her soaked nightgown which clung to her body, revealing what parts that very well needed to be concealed, and he saw how much she had changed. He should find her a husband soon, he thought, but first, he needed to find out what this was. "What is it?"

 

"I had a dream last night. The house of silence turned into five ladies."

 

Lord White arched a brow. He knew the house of silence. His ancestors, he was told, turned five whispers into that house, placing a curse to keep them so forever, and making sure every human they whispered to did avoid the house.

 

Anna went on with her dream. "A voice said to warn you not to go to the sea. It said you would meet its wrath, and you won't get across."

 

"My love!" Lord White said, trying to explain. "The Baron's son is tied to a pole outside. I must send him back to his father so he can meet his bride. He's been our prisoner for a long time."

 

More like he's been hiding under their nose for long. But it was protection he did seek, and Crest Hill had granted it, although temporarily.

 

"The Baron wants to train a man to take his place," Lord White went on, "and if I don't send him back his son, he could bring war to us."

 

"Do you doubt me, Father?"

 

Her father looked at her, his gaze was calculative.

 

Ray's of sunlight came in through the windows, giving everything it touched a golden glow.

 

"Check the coast," came Anna's cold reply.

 

Lord White took some seconds to look at his daughter, then he got to his feet. "This better be good," he said. He walked up to the door that led out to the view of the coast, and opened it, his heart froze beneath his chest, and he let out a gasp.

 

Anna also stared in awe as she approached the door. Before her was a coast ridden with bodies, and the edge of the sea was red with blood. Knowing the story of the five whispers, Anna had nothing else to say, except, "They are back. They are back."