Quote:Mama died when she was young and her Daddy did his best. Unfortunately for he and Annie, they were cut from the same cloth and never found a way to bridge the gap her mother left between them -- in spite of how much they loved each other, in their own way.

Daddy died before her first birthday, a violent thunderstorm twisting through their tithing and tearing it to bits. Annalee was among the young folk who were injured and displaced. Several of them struck out together, piecing together a new community amidst their grief and roaming nomadically.

It was during their travels that Annalee bonded with one of the males in their group, Hayde. The pair were young, clinging to any shred of hope or warmth they could find, and alone. It wasn't long before they'd trauma bonded and fallen fast.

By midautumn, they'd gotten hitched and decided to strike out on their own.

Maybe it was the isolation. Maybe it was the strain of surviving on their own in the midst of a hard winter. Maybe it was the inevitable process of the couple growing up and growing apart.

Conflict reared its ugly head. They bickered more. Hayde grew mean and distant. Annie grew quiet and withdrawn -- wondering where she went wrong.

She wondered up until things spiraled into Hayde lashing out at her. Annie fled in a panic, returning the next morning simply because she didn't want to face the world alone.

Hayde was gone when she returned to their camp. And he never returned.

Annalee has wandered since then, seeking only the simple things in life. Peace and contentment. A little home to call her own. Maybe some good friends and some laughs to ease the weight sitting on her chest.