Hi. My name is Anna Weiner. I am only seventeen and the daughter of a once great Politician. I live in Hamburg, Germany and I’m really excited as to getting the chance to join this brand new innovative and self motivating international online escape club. When I was only fifteen I decided to run away from home because my father refused to accept the guy I was dating at the time. To my parents I had entered an illegal relationship with a minor.
A year went by and I was happily living with my boyfriend that was six years older than me. Then one day the police found us and took him under custody, I never saw him again. He was imprisoned for manslaughter, which seemed quite absurd at the time because I didn’t understand how that could have been possible and up to today I still believe the love of my life is innocent.
It has been pretty hard for me since my boyfriend was imprisoned. I did find some casual work to do. However, the pay wasn’t enough which caused me to resort in pick pocketing on the streets.
Anna bit hard into her bottom lip as she ferociously typed in more information about herself on her profile page. She thought back as to the time when she run away from home and the events that followed causing her boyfriend to end up behind bars.
It was a cold wintry morning and Anna had decided to skip class at the age of fifteen to spend the day with her twenty-one year old boyfriend whom was studying a university degree on management. Anna’s boyfriend Maxwell was clearly loaded and never bothered to work to pay his bills. Where his cash was coming from was quite a mystery to Anna.
The couple sat comfortably in Maxwell’s apartment drinking cherry tea and eating streusel-kuchen. Maxwell was working on a project that had to be handed in at lectures the next morning. He seemed quite tensed and a bit frustrated to see Anna. Anna made it her mission to grab locks of Maxwell’s curly brown hair to wrap around the tips of her fingers. His hair just drove her wild. It was like a dense forest to Anna that had to be trimmed or cut down, which Maxwell never bothered to do. His hair was right down to his earlobes. Anna drew closer to her boyfriend that was clearly under a lot of pressure.
“Maxwell, it will soon be my sixteenth birthday and I want to introduce you to my parents. I think they might like you. I want them to get the impression that we will be getting married by the time I turn eighteen. My father has promised to leave me a huge fortune in his will. One day we will have enough and you will have a great career,” Anna said encouragingly to her boyfriend.
Maxwell continued working on his project and pretended as if he had not heard anything. He quickly finished his project and smiled at Anna silently.
“Are you sure your parents will be okay with us being together. Your father is a well known politician. The last thing he will want to see is his daughter with the son of an electrician,” Maxwell complained worriedly but suddenly glad that he had Anna with him. Anna patted the love of her life gently on his left cheek.
“I don’t believe you are the son of an electrician. You seem way more well-off than the son of an electrician. You will tell my parents that you are the son of a business man that owns an electric company. I don’t see any difference between an electrician and someone that owns an electric company,” Anna purled out cunningly still clutching strands of Maxwell’s hair helplessly. Maxwell grabbed hold of Anna’s right hand and pulled her hand gently away from his hair.
“I am not going to tell your parents lies. I want us to be truthful if I have to meet your parents. I have so much work to do. The only day that I will have time to visit your house will be tomorrow evening,” Maxwell muttered out. He suddenly sounded slightly frustrated again. Anna shook her head in agreement and planned as to how to arrange his sudden visit with her parents.
It wasn’t long when the day had flown by fast and it was another day. Evening had arrived already and Anna’s boyfriend Maxwell was dressed in his best attire, hoping Anna’s father would accept him as his future son-in-law. A few minutes had flown by and Maxwell was finally sitting within the Weiner’s household, eating and drinking with his hopefully soon to be future parents in law.
Anna’s mother shook her glossy hair back and eyed Maxwell with great interest. It was clear Anna’s parents had already taken a liking to the sophisticated looking university student that would hopefully one day, marry their only child and daughter. Anna’s father smiled warmly at Maxwell and seem pleased that his daughter had taken a liking to such a respectable looking young man.
“I always thought Anna would go in for her own age group as her behavior seems more for her sort of age. However if you have intentions in marrying my daughter, my wife and I have no obligation to object. What sort of work does your father do?” Anna’s father asked out loudly but cheerfully.
Maxwell lowered his head and gulped down the remaining contents of the drink in his glass. By the time he had finally raised his head back up again, Anna was glaring angrily at him and her parents were looking on hopefully for a reply. Maxwell knew he had no other choice but to be honest, Anna’s parents seemed like pretty reasonable people.
“My father is an electrician and my mother is a cleaner,” Maxwell grabbed the courage to say.
There was a dead silence in the Weiner household as Anna’s parents stared blankly in disbelief as to Maxwell’s reply. Anna was also quite taken aback as to Maxwell’s abrupt reply and let out a nervous laugh.
“Oh! He is such a comedian! It is getting late now and Maxwell has a few assignments that need finishing and I also have some homework to complete. I guess we must all call it a night,” Anna said anxiously but dreadfully embarrassed. Anna’s father let out a raucous laugh and agreed for Maxwell to leave. He made it clear that perhaps they could arrange to get to know him better on another day which might seem more convenient.
The moment Maxwell had left the Weiner household, there was another minute of dead silence. Anna’s parents insisted they needed to speak to her before she was allowed to do her school assignment.
Anna stood before her parents trembling uncontrollably, afraid as to what the outcome of Maxwell’s visit would bring. Anna’s father looked gravely at her.
“You are my only daughter and my only child. You are not going to marry the son of an electrician. He is just using you, can’t you see that? He is after our money. Maxwell doesn’t love you,” Anna’s father bellowed out appearing to be extremely disappointed in his only child. Anna’s mother shook her head in agreement with the father also appearing to be rather cross.
“We only want the best for you. We are your parents Anna! You are not to see that man again. He is too old for you. Why can’t you find a boy that is your age. You know what? I have a friend whose son is about your age. Perhaps I should introduce him to you,” Anna’s mother said vivaciously.
Anna nodded her head sadly and decided not to argue with her parents – it was pointless. Maxwell was just a scrounger to them. She waited to be dismissed to do her school assignment and then left quietly to her room. Once finally in her room, she sent Maxwell the dreadful news by phone. She knew Maxwell really cared for her and liked her but he was not from a well-off family and he seemed too old for her, according to her parents.
Anna finished her school assignment and decided she wanted to be with Maxwell no matter what. If it meant having to run away from Berlin then so be it.
It was Friday at last and Anna had lied to her parents that she would be home late due to an after school club that she had joined. She had packed a few of her clothes beforehand, including valuable items. She would be running away from Berlin with Maxwell. They had planned it all, during the course of the week. It was clear that the couple did not want to be separated.
A few hours had flown by and the couple were together at last and on their way to Hamburg.
Anna gazed intently at Maxwell and held on firmly to his left hand.
“I hate Berlin. I never want to return to Berlin again. There is no freedom in Berlin. My parents would probably think I’ve been abducted. They will not guess that I’ve run away from home. It will take a while for them to realize that,” Anna cried out hopefully.
Maxwell nodded his head sadly. He allowed his girlfriend to rest her head on his left shoulder.
“This was your idea which I still think is a really bad idea. We could continue seeing each other secretly until your eighteenth birthday. Your parents cannot control you at the age of eighteen. You will have every legal right to be with me,” Maxwell said coaxingly towards Anna. He was afraid as to what was to come. He had lived off his late grandfather’s savings back in Berlin and had never bothered to work. He had hoped one day he would finish his degree quickly and get a good career with enough to take care of himself and Anna. Now, he had to use the remaining of his grandfather’s savings to change his name and identity not forgetting Anna’s identity. He had also quickly put up his late grandfather’s apartment for sale.
They would have to purchase a new home in Hamburg with the little they had. Anna had stolen some money from her father’s account which might be sufficient for a while. Anna continued to gaze hopefully into Maxwell’s eyes.
“Max, why did you tell my parents that your mother was a cleaner. You never told me this before?” Anna suddenly asked out of curiosity but slightly amused as to her boyfriend’s honesty. A tear suddenly rolled down Maxwell’s cheek.
“My mother really is a cleaner. I felt insulted by your father’s demand to know the occupation my father was in. They have no right to judge a person by who their parents are. My grandfather was a stockbroker – he left everything to my mother in his will. My mother handed every drop of my grandfather’s money to me including his apartment in the hope that I would finish my studies and one day become somebody better than just the son of an electrician. Now, my poor mother is devastated. I told her about you and our escape plan,” Maxwell said sadly. Tears suddenly streamed down Anna’s eyes and regret begun to feel her heart.
“Why didn’t you tell my parents that your grandfather was a stockbroker and he had left some inheritance behind. They might not have looked down on you so badly,” Anna questioned Maxwell sternly. Maxwell shook his head in disagreement.
“Whether I am the grandson of a stockbroker or a tax collector, your parents would never have accepted me. They saw me as too old for you,” Maxwell sadly informed Anna. Anna hated Maxwell’s response and refused to believe his reply.
“You should have told my parents that your late grandfather was a stockbroker. They wouldn’t have minded. Let’s go back to Berlin and tell them the truth,” Anna cried out. Maxwell shook his head in disagreement again.
“It’s too late. The police will already be looking for you. Your father is with the government, remember? I already got us new identity cards and travel documents. We can’t turn back now. I’m sorry Anna. It was your idea,” Maxwell replied to his girlfriend that was getting quite agitated.
After a few months in Hamburg, Anna and Maxwell managed to purchase a small apartment within the vibrant city of culture. Maxwell resumed his studies in management under a different name and Anna returned to her schooling without any hindrances.
It was getting to spring when Anna realized they didn’t have enough money left to pay their bills.
“Maxwell you will have to find a part time job to sort out our bills,” Anna told her boyfriend one evening. Maxwell gave Anna an irritated look which almost seemed unforgiving.
“Do you think a part time job will help in paying all our bills. I’m sorry Anna but you will have to work as well. You are now sixteen. You can find a job anywhere,” Maxwell insisted. Anna shook her head defiantly.
“I’m not doing that Maxwell. I’m not going to be instructed by some prick outside to do some shoddy job that needs doing. I’d rather sell drugs,” Anna spat out still appearing to be quite irritated. Maxwell laughed at Anna’s response. He had already managed to find a night job at a hotel as an assistant manager. His plan was to tell Anna at the right time to surprise her.
“Go and sell drugs then. Silly girl – you don’t know anything about drugs,” Maxwell replied in fits of laughter. He jumped on to the couch in their apartment and lay his head down to rest. He was feeling quite exhausted and ignored the slamming of the front door in the apartment.
Maxwell drifted off to sleep. He didn’t awake till three in the morning when he heard the sound of laughter coming from the main bedroom in his apartment. He walked slowly towards the bedroom and pushed the door open that was already slightly ajar. He jumped back in dismay at the sight that met his eyes.
Anna was sprawled out on the bed laughing. She was holding a half empty bottle of beer whiles snorting cocaine. There was so much money lying on the bedroom floor and on the bed. Maxwell froze for a second at the sight of his girlfriend.
“Anna what is the matter with you? Where did you obtain all of this?” Maxwell yelled out angrily and questioningly. Anna continued to laugh uncontrollably and stopped for a second to catch her breath.
“Come here Maxwell, come and join me. We have enough to pay our bills now. I’ve sold most of my stash that I came with. I got it free from my uncle. My father’s step brother sells all kinds of drugs as a living. Nobody knows of this of course, because he hardly keeps in touch with my father. However, I met him once and he invited me to his place to chill out with some of his old time friends. We had such a blast. Come on Maxwell, loosen up a bit. We can’t spend the rest of our lives under pressure. I managed to contact my father’s step brother and he said he would help out a bit with the bills. He is going to send me some more of this stash to help us get by for a while,” Anna told Maxwell in an ongoing fit of laughter. Maxwell jumped onto the bed, slightly relieved.
“What is making you laugh so much Anna?” Maxwell questioned his girlfriend.
“I coincidentally came across one of my Uncle’s customers here in Hamburg, so I sold most of my stash to him. He happens to be a member of parliament with the British government,” Anna replied jokingly. She was clearly still in a fit of laughter. Maxwell decided to join Anna in the laughter after hearing her unexpected reply.
“A member of parliament with the British government on cocaine? What do we know? He must be an addict to be buying so much stash from you,” Maxwell uttered out in disgust but gladly joined Anna in snorting the little cocaine she had on her. He then grabbed the half empty bottle of beer and poured the remaining contents of the beer in his mouth.
“Listen Anna. Try not to get addicted to this stuff. We need to stay strong and level headed,” Maxwell told the love of his life.
A few weeks went by and Anna was still not satisfied with the simple life she had to adapt to. She was so used to being pampered under her parents roof. Maxwell had started working late shifts and she hardly got the chance to see him.
There had to be a way out of the situation they had gotten themselves into. It was clear that Maxwell was under a lot of pressure. He was not only attending University but working late night shifts. Anna thought back as to her father’s will and the great fortune that might have been in for her if she had remained at home. She was the only child after all. There was no way her father could have changed his will. Her parents were still in search for her – it was all over the papers. She even saw her name pop up on the news from time to time, that the daughter of a politician was still missing. It was clear that her parents believed that she had been abducted.
Anna thought hard, she did not want Maxwell to continue living under pressure. Perhaps it was best she hired a hit man to kill her father. She would then return to her family home and say she was abducted but managed to escape. Maxwell meant so much to her. She wanted him to be happy in their relationship in which he was clearly very committed to. Anna decided she did not have enough time or money to hire a hit man. She went through Maxwell’s belongings to try to find any weapon that might be of use in killing her father. Amongst Maxwell’s belongings Anna found a dagger. It looked a bit old but seemed quite sharp. She would return to Berlin after all – this time to kill her father.
The moment Maxwell arrived home in exhaustion, Anna told Maxwell she was going on a school trip and would not return till two days later. Maxwell just nodded his head and told her, he couldn’t wait for her to return back from the trip. Every precious moment he got to see her was exhilarating.
After two days Anna returned to Maxwell with the same weapon that she had stolen from his belongings. She quickly cleaned the dagger and put it back amongst Maxwell’s belongings before he discovered it missing. He would soon be liberated from all the arduous work he was undergoing, Anna thought. Her father had already been reported murdered, on the news.
Anna waited patiently for Maxwell to return home. They had to plan her return to Berlin to receive her father’s fortune from his will.
Unfortunately for Anna, Maxwell did not return back to their apartment till the next morning. He was clearly suffering from fatigue when he arrived. He told Anna he had taken the day off. Anna was glad she got a Saturday to spend some time alone with her boyfriend.
Maxwell changed into a red shirt and casual blue jeans to join Anna at their apartment balcony. Anna was holding a newspaper sipping coffee and eating a croissant with raspberry jam and cream cheese.
“You look so beautiful. What are you reading my little flower?” Maxwell asked feeling tired, starved but delighted to see his girlfriend.
“My father has died. He was murdered in his own home. The assailant couldn’t be seen but most people believe it was a man that attacked him. It was clearly a burglar,” Anna informed Maxwell trying to sound as devastated as possible. Maxwell shook his head sadly and sat by Anna at their balcony. Anna patted Maxwell’s wave of curly hair that had been trimmed almost to his scalp.
There was a sudden loud thud at their apartment. It was as if somebody or some people had just forced entry into their apartment. The couple froze in their seats at the balcony. Before Maxwell could attempt getting up, a boisterous looking man with the police walked towards the couple sat at the balcony. Anna clearly seemed to have recognized who the boisterous looking man was because her mouth suddenly fell agape at the sight of him.
“Uncle Albert! Uncle Albert what are you doing here?” Anna asked the boisterous looking man. She had instantly recognized her father’s step brother. Uncle Albert looked on sternly at the couple and then nodded his head towards the police officials he had arrived with.
“Arrest this man on suspicion of murder. He has been nothing but a threat to the Weiner family for some time. Search this place! This young lady is ignorant and has been brainwashed by this evil narcotic of a boyfriend,” Uncle Albert yelled out angrily.
The police officials without hesitance cuffed Maxwell and sent other officials to search the apartment. They found a stash of cocaine in the main bedroom and what appeared to be an old dagger.
Anna closed her eyes in disbelief. Thinking back of the past was too much to bear. Her Uncle Albert had made sure her name was clean and as for her boyfriend he had been sentenced to life imprisonment in Hamburg. Anna finished typing in the information she wanted to leave on her online profile page for the new online international escape club. She decided to take a look at the owners page but somewhere along the line, her eyes drifted away to another members online profile page. His name was Danny.