Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 33: Irrational

They spoke as if she were not even there.

"You'll have fun with this one tonight!" Many of the men teased with ugly smirks.

"What a lucky girl she is!" Many of the women exclaimed. "To be married to someone so wealthy at such a young age!"

Her own mother ignored her tears as she spoke to Kline and paid no heed to her daughter's feelings.

"She's a precious gift; I'll take care of her." Kline assured her mother.

"Stand up straight, Pollyanna." Was all her mother said to her.

And then the moment came as night began to cover the land.

"We'll be retiring for the night now..." Kline announced, and everyone clapped.

Her tears and look of devastation were invisible to the crowd.

Kline dragged her inside the manor.

He spoke to her—making harmless conversation—but it fell on deaf ears.

Pollyanna had two options to choose from; flight or fight.

As Kline handed off many of the gifts he had gotten to his servants, Pollyanna bolted.

Kline's laughter filled her ears as she ran down the extravagant hallway. "Run, run, little bird. What a fun game you like to play!"

She turned to the right when the hall eventually forked in opposite directions.

His voice seemed to echo throughout the manor as she elbowed a servant out of the way. "You can run but you can't hide!"

She came upon a staircase on her right and felt an aching in her tiring legs. She panted with exertion, but pushed herself to keep running up the stairs.

She took a deep breath at the top of them—her heart beating uncontrollably in her ears.

She forced herself to keep running after half-a-moment.

She glanced frantically to her left and right at many open doors as she ran down the hall—looking for a suitable place to hide.

She heard footsteps slowly climbing the stairs behind her.

"Come out come out wherever you are!" Kline called and chuckled right after.

Pollyanna came to the end of the hall.

She ducked into the room on her left and slammed the door shut.

Sweat poured down her forehead as Kline called for her again.

She pushed a heavy table up against the door along with a chair with trembling fingers and weak muscles.

She was a thin, starving thing. Her parents had no money to feed her. She had barely any strength.

Footsteps approached in the hall.

Pollyanna whimpered and hid in the closet with her legs pulled up to her chest. Help me, please. Somebody help me!

Her mind was white with fear as footsteps came to a halt before her door.

She could barely breathe.

She bit back a sob with a palm clapped to her mouth.

The knob jiggled.

Tears relentlessly streamed from her eyes.

Fists slammed on the doors. "Damn you! Little bitch! Just wait until I'm done with you!"

She heard his footsteps recede after a moment.

Pollyanna hung her head and covered her face in her palms, weeping hysterically.

She thought she was safe, and she breathed deeply through her tears.

Her heart dropped when she heard footsteps approaching again.

Kline returned with servants who shoved the door inward--pushing the furniture further into the room.

Pollyanna stood up and plastered herself against the wall--shutting the closet door.

"No, no..." She whispered.

Kline swung the door open cornered her in the closet—a tall, thin girl with her bones showing looking up at him like a frightened mouse.

He grabbed her by the collar with hateful eyes. "You're mine now. Do you understand?"

Pollyanna shook her head—any words she had were caught in her throat.

"You will." He replied coldly. He yanked on her collar and split the fabric.

He shoved her toward his servants. "Undress her."

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Eory stared forward in stunned silence. Gentle tears continuously rolled down his cheeks while Pollyanna's eyes remained dry and fearless.

His stomach was in knots so twisted that he felt the need to hug it for comfort.

"You see, I would have given anything for anyone to save me back then, but no one did." Pollyanna murmured, cracking her knuckles with a stony face. "That's why you're so lucky to have me. You'll never have to worry with me around. I'll keep you safe."

Eory looked at the back of her head—wondering what kind of expression she might be making—what she might be thinking.

He realized, with his heart pounding, that she probably never said that to any of his ancestors—she probably didn't have to, since most of them could take care of themselves.

It was almost as if she were telling him she cared for him deeply with that sentence—that she would do for him what no one would do for her—not even the people who supposedly loved her.

"Do you say that to every member of my family?" Eory asked nervously.

There was a long pause.

"Just you." She answered.

"Pollyanna." Eory's voice cut through the silence with surprising strength. "I don't know if anyone ever told you this, but I'm truly sorry that happened to you. You deserved better."

Pollyanna hung her head. "Why should you be sorry? It's my own damned fault that I didn't defend myself; if I deserved better, I would have gotten better."

"What if... What if it were me in that situation? Would you say the same thing?" Eory asked.

"Of course not. You have... You have been nothing but kind to me." Pollyanna murmured lowly.

"So you admit that having a good heart and being kind is worthwhile—worth the price of being saved from such an evil situation? And what of young Pollyanna? Why, in your eyes, did she have nothing to offer the world through her kindness?" Eory challenged her.

Pollyanna slammed her fist onto the ground.

"Kindness is a worthless thing!" She hissed. "You would not be in this fortress were it not for your own kindness in saving me! You would be free and living a happy life with your precious Kori! That is why kindness is worthless! It kills you faster than a knife through the heart!"

"Then why would you not wish me to be in the same situation you were in?" Eory went on.

"Because...!" Pollyanna spat. "Because even though it's worthless, it can still be meaningful. It's worthless because it gets you nothing valuable; it's meaningful because it makes an impact on you. It's as irrational as love itself! Let me tell you just how irrational it can be!"

She gathered her thoughts an tried to think of the best way to continue showing him through her story just how wrong he was about kindness.