Anterograde

(Truth or Dare) Pale and trembling in shock. Angela slams down the receiver, not waiting for the unknown blackmailer to finish. Her knuckles were white from gripping the phone. OH God! She whispers. Please let this not be real.

Let me wake up and find it was just an awful dream. It can not be happening. Not now after finally burying the dark past. Who was this caller? How did he know her name?

How does he know so much about her and her ? even her phone number? Dazed and trance, Angela walks to her kitchen with unsteady legs. She takes a glass to fill with water; her throat feels dehydrated.

Blindly she looks out her kitchen window, her mind returning to the callers words; I know what you did with Cassie. I know you hide the body. How does he know so much?

Does she ask herself? How does he know Cassie?

Angela took a sup of cold water; Angelas eyes took in the beauty of the sunset.

The pool where she had a lovely relaxing swim seems to reflect a golden color; the evening sky does not have wind, all so beautifully quiet and peaceful.

Angela looks up at the sky, praying. Please, God, help me. Slowly she turns back and goes to the lounge; her eyes glazed with pain, she looks at the portrait of her beautiful mother.

I miss you, mom, she whispers.

I wish you were here to help me through this. The pain was hard to deal with after losing her beautiful, vibrant, loving mother less than a year ago.

How could she turn to her dad? Multi-millionaire businessman, always in the press, moved in very influential circles only his closest friends knew he hired these chalets for whoever wanted a break away from marital life to have a fling away from prying eyes.

Slowly with leaden legs, Angela walks to the full-length mirror and stares at her reflection; her typically beautiful and bright sea-green eyes stare back at her hauntingly.

People always told her she had inherited her mothers beauty, the flawless olive skin and waist-length hair as sleek and shiny as a seal.

Women looked at her with envy. Many stared in lust at her perfect shapely body. But now, she saw nothing of it, only the mocking voice of her blackmailer banging in her head.

So many years have passed since that fateful day.

So young and carefree, she and Mark were so much in love that Angela thought nothing could come between them. Mark was then twenty-one back then, and Angela was eighteen. Angela met mark on campus; he was so handsome.

Angela stares blindly out the bus window as it goes through the karoo. Her beautiful green eyes blurred with tears. She does not notice the golden cloak of sunrise in all its magnificent beauty shining on the long green golden meadows, as the bus passes, nor does she see the horses and cows grazing in tranquility on this beautiful morning.

Angela, a eighteen-year-old, sees nothing; her heart feels like it shattered into a million pieces; shes been on the bus for approximately eight hours, and shes filled with fear of the unknown future as her home. Friends and all she loved seem now so very far away.

Her fathers harsh words were unforgettable.

Closing her eyes, she tries to block out that horrible memory of just three days ago; Angela lies in her bedroom with earphones listening to music with no care in the world.

Her brother Jack had opened her door and told her dad was calling; ”Angela, are you deaf? ” Knowing her father got easily upset, she went downstairs and saw her mom and dad looking at her solemnly. Thinking it was because she had not yet cleaned the lunch table, she laughingly said, ”Im sorry, mom I prepare the table ” but her mother remained silent with eyes downcast. Angela was nervous and wondered what she could have done to upset her beloved parents.

Angelas father was a tall, stern man with greying hair. He loved his family dearly but was very strict with her and her brother Jack. Angela stood looking at her dad. His grey eyes seemed stormy as he asked her. Madam, ”what are your plans?

Youve been lazing around hanging out with that good-for-nothing Keegan. Have you decided which campus you are going to attend? ”

Angela stood frozen she had just gotten back. She did not even think of campus or leaving her beloved home. Why was her father behaving this way towards her?

Looking at her mom for an answer, her mother remained silent.

Angela looked at dad with shock and stammered, ”but dad, I don want to go to campus, I don want to leave my home, I don want to leave you, mom and Jack, please, dad ” Angela pleaded, tears running freely down her cheeks. Angela went to her mother, sitting quietly in the chair.

She knelt and took one of her mothers cold hands in hers, pleading, ”mom, please don send me away to campus, please, I beg of you and dad, this home is all Ive ever known, please, pl