Assistance and Acceptance

“Annabel?”

                Her friend Ethan was next to her. Her other friend Jack was there too, bandaging Annabel’s hand for a second time that week after her father’s murder. They were in Ethan’s living room. She was curled up like a kitten, sticking her hand out towards Jack. He finished and said, “All right, all done, Mignonette. You going to be okay?”

                She nodded, “I just can’t believe he’s gone.”

                 Ethan grabbed a pile of letters and began opening them and said, “I don’t think you should be investigating his death Anna… It’ll only make it harder for you. I mean- oh man this is not good..."

                Jack took the letter from him and read it aloud:

“Dear Ms. Annabel Jocelyn Kino,

“Evidence has found you guilty of last week’s events.

“You will go to trial for the murder of Sebastian Randall Kino. Your trial is scheduled for the 15^th of April. You must come or you shall be found guilty without trial and be sentenced to Life in Prison.

“Thank you,

“Joshua Rosh

“Director of NDAE

“How could they do this?!” she bellowed. “I’m investigating my own father’s murder and they blame it on me?! F*****G S**T!! PIECES OF MOTHERFUCKING S**T!!!!!”

She stood in front of a mirror and raised her clenched fist. Ethan ran and held her before she could punch the mirror. She gave a little gasp when she saw herself. She was short and very thin, nearly skeletal. She had long brown hair, falling down to her waist. Her violet eyes filled with anger and shame, letting her temper get the best of her, and the shame she has seemed to bring upon her family name. On her face there were many scars, small but visible. One that was most prominent was a Chelsea smile, three years ago, from when she was fourteen.

Ethan put his arms around Annabel. He looked into the mirror as well. He was taller than her, as he was of normal height for a seventeen year old. He had long ebony black hair tied back in a pony tail. He had his own collection of scars but not like Anna’s at all. He said to her, “We’ll clear you name… We know you didn’t kill your father…”

“Hmn…” she hummed, “I think I know who can help…”

She ran to the phone and dialed a number.

“Hey, this is Kino… Yes, I need to contact Seiya… What? But, this important! Life or death… My life… Thank you… Hey Seiya… We’ll have you heard? Dad’s… No! But you don’t care if he was brutally killed?  He was, Seiya. And I need your help, I’m investigating his murder and they put me on trial… I can probably be there by tomorrow afternoon… Well alright! See you then. Thanks again…”

She went back to Ethan and Jack.

“I think my big brother might be able to help me. I need to pack now if I want to reach the outer border of Egnimias. I’ll see you guys later, okay?”

She ran up the stairs, both boys following her. She grabbed her red cloak, black scarf, and several back up magazines. “Where the hell do you think you’re going, Mignonette?”

“The outer borders! I already told you!”

“You can’t go alone, Annabel!” Ethan exclaimed, “It’s too dangerous! How are you going to get there? And by yourself?! No way in hell!”

“Okay, seriously… Calm the f**k down Ethan! I’ve been through worse… A lot worse, you two should know!”

“But what if it happens again and we can’t find you next time?”

“It won’t happen again… I promise you! And besides, how can it? I mean, I’ve changed… I’m a detective, with a gun, I might add. And if I can’t, then I have my blade…”

She reached for a switchblade on a table and realized it was missing.

“Where’s the blade?”

She looked under the bed and underneath the couches and when she went back to the room; she asked them, “Have you seen my blade? It was here… I was using it to…”

She looked up and saw it lodged in the ceiling, under the bed, the blade piercing the wooden rafters. “Oh… That’s where I left it…”

She climbed on top of the bed and jumped to reach the handle but could not reach, no matter how high she tried to jump.  “You know, Anna, I- ,” Ethan started to say as she jumped off the bed, down to floor, ran to a wall and kicked off it. Sure enough, she reached the handle but she clung on to it, unable to pull it out.

“Err… some assistance is needed… But if you pull off my pants in the process again, I swear Ethan Nathaniel Adrian!”

“Fine… I’ll grab your ankles… Better your boots than my-“

“How did you get your switch blade on there in the first place, Mignonette?” asked Jack.

“Ethan it’s no use. Get on the bed and hold on to me. Some more weight should get it out. Okay… No wait; grab on below… no f**k! What the hell not there!!”

                When they finally came to a compromise, they were able to pull out the blade without harming anyone.  As she dusted herself off, she asked, “So what were you saying?”

                She crossed the room for her scarf and tied it around her waist. She reached for her cloak when Ethan said, “It’s too dangerous for you to be outside. And the police are after you too, Jocelyn! You need to stay here and I’ll be here with you the whole-”

                The door bell rang and Jack went down stairs, Annabel continued speaking with Ethan, “Okay, now you’re making it sound like if I’m being forced into house arrest, which I am not! I’ll be fine, Nikolai.”

                “Well… I’ll be going with you! You’re not going alone! I’m not letting you!”

                “No you’re not!”

“Yes I am! And there is nothing you can do or say to stop me!” He grabbed his cloak and Jack’s as well.

“Anna!” Jack whispered. “They’re looking for you!”

“Who is?”

She didn’t wait for a response. She stuffed the magazine rounds in her boots and in her shirt and in her cloak and jumped out the window and ran as fast as she could. Ethan and Jack followed. And they followed her until she ran into a pitch black alleyway.

“Why are you following me? I told you guys to stay!” She said breathlessly.

“And I told YOU,” Ethan wheezed, “I was not going to let you go alone…”

“But-!”

“Enough Jocelyn! Why must you be so argumentative! NO is No, so just stop!”

Biting her lip, she looked to see if the coast was clear and said, “Fine… I know a way out of here so we can reach the outer borders… Come on, we’re off to Bertie’s Pot…”

And they walked off, down the road, past the Locksmith and into the alleyway between it and Bertie's Pot Pub.

Author's Note

I hope this might be better...