Anastasia

Home sweet home. A sigh of contempt left Anastasia's mouth, the old farm house was coming into view. It was just coming up to half past eight in the evening, so the sun was hiding behind the houses just before it would say goodnight and go to bed. The sky was clear and Anastasia could smell the summers evening air. The amber glow from streets still had some time before lighting the path ahead. They had made it home in record time.

After landing safely, first class were let off before everyone else, obviously. As there were only a few people Anastasia took this time to try and snoop some more on Armani one and two. It didn't go very well as they made no sound, not a whisper or even a grunt getting their bags down. They reminded Anastasia of the secret service, big built guys, ripped and ready for action.

She lost them after going through passport control as for some reason her Grandfather had decided that they were going to be flying from Heathrow Airport to London Oxford Airport by helicopter instead of driving back. It was unexpected behaviour as to put it nicely her Grandfather could definitely be a Scrooge sometimes. She knew it would just add to the money they spent on the trip. However, she was more than happy to get home sooner special now as she stuck her head out of the taxi window to see their front door.

It was a valley green colour to match the ivy growing on the left side of the house. Their house was a large two story house that had diamond design in each window, they were super thick glass windows way better than double glazing. In the winter their home never dropped below 18 degrees. Even though the house looked old and worn, the inside was modern and spacious. When you entered the front door there would be a shoe and coat rack to greet you. Then you would make your way down the little hall which was decorated with a few family photos to the next door. This was to keep the house warm as when you opened that door you stepped into an open plan downstairs. To the left is the living room, straight in front is the back of the stairs which you can see through, then to your right is the dining room. Then going through the living room to the arch in the corner to the kitchen, you can also get to the utility and garage in that direction. The arch at the back of the dining room leads to the home offices of her grandparents and downstairs toilet, it is also has a second back door to the kitchen back door which was used to get to the pavilion. Upstairs holds four bedrooms, an art room, Anastasia office, a gym and two bathrooms.

As soon as the taxi had stopped moving Anastasia opened the door and jumped down to hear the gravel grounding into the earth due to her weight. Nothing feels better than coming home. The taxi man got their luggage out of the boot whilst her Grandparents were clambering out. Anastasia could smell the sweet peas on the fence to the right. The grass needed cutting, it wasn't short and pristine anymore. Some friends had joined the nature party as daises and buttercups were dotted across the front lawn.

George paid the man and he was on his way. "Right let's get these suitcases into our rooms, have a late supper and retire to our rooms," George suggested. George dragged the two suitcase they took for the three of them to the front door, the girls were waiting for George to unlock the door but instead he just pushed the door and it swung open without a hitch.

"Girls stay here," George demanded in a harsh scary voice Anastasia had rarely heard, it was when he was downright angry or if there was danger. Joanne let her partner search the house and had her arm around Anastasia, trying to keep an eye in each direction. Anastasia was completely an utterly dumbfounded, how could the door swing open like that. The door had three locks and top of the range security system, the one that should send a message to your phone if anything noteworthy happened.

George came back with a sombre expression "We've been robed," then a silent conversation ensued between the adults. "Come through Anastasia," George said holding his hand out to guide her like a little child that would get lost. What Anastasia saw almost made her cry. The shoe rack was overturned and the pictures hanging on the wall had been smashed to the floor. Once they got through the next door her heart broke a little more. The beautiful Ebony dining room table and chairs where smashed to smithereens like the Hulk had a strolled through the house. The stuffing from the sofas was spewing out. The books were torn off the bookcase and pages scattered everywhere. Every room was destroyed and in utter chaos, even the kitchen and bathrooms.

Anastasia rushed up the stairs turned right and went the last door in the hall. Her bedroom door was partially open. She gently nudged it to let it swing into the room. This was the time a tear actually slipped from those warm honey brown eyes that were filled to the brim with sadness. The bedroom she treasured and had grown up in was wrecked. Her mattresses was flipped and her pink duvet was ripped. How is that even possible? Photos of holidays they had been on torn, her desk top computer had actually been battered with a baseball bat. This wasn't a normally robbery surely as you would take the computer not smash it up. Luckily everything she had on her computer was backed up on her laptop which she had taken on holiday with her. She also had extra backups of her code in a bank deposit boxes, something her Grandfather had insisted.

Her heart then skipped as panic had set it that her secret belongs might of been found. Hiding things is difficult as you can't put something in a book, so overused. Floorboards and lose fitting are too popular as well. Things in plane site or something pretending to be something else like a spy.

Her old stereo was also smashed up on the floor but it look like ascetic damage, when listening to cd's weren't cool anymore Anastasia had the ingenious idea to keep her stereo but to disassemble the inside and remove all its guts and use the space inside to hide things. The lid you would close for the cd to start was crushed in but Anastasia was able to pry it open, where you place the cd wouldn't work anymore it was a false lid to the inside. Removing the false lid there was three small boxes the first you could see was the smallest square box that helped kept the other two boxes in place to the left and to the right. Each box had its own old fashioned lock where you had to spin the numbers to get the correct combination for the lock. She slipped each box out of the stereo and found one of her bags that had been disregarded on the floor and grabbed a few undestroyed things and clean clothes and made her way back downstairs to her grandparents. They were talking in hushed whisper and she couldn't make out a word, she cleared her throat and approached them.

"Please tell me we are not staying here for the night, I feel so unsafe and upset at the damaged that has been done," she pleaded with her grandparents, using those doe eyes of hers.

"George dear, I think it might be best," Joanne in Anastasia corner. You could see the thought process of George, he looked set against it with a harsh deep scowl, but how could he endanger his two girls. Obviously the safety measures have been comprised and he didn't have any chance to check if any electronics had been added to the house. Logic reasoned and his cold face fell and a shadow of worry was there but just like that gone.

"Come on girls grab a few essentials and we will drive to a hotel" George agreed.

" I already have everything, I'll just wait in the front hall," Anastasia only received nods to her declaration. Her bag weighed heavy on her shoulders or maybe it was her worry. She couldn't stand still so decided to clear the hall slightly and pick up the pictures from the broken frames. She piled up all the shoes near the shattered shoe rack. The hall table was turned on its side, she places it up right it was a little crooked with the beating it had taken. Under the table was the post that had piled up from their week away. There we eight letters, five were junk mail, two were bills and the other one was a hand written letter addressed to her, which was very peculiar. Anastasia didn't get post, she didn't have a bank account in her own name and had no friends, why would she have a letter.

"Right, let's go then love," George said as he appeared behind her. Anastasia shoved the letters in her bag not giving it another thought. The made their way outside and decide the luggage they took with them could be useful. So they packed up all the bags into the Jeep Grand Cherokee and set off down to the Old Bank Hotel.

***

Anastasia flopped onto the bed exhausted by traveling and the events at home. Tension was visible in her grandparents bodies, they were like coiled snakes ready to attack. Something felt wrong deep down in Anastasia's gut. There seemed to be some odd coincidence.

"Well I am going to freshen up, George darling order up some late supper," Joanne stated, not asked. You could hear the authority in her voice but it seemed strained. George did not even raised an eyebrow, they understood each other and knew when not to push. After the bathroom door had locked, George order some food and then took a call out in the hall.

Anastasia decided she would contemplate life and parts of her life she currently felt unusual.
Well there was the creepy man when they were on vacation. There was the dream and Armani men. The fact they took a helicopter. Then they were robbed but it didn't look like a regular robbery. Anastasia mind was racing trying to connect the dots.

Thoughts swirling in Anastasia mind 'Maybe my Grandparents are part of the Mafia, or maybe Royalty, no. Could they be thieves?'

"Argh" Anastasia cried, her brain was too tired for competent thoughts. She rolled over knocking her bag onto the floor and spilling the contents inside. Anastasia huffed and dropped to the floor to pick up her belongs when she noticed the letter, which was also another anomaly currently in her life.

She plumed herself back on the bed, carefully opening the letter. She took a breath and began to read. The concentration in her faces caused her brows to furrow. She was reading the words over and over again they just weren't sinking in, she was too engrossed to notice her Grandparents were back in the room.

"Darling, what are reading?" Joanne asked, getting no response from her granddaughter, she sat next to her and glanced over her shoulder.

"What does this mean?" Anastasia queried. For the first time ever Joanne was speechless.

Hey guys I know I haven't updated in ages but I will be once every two weeks.

Its about to get a lot more interesting I swear and the girls will be meeting soon.

Let me know what you thinks going on.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to @Leverance, who is always very supportive and there to talk too and always forgets to drink :P

~Barney