Borderling

Prologue Somewhere in Cannifton ONT.
Jan 4 1999


The night was endless. The howling wind swirled through the darkness of the trees, dancing through the snow and into the cracks of a small cabin buried deep in the woods of a small Canadian town just beyond the USA border.

Alone and exhausted, Annie buried herself beneath her blankets, listening to the sound of the wind as it beat against the walls for her cabin and threaten to come in. She closed her dark blue eyes with frustrating. Sleep, all she needed was to get some sleep but the storm kept her awake most of the night. She worked endlessly tending to a fire that wouldn't stay alive and she was at the point of exhaustion. Opening her eyes, she sighed as she watched the glowing red embers go dim and she didn't think she had the strength to keep going on her own. She pulled the covers closer to her chin as she struggling to keep herself warm on that cold frosty night.

She turned her head slightly, bracing herself on one arm to inspect the wood stove that sat across from her not far from where she lay. The red embers of the fire inside were stating to go dim and she knew she would have to leave her warm spot to but another log on or the little fire she had would go out. She hesitated a moment before pulling her small body out of bed. Her bare feet touched the cold floor and she already regretted her decision. She took the few steps to the stove and cursed as the heavy iron door that wouldn't open but with a few tugs she finally got it. She throw in the last 2 logs of wood and stirring the embers with care hoping that would do her till morning. With her task complete and satisfied with herself, She dusted the shavings of wood off her hands and made her way back to bed, shivering off the cold before settled back under the covers.

The bright orange glow of the fire inside the stove slowly warmed the air around her, allowing her to loosen the covers a bit to get more comfortable. She turned on her side placing one arm under her head and closed her lush eye's. Her delicate feature's resting as her chest rose and fell with every breath she took.

Starting to feel sorry for herself, she thought about how life had gotten her to where she was on this cold night. Sadness creeped inside her and a small frown formed on her thin lips as she wondered if her life would ever get any better. At the tender age of 17, she didn't think there was much she could do but wait. Yes, she was grateful for the church's pastor. He took her in, and he took care of her when an accident took the lives of her parents four years ago placing her in the cabin where she lay today and while the community gave her work so she could make money to survive, it just wasn't enough. Picking tomatoes in the summer was all she had but in the winter she was on gods good humor. She knew she wouldn't survive another Canadian winter alone. She was hungry, tired and what would she give to have a hot bath. She dreamed of a such a day. A day that she would finally be free of the situation that had her trapped. Though she was grateful to the people in town, they still went to their warm houses with their families while she sat alone in the dark. She wondered what it would be like to wear their nice clothes, eat their good food and live the way that they did. She frowned, wondering if she would ever have that. To live the life she so longed for.

She slowly turned her small body, letting her head come to a rest on her arm. She watched the fire crackled in the night air and vowed to someday find someone that would fight the fire with her and wondered if there was such a person. She closed her lush eye's dreaming of such a day.