She's leaving home.

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40years ago The Beatles wrote what was to my mind one of the most emotive songs of all time.


It was called 'She's Leaving Home' I've based a story around the song. I hope I've done it justice.


It was five o’clock on a bitterly cold winter’s Wednesday morning.

Anna scraped the ice from her bedroom window and looked out on the deserted moon lit street below. A fox stopped in its tracks and stared up at her for a brief moment, then carried on its way.

In her hand she clutched a bulging bag crammed with a few clothes, a photo of her brother, and her favourite teddy bear. Tears streamed down her cheeks as the moment came for her to leave home and start a new life. For years she’d envied the freedom that her friends enjoyed. She knew her parents meant well, but she felt trapped and over protected. What she was doing would devastate her Mum and Dad, but it had to be done. Right now.

She stared at the note she’d written. Her hand shook, and the words swam on the page. A tear drop fell on the paper and it left a smear when she wiped it away. She’d wanted to say exactly why she was leaving but somehow she hadn’t found the words.

She silently closed her bedroom door behind her, slipped the letter under her parents door then crept down the stairs wiping away her tears with one of her father’s handkerchiefs.
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In the kitchen, her pet cat raised its head, gave her a disinterested glance, stretched, and then curled back up again.
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Anna held her breath and narrowed her eyes as she slowly turned the key in the back door lock, silently praying that it wouldn’t clonk. It didn’t. The door opened and she found herself outside in the freezing dawn.

Free.

*

Mary woke up early. About 6 o’clock. She didn’t know why. John was contentedly snoring beside her. Something didn’t feel right. She climbed out of bed, put on her dressing gown and her eyes blearily focuussed on a folded piece of paper on the floor. What she read made her numb.

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She walked to the top of the stairs then started to cry. Quietly at first, but then she suddenly sunk to her knees and sobbed and sobbed.

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‘Our baby’s gone’ she screamed. ‘How could she do this to us’? It’s not like her to be so thoughtless’

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John appeared from their room. Her knelt down beside his distraught wife, and put his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder.

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From the second Anna was born they devoted their lives to her. Everything they did was for her. They never thought of themselves. Their lives revolved around their darling precious daughter. It had been a struggle, but Anna’s happiness was more important to them than their own

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John picked up the crumpled note from the floor, looked at it and whispered ‘bye bye sweet heart’

*

By Friday morning Anna was miles away. A place where nobody knew her, except Liam. She had met him last week when she took her car to be repaired. Something clicked and suddenly it was as if a light was switched on inside her. He went ahead of her to prepare a love nest for them where they could never be found.

*

‘What did we do wrong John? We didn’t mean to do anything wrong’ said Mary.

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‘I guess that fun was the one thing money couldn’t buy’ said John. ‘Perhaps she felt deep down that it was the one thing that we denied her. And now she’s left home’

*

Miles away Anna was having fun! Bye bye..
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