The whisper in the wind E-Book

Elias J. Connor

• Herausgeber: FINN Books Edition FireFly
• Kategorie: Gesellschafts- und Liebesromane
• Sprache: Englisch

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2022

Beschreibung

She can only live here. She was looking for us. It's her own world and only we know this place. Annika does not believe in a way out. She carries too much fear, shame, anger and sadness within her. We know about Annika's secret place to which she fled because we are her friends. Nobody knows us but them. No one knows she had to endure the worst except for us. Annika is silent. But we are her voice. Annika is blind and deaf. But we are her eyes and ears. Don't be afraid, Annika... Annika Mauren is very quiet and reserved. This seems to be a mystery for both the parents and her entire environment, nobody can get close to her. Only her imaginary friend Harry is the one she seems to have contact with. In her imagination, Annika builds a city in the clouds, into which she withdraws more and more. There she meets new imaginary friends and feels understood and cared for. When she meets Laurin and Jens as a young adult, her secret threatens to be exposed. But Annika's imaginary friends want to protect her from that. Laurin, in particular, manages to gain Annika's trust, and based on his own experiences, he soon has a suspicion as to what could really be wrong with Annika... A gripping social drama from author Elias J. Connor that tells the fact-based, tragic story of Multiple Personality Disorder sufferer Annika as she desperately seeks a way out of her trauma. Authentic, direct and true.

Leseprobe

Elias J. Connor

The whisper in the wind

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Dedication

Chapter 1 - The child in the mirror

Chapter 2 - Who is afraid of the black man?

Chapter 3 - Without a word

Chapter 4 - The psychologist

Chapter 5 - Sad Christmas

Chapter 6 - The first day

Chapter 7 - Escape from wonderland

Chapter 8 - Beyond the borders

Chapter 9 - I can hear you

Chapter 10 - Jane

Chapter 11 - Laurin's silent scream

Chapter 12 - The words you say

Chapter 13 - Distorted reality

Chapter 14 - Deaf, blind and dumb

Chapter 15 - Deep trust

Chapter 16 - Laurin's repressed memories

Chapter 17 - Harry has to go

Chapter 18 - Secret meeting

Chapter 19 - The trip to the amusement park

Chapter 20 - He loves me, he doesn't love me

Chapter 21 - Deep silence

Chapter 22 - The end of a friendship

Chapter 23 - Lena dies

Chapter 24 - Father

Chapter 25 - The stone of the old house

Chapter 26 - Because we hear your voice

Impressum

Dedication

 

For Jana.

Thank you for opening up worlds to me that I didn't know before.

For Nadja.

Muse, source of ideas, goddaughter.

Thank you for always accompanying me on my way.

Chapter 1 - The child in the mirror

              The dry sand slowly trickled down from her hand. Almost grain by grain, he fell on her bent knees, and she watched with a blank look. Sometimes she closed her hands and interrupted the trickle for a moment, sometimes she blew into the falling grains of sand. But whatever she did, the sand landed on her black pants, which were already streaked with dirt.

              The playground wasn't big. There were two swings, a slide and a sandpit here. They hadn't even built a climbing frame. There should have been one here in the past, but they had to take it down after a child was seriously injured. No one has visited this place for a long time, and the little girl knew that no one would look for her here. That's why she came here often in the afternoons. Here she had peace. Here she could play for herself without anyone coming and disturbing her. No annoying brother, no arguing parents. This place was so remote, close to the adjacent forest, that she could almost call it her own. This abandoned playground was their hiding place, surrounded by a high hedge and several thickly overgrown trees.

              When she had played long enough in the sandpit, she got up in slow motion and ran to the swing. She looked at her for a few minutes before her hand finally moved to the seat and began to nudge her. After a while she sat on the swing and moved her legs rhythmically back and forth. She sang a song very softly. And when she was done, she stopped the swing again and took a deep breath.

" Annika, you have to go home," she said in her bright voice.

" No, I don't have to go home yet," she replied to herself.

" It's already evening," she admonished herself. "The sun is going to set soon."

“ But nobody is at home. Why should I go there? "

" Have you had anything to eat since lunchtime today at school?"

              Annika shook her head.

" You see?", She said then. "You get something at home."

" You mean I have to do something," said Annika. "There is nobody there to prepare me something to eat."

" What do we have there?", She said in a slightly disguised voice.

" I can't cook yet, I'm only nine years old," she replied to herself.

" Almost ten," she corrected herself. "You can cook."

" I'm not hungry."

“ Annika, do you want to spend the night out here? In October? It gets very cool at night. "

              Annika snorted angrily. "You're always complaining," she replied. “Just leave me alone. I'm not going home. "

   The sun slowly made its way behind the trees. The moon could already be seen to the east, and the lanterns on the nearby street were already on, but Annika didn't care. She sat quietly on the swing and looked up at the sky. What felt like hours might go by, but Annika just sat there and didn't move.

              Suddenly someone from behind put his hand on her shoulder and Annika turned around. She exhaled, smiling.

" Harry," she called. “I thought you weren't coming any more. I've been waiting for you for hours. "

“ I know,” apologized the 11 year old boy who had just appeared out of nowhere. "Sorry, I didn't make it earlier."

              He took the girl by the hand and led her to a bench by the sandpit, on which both children finally sat.

" You don't have to go home," Harry said quietly, looking deep into her eyes.

              Annika pulled back her long blonde hair and finally leaned her head on Harry's shoulder. She seemed to feel good around him. Safe and secure, unlike usual. Harry, with his rather petite stature, his thick brown curls and his glasses on his nose, was not exactly like a classic protector, but Annika had known him for as long as she could remember, and he always gave her this comfortable feeling of security. And that's what she seemed to need now.

" We should start slowly," Harry finally said after what seemed like hours, when it was already dark.

              Annika looked at him seriously. "Where are we going?" She wanted to know.

              Harry smiled. "It's a surprise," he said.

              Thereupon he got up, took Annika's hand and she followed him wordlessly along the long, narrow street that led away from the playground. At a moderate pace, the two ran behind the settlement, out into the huge, adjacent field to the mouth, where the road led into an unlit field path at the edge of the forest.

" It's very gloomy," said Annika.

" You're not scared, are you?"

   Annika shook her head. "Not with you," she clarified.

              The dirt road might be endless. The two children ran further and further into the dark, and as they ran it became more and more quiet around them. The birds singing their evening song were soon no longer to be heard. The rustling of the wind ceased, as did the sound of the church bell in the village, which was already far behind them.

" We're all alone now," Harry whispered.

“ I know,” answered Annika. "Harry, will you take me there now as you promised?"

              Harry huffed. “I'm not sure it will work. We can only hope and pray that they will hear us and come for us. "

" Shall we call her?" Asked Annika.

              Harry nodded.

              And then Annika stretched her arms up and shouted: “Come and get us. We are here. We are waiting for you."

              Nothing happened.

              Annika looked up into the starry night and saw the full moon, which was meanwhile at its zenith.

" I'm sorry," Harry stammered in disappointment. "I really thought it would work this time."

              Annika turned to him. "You promise every time," she replied in a firm voice, and you could hear the anger she had to feel. "I'm fed up whith this. We will never come to Lost City. "

              Harry looked down sadly.

" I want to be alone," said Annika quietly.

              Harry adjusted his glasses.

" I can't leave you alone now," he replied. "Annika, you know what will happen when I do that."

" And how do I know if Lost City really exists?" The little girl muttered. “You tell me every time that at some point they will find me and get me. But we've never managed to find it. "

" Lost City is a very secret place," said Harry. "Even I don't know the real approach."

              Annika fell on her knees and cried softly.

" I can't go back home," she said. "I want to go to Lost City."

              Harry sat comfortingly next to her and put an arm around her shoulder.

" I wish I could conjure us up there."

" You said you can," sniffed Annika.

" I know," said Harry sadly. “But unfortunately my name is not Harry Potter. I'm just harry Just Harry ... "

              Harry was crying softly now, too. But he tried not to let it show. He gently stroked Annika's hair.

" Just hold out for a few more minutes," he said in his soft, bright voice that always had a calming effect on Annika. "Soon it will be over."

" Really?" Said Annika, wiping her nose with the back of her hand. Harry nodded.

              After a few minutes he took Annika by the hand and got up with her. Finally the two children ran on. They walked straight ahead along the lonely, dark, dark dirt road. Even when the adjacent forest disappeared on the horizon and only this lonely, huge and seemingly endless field could be seen, they were still walking.

              At some point Annika closed her eyes and walked blindly next to Harry on Harry's hand. At some point she couldn't hear his footsteps either, and it was very quiet. Her own steps seemed to mix with the empty sound of silence after a while. When she couldn't even hear herself breathing, she stopped and opened her eyes.

" Lost City knows that I'm here and waiting," you heard a voice whisper very softly. "Lost City will open up to me one day and then I'll go in and never, never, never come back here."

   At first very quietly, then more and more you could hear a tap dripping. It bubbled steadily, and every time a drop fell into a sink underneath, the long reverberation could be heard.

              The little girl blinked. She pulled the white towel that wrapped her up tightly and wrapped herself in it. Her red head pulsed. In her eyes the dull light was reflected, which illuminated the room in which she had to stand. Shivering, she looked at herself in the mirror over the sink, looked at her face, her tearful eyes and her runny nose.

              She looked around.

              The bathroom cabinet was open. She closed it carefully. Her gaze wandered to the window under which the bathtub was. Carefully she ran over and felt over the cold surface. She was dry.

              Finally the girl turned the tap on the sink all the way off and the rhythmic dripping noises ceased. Only the hum of the heating could be heard.

              In the distance, far away, the child might have heard a voice that said, "I'll come again." She didn't know who the voice belonged to, but she had hoped it was his voice. She had hoped that her only friend would visit her again, no matter where she was, and that he would take her there, to that secret place, as he had promised.

" Annika?", She suddenly heard a soft voice that might belong to a woman. And a little later there was a knock on the bathroom door.

" I'm done now," said Annika, while she wiped a strand of her long, blonde hair from her face.

              When the door opened, a maybe 35-year-old woman came in, smartly dressed but still looking natural. She smiled at the child.

" Honey, what have you been doing in the bathroom for so long?"

" I'm done now," replied Annika indifferently.

" Have you dreamed again?" The woman wanted to know.

" No, mom," replied the girl.

" Okay," said the mother. “Please go to bed now. If you want, I'll come back to say good night right away. "

              Annika nodded to her, bored.

              And the mother stroked her head.

" Annika, is everything really okay?" She wanted to know.

              Annika nodded to her. "It's okay," she said softly. "There is nothing."

              The mother finally left the bathroom and Annika put on her nightgown after throwing the towel on the floor and padded into her room. She lay quietly in her bed and pulled the covers up to her neck. The soft night light brightened the room a little. When her mother stepped in and wanted to turn it off, Annika straightened up.

" Can you leave it on, please?" She said to her mother.

“ Yes, of course. As you wish."

" Thank you, mom."

              Annika's mother then closed the door of Annika's room and ran back to the ground floor.

              And Annika lay silent in her bed, waiting for her to fall asleep soon.

Chapter 2 - Who is afraid of the black man?

              Annika slowly picked up her set square. Then she lifted it. She made movements that made it look like the ruler was an airplane or a spaceship. Her hand circled the triangle several times around her head, across the table, under the table, past her school bag next door and back to her head.

" Spaceship Space Invader at headquarters," Annika whispered softly. "Can you hear me? The aliens are after us and we are low on oxygen. Get us out of here. "

              She then put the set square back on the table.

“ Headquarters to Space Invader, we're listening. Roger. "

" Where the hell are you?"

“ We are in the higher atmosphere. The mother ship is ready to let you dock. "

“ I don't know if we can take off from the planet. An uncanny power emanates from him. "

" Try it, Space Invader."

              Annika raised the ruler again. She circled it around her head, which was now the mothership. Then she hammered the set square several times against her temple until it almost began to bleed. And a minute later she was holding the triangle tightly on her head.

" Space Invader has docked," whispered Annika. “Thank you, mothership. We'll come on board now. "

" Annika Mauren, what are you doing there?" Asked the teacher.

              Annika winced. She carefully placed the triangle on the table and looked down ashamed.

" Would you be kind enough to take class?"

              Annika nodded cautiously.

              And then there was a huge laugh from the class. Of course they noticed that Annika was spinning around with the set triangle. Annika had acted like a sick person, and the class noticed it and made fun of it.

“ Annika, what's the matter with you?” The teacher - a handsome man in his mid-fifties - wanted to know.

              Annika looked ashamed at the floor and said nothing.

" You don't want to speak?" The teacher threw in.

              Annika held her hands in front of her eyes.

              The class laughed and the teacher motioned for them to stop. A little later the class calmed down again.

" Annika, please go to the trust teacher's office immediately. He has an office hour right now. I want you to talk to him. "

" Uuuh," said a girl who was sitting behind Annika. "She never speaks."

              Annika slowly got up and trotted step by step out of the classroom, across the courtyard to the main building and then to the first floor, where the supervisor had his office.

              It was true. Annika never spoke. She has not spoken a word in school for almost two years, actually since the second grade. When her turn was taken, she only spoke so softly that the teacher had to repeat what she said over and over again. It was a mystery to the teachers too, but Annika's parents kept emphasizing that she would speak normally at home.

              Annika's family life, according to her parents, also seemed to be largely in order. Annika's mother recently admitted in a conversation with the class teacher that her parents sometimes argued because her father was often away on business for a long time. She reported that she suspected Annika was jealous of her two-year-old brother, who was now in the fifth grade of a secondary school in the city center.

" Annika thinks that we would prefer her brother," said the mother. “But that's not true. We try to always treat our two children equally. They both get the same love, and both are intended children, ”said the mother during the conversation a few weeks ago.

              Annika was present during the conversation. The trigger was - as so often before - that Annika said nothing at school and was very dreamy. Her mother was reported to be very reluctant to take part in classes.

              When Annika was asked, she said nothing. She remained silent, as so often before. And as it often happened, after such conversations, the mother had to take Annika home with resignation, where everything was back to normal. Annika talked, played and occupied herself with herself. She had no friends, and none of her classmates came to see her. Of course not, as shy and reserved as she was.

              They would call their mother again today, thought Annika to herself as she sat in front of the trust teacher's office. And there would be another conversation like that where they'd force her to say something about why she was so quiet. But Annika didn't want that. She never wanted to comment on it, and it had been like that since she started school two and a half years ago.

              The door opened and the trust teacher, a young man in his late twenties, maybe early thirties, came out.

" Annika Mauren?" He asked the girl.

              Annika nodded.

" Come in," he said.

              Annika walked very slowly after the man and finally sat down on a chair across from his desk.

" Well, as I hear, have you drifted off in class again?" He wanted to know from her.

              Annika looked out of the window.

" You can tell me everything, Annika," said the man. “I am your tutor. You know me."

              Annika did not react.

" Okay, let's start differently," said the teacher. “My name is Erik Pelz. I am a trust teacher at this elementary school. This means that if the students have problems - whatever - they can come to me and I will try to help them. Do you understand that, Annika? "

              Annika let out a deep breath. Her gaze turned away from the window and she looked at the two large posters that were framed on the wall. They were pictures by some artist who painted like a child, but these pictures seemed to have a lot of value. One of the pictures showed a strange island by the sea, with a red beach. Annika noticed this picture several times because she always wondered why the sand was red. Sand was usually yellow or white.

              Annika thought of the sandpit at the playground. She loved him. She was often there in the deserted place, where she could be all to herself. If only she could dream her way there right now.

              But Herr Pelz got her out of her thoughts.

" Annika, would you like to tell me something about your family?" He asked in a calm, deep and sonorous voice that sounded very trustworthy.

              Annika looked at the man. She put her hand carefully on the desk.

" How do you get on with your brother?" Asked Mr. Pelz. "Is he nice to you?"

              Annika panted like a dog. Actually, she could have talked, but something seemed to be blocking her.

" It doesn't matter if you don't want to speak," said the tutor. "I know you can do it."

              Annika looked at him timidly.

" You can do it, can't you?"

              Annika nodded very carefully and imperceptibly. But the teacher saw it and smiled at her.

" It's okay," he said. “Annika, I'll give you a piece of paper now. If you want, then paint something. No matter what. OK?"

              Without waiting for an answer from the girl, the teacher gave her a sheet of paper and a couple of colored pencils. Annika carefully picked up a bright pen.

              First she drew some lines. Then a circle with two lines below it. With a lot of imagination, this could be a head.

              Finally Annika took the black pencil and drew a black bar where the eyes should be. She did exactly the same thing below.

              But for the next minute, as soon as she seemed finished, she picked up the paper, crumpled it up, and tossed it on the floor.

" Would you like another sheet? " Asked Mr. Pelz without Annika noticing that he had noticed her picture.

              She nodded cautiously and the teacher handed her another sheet of paper.

" Wiesel, Wiesel, come out," Annika sang very softly all at once while she took a yellow pencil and drew a few clouds. "The sun is going down, the day is now over."

              Annika painted one or more houses into the clouds. She painted stick figures that stood in, in front of and next to the houses.

" They're coming for me one day," she whispered.

              But Herr Pelz heard them.

" Annika," he said very quietly. "Would you like to tell me who is coming for you?"

              Annika looked at him, startled. She probably didn't think he'd heard her words. She had spoken very softly. Why did he have to hear her? She couldn't tell him. You told her not to tell anyone.

              Annika was trembling.

" Annika?" Asked Mr. Pelz after a few minutes.

              Annika looked up and looked at him.

“ These people who are coming for you - would you like to tell me about them?” The teacher wanted to know. "Do you mean your mother who will pick you up later?"

              Annika imperceptibly shook her head.

              And Mr. Pelz exhaled. "Annika, if you are uncomfortable, we don't have to speak," he said.

              Annika looked at him almost gratefully and nodded.

“ Would you like to take a break now?” Asked Mr. Pelz. "It will ring soon."

              Annika nodded. And after the supervisor said goodbye to her, she slowly ran out into the school yard, where the other children were already playing.

              Annika crawled into a corner and hummed to herself. Almost casually she heard one of the children call out: "Who's afraid of the black man?"

              And finally she saw a few children lined up in a row, and opposite a lone boy who, after a few seconds, came running towards the children to catch one or more.

              Who's Afraid of the Black Man was a popular game at school that they always played during breaks. Annika had never wanted to play. Not that the other kids wouldn't let her, she just didn't want to.

              Suddenly a girl tore Annika out of her thoughts.

" Hey, dreamer," she said. “We need someone else. Do you want to play along? "

              Annika looked at the girl.

"It's okay," said the girl. "You don't have to."

              Annika got up and ran after the girl, who was already turning to leave.

" Oh, cool. You want to play along. Well, good, ”she said. "You are the black man."

              And the children lined up opposite Annika. They watched Annika quietly.

" She has to shout: Who is afraid of the black man?" Said one boy.

              Another boy laughed. "She doesn't talk."

" Okay," said the girl Annika had invited to play. "Then we call for you."

              And the children shouted in unison: "Who is afraid of the black man?"

" Nobody," they called back to themselves.

" Then he'll catch you," the children shouted again.

              And then they ran. Actually, Annika should also run and try to catch one or more of the children. But she stood there in silence.

              The children stopped and looked at her.

“ She can't do that,” said one of them.

“ She doesn't know the game,” stated another.

" Quickly, Annika," Annika suddenly heard the bright voice of a boy.

              She turned around - and someone she knew stood before her, trembling. In fact, she knew him very well.

" Harry," she exclaimed.

              And at that moment she was no longer aware of the other children. She didn't see the other children watching her. She didn't hear them laughing. She didn't see that they were pointing a finger at her.

              Harry took Annika by the hand and led her down from the school yard.

“ We can't leave the school yard,” Annika said to him.

" We have to get out of here," Harry replied.

" But my mother is coming to get me right away."

              Harry pulled Annika into a narrow alley near the school. It was a cul-de-sac between brick houses, so narrow that the sunlight wasn't even shining on the path. In the gloomy shadow, Annika and Harry crouched in an alcove in one of the houses.

" Harry, what's going on?" Annika wanted to know.

" I'll tell you later," said Harry. "Be quiet now."

              The hours passed. Without a word, Harry and Annika just sat there and didn't move. You could hear her breathing softly.

              When the sun had set, Harry slowly got up.

" I think we can go now," he said to his girlfriend. Then he ran with her out of the village into the adjoining, wide field, through which the narrow dirt road led, which they must have walked along yesterday.

" Where are we going?" Asked Annika after a while. "Are you taking me to Lost City today?"

              Harry shook his head. "They don't want to let us in," he explained. "They got a point that you almost gave it away."

   Annika looked at Harry questioningly.

" What should I have betrayed?", She wanted to know.

" That there is Lost City," Harry said.

" I didn't say anything," said Annika energetically. “The fur made holes in me. But I didn't say anything. "

" You painted a picture," Harry replied. "A picture of Lost City."

              Annika wiped a few tears from her eyes. "I didn't say anything," she cried softly. "He doesn't even know what this picture means."

" You told him they were coming for you."

" I want you to come and get me," replied Annika.

" Lost City isn't for everyone," Harry explained. "Only special people have access."

" But I haven't given anything away," the girl insisted. “I would never do that. Why don't they believe me? "

              A bench suddenly appeared on the side of the path and Harry sat down. Reluctantly, Annika walked over to him and sat down next to him.

" Are you mad at me, Harry?"

              Harry looked thoughtfully at the floor and brushed his foot in the dirty clay.

" Harry, I didn't do that specially," Annika cried softly.

" I don't know if we'll get to Lost City now," the boy said calmly. "I don't know what to do either."

              Annika looked him in the eye. Her look was desperate and seeking help.

" I know you really want to go there," Harry whispered.

" I have to go there," breathed Annika. "If I don't make it, I'll die."

              Harry sniffed. Then he wiped a few tears from his eyes and put an arm around Annika's shoulder.

" You don't have to die," he said softly.

" Yes, I have to," cried Annika.

              The blue light of the police car shimmered down the narrow alley. Annika had noticed it long ago, but she was still sitting crouched in the niche of this narrow house. When she heard footsteps, she crouched closer to the wall.

" Over here," she heard a man's voice. "I found them."

              And the officer then came up to Annika.

" Don't be afraid," he said while stretching out his arm so that Annika could take his hand. "We'll bring you home."

              Annika got up without a word and ran with the officer. A little later, she felt that she was being put in the police car, and when they apparently got to her home, she was unloaded again. Her mother and father arrived serious and sad at the same time and hugged Annika.

" Where have you been?" Sobbed the mother. "You must never run away again, Annika."

" I ..." the child stuttered. "I was only hiding for a while ..."

" It's okay, my child," the father tried to calm her down.

" Has your daughter run away several times?" The officer then asked the father.

“ Actually never,” he replied. “Most of the time she goes straight to her room after school. Her brother is outside a lot, but Annika is more likely to be alone in her room with her toys. "

“ Can there be a reason?” Asked the officer. "Was there a quarrel that preceded, or did Annika have problems at school?"

              The father shook his head. “She is rather calm. She doesn't have much connection at school either. But neither can we explain why she ran away and hid. At least not at the moment. "

              The officer now turned to Annika's mother.

" The headmaster told me that you have had conversations with you several times," he said. "Has anything struck you as strange or different about Annika lately?"

" No," said the mother thoughtfully. "Except that she rarely speaks."

" What do you mean?" The policeman wanted to know.

" Annika often seems to drift off into a kind of dream world in class," confirmed the father. “She begins to whisper. But the other children say that Annika never speaks. The teachers also noticed this. At first you didn't even notice it, but lately it has become noticeable. "

" How is it at home?" The officer wanted to find out.

" That's it," explained the father. “We can't explain it to ourselves either. At home she talks normally and does all the things that children do. Play, watch TV, quarrel with her brother. "

              The policeman finally turned carefully to Annika.

" Annika, may I ask you a question?" He wanted to know.

              Annika looked at him seriously.

" Say, have you been hiding in that alcove of the house where we found you the whole time, until tonight?"

" I went out on the dirt road," said Annika quietly. "We walked for a long time and then sat down on a bench?"

              The mother looked questioningly at Annika.

" Honey, was someone with you?" She wanted to know.

              Annika looked at the floor.

              And her mother was trembling, but she tried not to let it show.

" Ms. Mauren," said the officer calmly. “Could it be that someone took Annika with them? Could it be that someone scared her? "

              The mother looked at Annika seriously and inquiringly.

" No," insisted Annika. “He doesn't scare me. Harry is my friend. "

              The father and mother looked at each other seriously.

" Annika," said the father finally to his daughter. "Who is Harry? How old is he?"

“ He's eleven,” said Annika. "He's been my friend since I can remember."

              Annika finally heard her parents assure the officer that Annika had no friends. She overheard the officer saying something to the parents about imaginary friends and saying that they shouldn't worry, there was very likely no stranger who could have harmed her. But she didn't understand. It was as if they were talking in a foreign language.

" Harry is my friend," Annika whispered softly.

              Then she dashed into the house, ran to her room on the first floor, and threw herself on the bed.

" Well done," she heard a very familiar, bright voice.

              Annika looked up and saw Harry's eyes, who was sitting on the edge of the bed, looking at her seriously and disappointed.

" Now you know me," Harry stammered.

              Annika was crying.

" I don't know if they'll still let me see you," Harry said calmly. "I can't promise you that I'll be able to come again."

" My parents mustn't forbid me to meet you," breathed Annika.

" I don't mean your parents," Harry said seriously. “They believe that I don't exist. I'm talking about the residents of Lost City. I don't think they'll let me see you again, Annika. "

              Annika saw him only vaguely through her tear-filled eyes.

“ Annika, I have to go. I don't know if I'll be back, ”Harry said sadly.

              Then he ran out of the room without a word.

" Harry, please stay," Annika called.

              But Harry couldn't hear her anymore. He was already too far away.

" Harry, I didn't do that specially," cried Annika. "Please do not leave me alone. I do not wanna die..."

              The little girl lay on the bed in her dirty clothes and cried bitterly. Her only friend was no longer there. She didn't know if he was angry with her for telling a big secret. She didn't know whether he wanted to be with her and just wasn't allowed to be, or whether he left her here on purpose. She couldn't think clearly.

              She needed her only friend so badly now. But he wasn't there anymore.

              Poor little Annika. Alone, abandoned, unable to say a single word. The pillow on which her head lay was soaked with her tears.

              Father, mother, her brother - they were there, but Annika no longer saw them. They seemed to be standing next to her trying to comfort her. But she didn't see it. And how could they have done it without knowing what was really going on with Annika.

              It was quiet. Annika only heard the gentle wind that rushed softly through her ajar window. It sounded like strange voices that Annika had never heard before.

              The wind might sound like it was whispering something to her. There seemed to be several voices that seemed to be calling Annika. She could register it, but she didn't hear what they were saying. She couldn't hear whether these voices were scolding, laughing, or trying to comfort her.

              But Annika couldn't feel comforted now. And even if someone - those strange voices or their family - was there to comfort her, she didn't notice. The walls were too strong and did not let anything through to her.

              Alone and alone Annika sat on her wet bed and cried softly to herself. At some point she noticed someone was putting her nightgown on, and later someone turned off the light.

              Then it was quiet.

" I'm going to die," Annika whispered inaudibly. "I will no longer be able to live …"

Chapter 3 - Without a word

              She sat quietly in the rounded corner of the school yard. Her gaze did not take away from the roof tower of the main building. Ever since she got here this morning, on a cold, rainy November day, she had been sitting in the booth in silence while the other children were playing before class.

              The school building was an old building from the last or maybe even penultimate century. The windows were large and rounded at the top, and some of them had pieces of art made from broken glass. The main building itself was a thick wall and was somewhat reminiscent of a small castle, almost a palace.

              Next door, on the other side of the school yard, was the new pavilion for the third and fourth grades. Not big, and with its corrugated iron cladding, it doesn't match the rest of the school. But it had to be like that.

              Annika's gaze finally turned away from the roof tower and she looked down while her right hand played on a button on her jacket. A girl came and spoke to Annika, but it was as if Annika didn't hear what she was saying. She didn't even register it.

" Earth to Annika," said the girl. "Do you have handicraft lessons this afternoon or not?"

   Annika looked at the girl in silence.

“ Do you understand what I'm saying?” The child wanted to know.

              Annika showed no reaction.

" Wow," said the girl. “You actually don't speak a word. The other children said that, and I wanted to see if you would answer.

---ENDE DER LESEPROBE---