She hated the noise. The constant yelling and fighting of her parents, the loud TV and music, the banging of doors and dishes. She wished she could escape to a quieter place, where she could read her books and draw her pictures in peace.
She often wondered why she was born into this family. She felt like she didn't belong here, like she was different from them. She had a vague memory of another life, another time, when she was happy and loved. She dreamed of a man with kind eyes and a gentle smile, who called her his wife and held her in his arms. She didn't know who he was, but she felt a strong connection to him.
One day, she found an old photo album in the attic. She opened it and saw pictures of people she didn't recognize. They looked like they were from a different era, wearing old-fashioned clothes and posing in front of old buildings and cars. She flipped through the pages, until she saw a picture that made her gasp.
It was the man from her dreams. He was standing next to a woman who looked exactly like her. They were holding hands and smiling at the camera. On the back of the photo, there was a date and a name: 1918, Anna and John.
She felt a surge of emotion, a mix of joy and sadness. She realized that she was Anna, and that John was her husband in her previous life. She wondered how they died, and why they were reborn in different times and places. She wished she could see him again, and tell him how much she missed him.
She looked at the photo again, and noticed something else. John looked very familiar, not just from her dreams, but from her current life. He had the same features, the same hair color, the same eyes as her father. She felt a shock of disbelief. Could it be possible? Could her father be her grand grand grandson, and her husband's reincarnation?
She ran downstairs, clutching the photo in her hand. She wanted to show it to her father, and ask him if he remembered anything. She hoped he would recognize her, and feel the same bond that she felt. She hoped he would love her, and stop being so angry and unhappy.
She found him in the living room, sitting on the couch and watching TV. He looked bored and annoyed, as usual. She approached him and said, "Daddy, I have something to show you. It's very important. Please look at this."
She handed him the photo, and waited for his reaction. He glanced at it, and frowned. He said, "What is this? Where did you get this?"
She said, "It's you and me, Daddy. In our previous life. We were married. We were happy. Don't you remember?"
He looked at her, and laughed. He said, "Are you crazy, kid? This is not me. This is some old guy. And this is not you. This is some old lady. What are you talking about? Previous life? Married? Happy? You're making no sense. Stop playing with these old things, and go back to your room."
He threw the photo on the floor, and turned back to the TV. He said, "And leave me alone. I don't have time for your nonsense."
She felt a pang of hurt and disappointment. She picked up the photo, and ran back to her room. She cried on her bed, holding the photo to her chest. She said, "I'm sorry, John. I tried to find you. I tried to make you remember. But you don't. You don't know who I am. You don't know who you are. You don't love me. You don't love anyone. You're lost. And I'm alone."
She closed her eyes, and wished she could go back to 1918, to the life she had with John. She wished she could forget this life, this family, this world. She wished she could be happy again.