Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 36: Numb

"Oh..." Pollyanna murmured.

Pollyanna sighed as she settled down with a book or the night.

Why is this bothering me? I should be happy that he's leaving me alone.

Crickets chirped outside. Rain began pattering on the window.

Pollyanna closed her eyes and sniffled. Why shouldn't it bother me? I'm so lonely otherwise...

Pollyanna let the sound of the raindrops falling fill her ears as she fell deep into the spiraling prison of her thoughts.

Behind the bars of that dark prison, a bright light shone.

Pollyanna's eyes opened. I can see Rory every day if Kline keeps this up!

Pollyanna grinned and nearly yelled because she was so excited.

Instead, she threw the windows open and breathed in the rainy, fresh air.

She leaned her chin on the windowsill with a lovesick smile as she enjoyed the weather and the scent of raindrops on dirt.

Until a loud crash disrupted the pristine moment.

Pollyanna thought it may have been thunder for a moment, but she realized it had come from her mother's house.

She cocked her head to the side.

She didn't know why, but despite the rain and cool air, she was sweating profusely.

Maybe it was nothing...

CRASH!

Blood pounded in her ears.

She wasted no more time.

She put on a cloak to protect herself from the rain and headed outdoors. She crossed the short space between the manor and her mother's house.

She whispered, "mother?" As she rose a fist and gently knocked on the door.

The door groaned and swung gently inward.

Unlocked?

Pollyanna stepped inside.

Her pulse quickened; her hands were trembling as she walked down the hallway under black shadows being cast by the torches hung on the wall.

Loud panting and struggling filled her ears.

Her pace quickened a little.

"Mother...?" Pollyanna's voice wavered as she stopped at the bedroom door.

The door was slightly ajar.

Giggling could be heard from within.

From what little she could see of the room through the small, narrow crack in the door, clothes were strewn about on the floor along with shards of a shattered vase.

Her hands went cold; all warmth left her body as she creaked the door open.

She was in denial of what she saw.

Her husband and her mother were a hideous, entangled mass of naked flesh on the bed—delighting in each other's sinful arrogance.

A horrified gasp was caught in Pollyanna's throat as she looked on in disgust.

Her mind was spinning with emotions that she couldn't handle.

Her mother noticed her in a moment; her face lined with shock. Kline hadn't noticed and was still kissing her mother on the neck.

Pollyanna slowly rose a shaking hand to her mouth.

"Pollyanna—" her mother rose a hand, but Pollyanna had already turned away from the scene and was dashing through the house and out into the pouring rain.

Her whole body felt weak as her legs moved her toward the riverbank.

"Mother..."

"Mother..."

"Mother..."

Pollyanna repeated to herself over and over again as she moved as one undead through the grove of trees separating her from the bank.

Her feet came to a stop when she finally reached it.

She looked into the water; her distorted reflection looked back at her.

Rain gently ¬plopped into the water, making wattery rings wherever they fell.

Wordlessly, Pollyanna laid down on the riverbank and curled herself into a ball.

Daddy...

She remembered a time when she had slept in his protective arms and, somehow, she managed to fall asleep in the rain.