part one here
Adrianna woke, chilled, from her place by the hearth. Her shivering wasn't from the cold as while the fire had died down, she was still warm enough under blankets. Her dreams had been dark and ominous, waking her with a feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach.
As she tried to pull the last sticky strands of the dream from her mind, she heard her father stirring from the next room. Adrianna remembered when he'd been papa. Not an affectionate man, maybe, but a good provider. That was before a fever had taken mama and matthew, her sweet younger brother. After that, Adrianna saw her father sink into a black hole of grief so strong, he sucked in everything around him. She ached for her father even as she smothered under the cloak of anger and heartbreak he threw over her.
And she knew that today was the day to leave.
Ever since that visit from...whatever it was, Adrianna had been felt a tightness in her, as if she had wings stretching beneath her skin, ready to break free. As much as she loved her papa, the man currently residing in their cottage wasn't him. Adrianna let out a shaky breath. She couldn't save him, couldn't fix what was broken.
Five long years it had been since that winter.
Adrianna knew she had to leave before she got sucked so deeply into that well of hurt that she couldn't get out.
Slowly she drew the blankets away from her. Leaving would be fairly easy. Her father expected her to go to the well every morning to get water to be used throughout the day. And he seemed just happy to have her out of the cottage before he woke.
Adrianna threw a cloak around her and quietly stuffed whatever food stuffs she could into her pockets. She had nothing else in the cottage to take with her. Grabbing the bucket for the well, Adrianna slipped out into the cool morning dew. Her plan was to walk to the well with the bucket to not arouse suspicion, leave the bucket at the well and then walk away. The well was not directly in sight of the cottage and she knew she could be long gone before her father noticed there was no fresh water for the morning.
She felt guilty to deceive her father this way, but she knew he'd never let her leave. Women took care of the home. Tears shimmered in her eyes as she set out across the cool grass, causing world around her to blur and shake.
When Adrianna arrived at the well, she set the bucket down on the edge and leaned against the cool stones for a moment. She was scared to go but also knew she couldn't stay. She wished things could be different. She wished mama and Matthew were still here. She wished she still had her papa, not the shell of a person masquerading as a father.
All the wishes and wants and grief for what was and what wasn't swamped Adrianna's emotions as she stood by that well. Time seemed to stop momentarily and allow her to grieve. Her body shook as she quietly poured out years of ache.
After a seeming eternity, Adrianna drew a shaky breath and wiped her face. It was time to go. If she stayed any longer at this well, she feared she'd never find the courage to leave. Looking down at her feet, she noticed a small rock in the shape of a heart. Looking over her shoulder at the cottage, she hoped her father would one day understand. Adrianna picked up the rock and set it on the edge of the well.
Then she drew the hood of her cloak over her and walked into the trees.
to be continued...
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