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Wonderstruck || Chapter 2

Chapter Warnings: Canon character death, physical abuse (the main character is slapped), heavily implied past physical abuse

Word Count: 4k+

Pairings: Incubus Boy’s x Original Female Character

Series Masterlist

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Chapter 2: ...Doesn't Prepare You For The Damage Afterwards

Kait sighed as she placed her pencil down, rolling her shoulders to loosen the tension in her neck. She had a hard time concentrating during the test. However, she felt like she could finally breathe a little better now that it was over. Glancing around the room she saw that at least a third of the class had already turned in their test and left. With a small sigh, she quickly double-checked to make sure all of her answers were bubbled in before gathering her belongings and turning her test over to the professor.

On her way out the door, she took a look around the room. Kris also seemed to be packing up her things, while Cia was still busy taking the test. Once she was out of the classroom she leaned against the wall next to the door and pulled out her phone. She had received a response from her classmate as well as a couple of pictures of the notes they had taken earlier. She sent a quick 'thank you' as she heard the classroom door open. She grinned as Kris finally emerged from the room, the classroom door softly shut behind her.

“So? How was it?” The shorter woman immediately asked as they walked a bit away from the room to not disturb anyone still taking the test.

“Honestly? Not as bad as I thought it was going to be.”

“See! I told you! I knew you had this down! You need to be more confident in yourself.” Kris praised causing Kait’s cheeks to turn a soft pink.

“I’m working on it.” Before the girls could continue their conversation, they were interrupted by the blonde's phone ringing. Checking the contact, she quickly mumbled an apology before answering her phone. “Hi Aunt Laura, did you need…” She quickly trailed off as she heard her Aunt quietly sniffling on the other end. “Auntie? Is… everything okay?” She asked worriedly.

“Kait… Honey, it… it's your grandfather…” She could hear her aunt stuttering over her words, doing her best to be coherent over her quiet sobs. Suddenly, that feeling of dread she had tried to push aside earlier reared its ugly head. “He… he passed away.”

The phone clattered to the ground as time slowed. Her body was on edge as if she had been forced into an ice bath. All sounds were muffled except for the blood pounding in her ears. She hardly stirred as hands were placed on her arms, holding her up, unable to hear Kris’ voice frantically calling out to her.

And then the emotions rushed her. Her body was violently pulled from the frigid water. Her breath came so suddenly her lungs couldn’t get enough air in them. Her knees buckled under her causing her full weight to fall into the other girl. “He’s…” Her voice was foreign to her own ears. “Gone…” Warmth encircled her form, tears keeping her from seeing the source. But it didn’t matter. “He’s gone!”

And there in the middle of the hallway floor, she sobs into her friend's shoulder. Everything inside of her is caving in all at once. The pain spilled out with every tear, with no end in sight.

‘This was all a dream. This wasn't happening. It couldn't. How could he? No this was all a lie. A nightmare. This wasn't real. The world wouldn't be this cruel to her. She'd wake up any second.

This was all a nightmare.

This wasn't happening.

Just a dream.

None of this is real.

A nightmare.

But… it isn't is it?’

Oh, how cruel reality is.

.

Cold.

It was really cold.

The light peaceful rain became heavier that afternoon, accompanied by rolling thunder now and then. The sky had become much darker since that morning, though Kait didn't notice the dark skies and heavy rain beneath the black umbrella.

Not that she noticed that either since her eyes were glued to the grass beneath her feet. She couldn't bear to look at the people weeping around her. She couldn't even acknowledge her cousin beside her; hardly feeling the tight grip the younger girl had on her hand. Only the monotone eulogies that softly echoed in her ears bore the truth that this was all real. It was only when the speeches finally came to an end, that she found the courage to lift her head.

A small gathering – made mostly of relatives she had never met before – huddled around a small, simple grave. For a while, all she could hear was the sound of heavy raindrops falling upon umbrellas and the slow chime of the church's bell that echoed around the cemetery. And she knew if it weren't for those sounds, they would have been standing in heavy silence.

She finally glanced over at her cousin, who held her umbrella over them. Mika stared down at the grave in front of them, lips pursed and eyes blinking back tears. She knew the navy blue-haired girl would refuse to shed a tear so long as her father was in proximity. The blonde glanced behind her to where the said man held up a large umbrella for her aunt and himself. Her eyes locked on her uncle's face, which stayed emotionless as her aunt weeps beside him. She wonders what could be going through his head at that moment. After all, etched into the smooth gray tombstone before them was his father's name.

Her grandfather, the man who practically raised her as a daughter, had passed away.

The ceremony was small. Only close family had been allowed to attend. Slowly, though, people began to leave. The only ones left standing before the grave were her uncle, aunt, Mika, and herself. A man dressed in a clean black suit under the uniform black umbrella of the funeral attendees walked towards them, introducing himself as her grandfather's lawyer. He pulled out a few documents from his suitcase and began to read aloud its contents.

“And now, I shall read Harold Anderson’s last will and testament…” Only the four of them that remained were allowed to be present for her grandfather's will. Which had been under the strict request of his lawyer. And now she understood why. “...And to my dearest granddaughter Kait, I give my estate. All the furniture and decor that resides within the house shall also be given to her.”

Her hazel eyes opened wide with shock as she looked up at her grandfather's lawyer. “...wha...what?” She couldn't believe her ears. ‘Grandpa… left me the family estate? I… there's no way.’ And yet those exact words were written down in her grandfather's handwriting.

“He passed the family estate to her? Why am I not surprised.” She heard her uncle mutter.

“Dear…” Her aunt sighed.

“Well, did he say anything about what will become of the CEO and Chairman position of the Anderson Toys Company?” Her uncle inquired.

“No. It is presumed that the Vice-Chairman will succeed the position.” The lawyer stated.

“Heh… even to the bitter end, he wouldn't give in. What a stubborn old man.” Her uncle sneered. Kait’s hands clenched in anger at her uncle's words. Biting her tongue, she watched as her uncle shook his head before turning to face her aunt with a serious expression on his face.

“About the estate… Should we send her there to get used to the building?”

“Are you sure we should?” Her aunt pondered, a look of concern furrowed her brow.

Her eyes twitched. ‘They speak as if I'm not even here…’

“Why not? This would be a good experience for her.” He argued with narrowed eyes. Kait’s jaw clenched in anger at her uncle's tone. For as long as she has lived with her uncle's family, he had never cared to hide his dislike for her.

“Kait, what do you think?” Even though her aunt finally asked for her opinion on this, she stayed silent. She knew if she opened her mouth she would blow up on her uncle. But this was neither the time nor place to do so; so she kept her mouth shut.

“Well, that seems to be it. We'll be taking our leave now. I'm sure the little heiress needs some time to adjust.” Her uncle announced, not even sparing the young blonde a glance as he started to make his way back to his car.

“David!” Her aunt objected in shock. Even though her aunt raised her voice, her uncle wordlessly made his way back to the car, disinterested. “Don't mind him, honey. I think that your grandfather's passing really affected him. Why don't we get back home for now?” Kait couldn’t even raise her head as the older woman tried to comfort her.

“I'm sure dad didn't mean it like that.” Mika softly chimed in, wrapping her arms around the blonde's slim waist.

“You both can go on ahead home.” Her words were no louder than a whisper. “I need some time alone with grandpa…”

“Oh, of course! Take all the time you need. Come along now Mika.” Her aunt gently pulled her cousin away from her, and the pair made their way back to their car.

Kait let out a shuddering breath before taking a look around the funeral grounds, which were empty, save for the sullen-looking grave before her. ‘I know that if grandpa had been in charge of arranging this, it would have been much different…’ She thought bitterly as she finally let the tears she had held back begin to fall.

It was so blatantly obvious that her uncle had been in charge of the whole event. Who else would bury their own family the same day they passed away? Everyone knew of her grandfather's love for toys, and yet the grave was a mere stone slab on the ground, void of any children's toys. Her uncle hadn't even bothered to place any flowers. ‘His disdain for grandpa is obvious and almost pitiful…’

“I'm sorry Grandpa…” She forced the words to come out, but they were overlapped by a choked sob. “You told me to stay strong… but, right now, I'm the farthest from it.” She wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep it together. The rain caused her hair and clothes to cling to her small frame. “First I lost mom and dad and now... I’ve lost you too… Why are you all leaving me behind?” She wailed, her legs buckling, causing her to kneel on the ground before her grandfather’s grave. “Why!?”

In the back of her mind, she could still hear the words her grandfather had told her the day her parents had passed. The day he lost his eldest son.

—

“I know it hurts sweetheart. I know.” He whispers as he hugged her tightly “However, no matter what, you have to stay strong. You're a big girl already, and, well, there'll be days like this when it seems like it's you against the world. But just remember that your family and friends will be here with you. Daddy and Mommy might not be here anymore, but you still have your uncle, aunt, Mika, your friends, me… we'll stand together to get through it.”

“...How can you be so sure of that Grandpa?”

“Because we’ll be right here… and here.” He pointed his finger to her head, first, and then pointed at her chest over her heart. “So stay strong… promise?” For a split second, she could see the sadness on his face, almost pleading with her. But as quickly as it had come, the expression disappeared from his face, and he was giving her a small smile once again.

“I promise.”

—

“You willed me the very house you basically raised me in… Why?” Her fists clenched her soaked shirt as a surge of anger bubbled up within her. Though she quickly pushed that feeling back down. Getting upset was pointless, especially when the person in question was no longer around. “Why would you think I would be ready to take it? Especially after this…”

“I–I'm… I’m sorry grandpa.” Her hands scrubbed over her face. “I can’t stay calm when you've left me here with so many questions…” Her hands drop back into her lap listlessly. “Why did Uncle not want anything to do with you… Why does he hate me?” She sighed before looking sadly back at the grave. “But even if you can hear me, you'd never be able to give me an answer.” She could no longer tell whether she was crying or if it was just the rain sliding down her face. “I'll bring you flowers soon. I… I–fuck, I miss you, grandpa.” She rubbed the back of her hand over her eyes. “I'll do my best to keep the promise I gave you, even though it already feels like the world's turned its back on me.” Slowly she stood up and left the grave as she made her way back to her car.

—

Once she finally pulled up to her uncle's home, she parked her car in the driveway and turned off the engine. She released a long breath as she leaned back against the seat. She could feel her hands tremble within her lap from the overwhelming emotions coursing through her. She already knew that once she stepped inside the house things were more than likely not going to end well.

Kait took another deep breath before releasing her seatbelt, opening her car door, and stepping back out into the rain. She slowly made her way up the front steps before lightly knocking on the front door. She stood there a few seconds before the door was opened by Mika. The blonde took notice that the younger girl had already changed clothes as she held the door open so she could step inside.

“Good, your home.” Kait looked up to meet her uncle’s icy stare. “Hurry up and change out of those dreary black clothes.” Her gaze drops to the floor as she starts to make her way toward the staircase. Except something’s different this time. She pauses at the base of the stairs, thoughts racing through her head. ‘No. I am twenty years old. He has no power over me.’ Rolling her shoulders back, she turned to face the taller man. She owes him nothing. She won’t run from him. Not anymore.

“Uncle, I want to know something.”

The older man turned to face her, a brow quirked in interest, arms crossed over his chest. “Go ahead.”

“Why do you want me to move out so soon?” That's not what she wanted to know but it was an easier place to start.

“I thought I made that rather clear. The college near your grandfather's house is well–known for its business program, more so than that community one you're attending. You are planning to major in business, yes?”

She was not majoring in business, nor had she any plans to do so. She is currently majoring in photography. Though she wasn't even sure if she wanted to continue college. Pursuing her lips, she remained silent. Her uncle, however, just continued as though she had agreed with him.

“After you graduate from there, you'll just live in that house and can easily commute to and from school. It's perfect for you.” He concluded.

“But…” She had to pause to take a deep breath. She could already feel her anger begin to bubble inside her. “It's all happening so fast. You just decided it right there at the funeral. It hasn’t even been a day yet.”

“Don't be so sensitive!” He growled, eyes rolling, clearly becoming fed up with this conversation. “If you're like that in the real world, you'll be crushed.”

Her jaw clenched, forcing her next words out with a slight hiss. “I'm just saying that maybe we could talk a bit more about this before deciding this at the drop of a dime.” In response, her uncle raised a hand to rub his temples, releasing a sigh.

“After you graduate from college, you'll work at Anderson Family Toys. I have connections since I am a part of the board of directors, so you will be guaranteed a spot. That is what we talked about before, yes?” With every word, she could hear his voice start to pick up in volume. And the way he spoke to her. His tone was scolding as if talking down to a small child who couldn't understand.

She took deep breaths, trying to keep her cool. “But… what if…”

“Stop. Mumbling.” He barked at her.

Jutting her chin up, her eyes narrowed as she held his gaze. “What if I don't want to work there?”

“Don't be stupid! It's the family company. Our company. I refuse to hand it over to some incompetent Vice-Chairman!” By this point, he was nearly yelling in her face.

The sound of quiet shuffling reminded the pair that Mika was still standing by the front door. Kait’s anger simmered down ever so slightly at the discomfort written on the young girl's face. Though her attention snapped back to her uncle as she noticed him approaching her, his face softened slightly. Yet his eyes were still cold.

“Look, this is all for the best, okay? You may not know it right now, but you'll appreciate it later.” As his words processed, something inside her finally snapped. All her anger rushed back at full force.

“Do you even care that Grandpa passed away?” She hissed as he stared back at her in shock. Though that look faded as quickly as it appeared.

“Of course I do.”

There it was. That cold expression. As if he didn’t have a single damn emotion inside his body.

A humorless laugh escaped her. She ran a hand through her hair, a twisted smile pulled at her lips. “Well, everything seems just fine and dandy to you. Things couldn't be better.” She jeered, shrugging her shoulders before her hands balled at her sides.

“Excuse me?” His eyes narrowed down at her, face flushed red. “I don't like your tone, young lady.”

“It's like nothing even happened at all. Like you're just ignoring the fact that he's no longer here!” She snarled, fists shaking at her sides.

“Do not raise your voice at me!” Her uncle growled, a vein visibly pulsing from the straining of his neck.

“What did he ever do to you to deserve this!?” She yelled back. Her uncle's face hardened, arms crossed over his chest, and erupted in angry laughter.

“You sure place him upon a pedestal. Like he's some kind of venerated god or something. It makes me sick.” He jeered back at her.

“Is that it? Are you happy seeing Grandpa dead!” She was fuming, tears forming in her eyes from the flux of emotions. “While everyone is grieving, are you holding yourself back from laughing in everyone's faces? Did you feel just a bit happier seeing him lying in a fucking graveyard!?”

A harsh smack resonated around the room. Her breathing accelerated, eyes wide with unshed tears. The force of the blow caused her to stumble back, gripping the railing of the stairs to keep herself standing. Her free hand cautiously hovered over the place he struck. Biting down harshly on her quivering lip to keep the tears at bay.

“You don't know anything! Running your mouth like somehow you know everything that went on when you're just a little girl that doesn't know how to keep her mouth shut!” Her uncle roared. “You did not know my father! You did not know what he was capable of!”

“Is everything alright? What happened?” Her aunt inquired as she raced into the room. Kait completely ignored her aunt, swiftly turning on her heels, and bolting up the stairs to get to her room. “Kait? Wait!” Her aunt stuttered after her.

Once she reached her room, she slammed the door behind her and locked it. Her breathing was ragged as she leaned back against the door, tears finally sliding down her face. Her cheek throbbed, bringing her to step away from the door and towards a mirror to check the damage.

The area of the mark was a fiery red, contrasting with her normally pale skin. She had no doubt the mark would bruise. Her skin has always bruised so easily. Something she remembered her mother always dealing with. She did her best to blink away the tears as she heard her aunt knocking on her door.

“Are you alright? David told me nothing happened, but you know your uncle...” Kait quietly scoffed to herself.

“I'm fine Aunty.” She responded, clearing her throat when her voice wavered. “I'm just tired. I'll be packing and going to bed.”

“Dinners done though! I don’t want you skipping any meals. Are you sure?”

“I’ll go down later and eat. I lost my appetite for now…” Kait sighed.

“...you’re not telling me the whole story.” Kait appreciated her aunt's concern, but she stayed quiet. Even if she told her aunt about the event, she wouldn’t be able to change what had happened. Not as if this had been the first time this had happened. ‘But it sure as hell was going to be the last.’

Besides, she’d be gone before morning.“Please, dear… Tell me what’s going on…”

“I’m not hungry right now.”

“Well… I’ll leave your food on the counter if you want to eat it later.” Her aunt finally gave in. There was a lapse of silence before she heard her aunt make her way back downstairs. When her footsteps faded, Kait released a breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding. She took one more glance in the mirror, already starting to notice the bruising appearing, before turning away. She took in the sight of her room as a new feeling of determination filled her. No matter what the current circumstances were. She was moving out. That was something that wouldn’t change.

So she would leave on her terms. Uncle be damned.

Quickly she moved around her room pulling out two large suitcases and two carry-on bags before she began emptying her dressers. She made quick work of packing all of her clothes away before moving on to her books and electronics. Her toiletries were the easiest to pack before she moved on deciding to pack her favorite blankets and pillow as well. She was determined to not leave anything of importance to her behind. She never wanted to step foot in this house again.

As she finished packing her things she finally pulled out her camera. Her most prized possession was a red Nikon b500. Her grandfather had given her it as a gift for her eighteenth birthday. Turning it on, she took a moment to glance at a few different pictures she had taken. At the moment she had taken a little over three hundred pictures, and almost all of them were scenic shots with a few candid pictures of her friends and classmates. With a sigh, she turned the device back off and made sure it was packed away safely. Double-checking, she was positive she had packed everything she’d need. Now she just needed to wait until everyone went to bed.

A couple of hours passed and finally, it was time. As quietly as possible she exited her room and made her way toward the first floor. As carefully as possible she carried all of her bags down the stairs at once, pausing anxiously when one of the stairs creaked under the pressure of her foot. She strained her ears, hoping she hadn’t made anyone aware of her sudden departure. The house was completely silent aside from the soft hum of the air conditioner. Letting out a quiet breath she continued downstairs and out the front door towards her car.

Once she put her bags away she hesitantly headed back inside. It was late at night and she didn’t want to disturb her Aunt or Mika as she headed toward the kitchen to reheat the food left for her. Once she had finished her plate she wrote a short note for her Aunt, thanking her for the meal and letting her know that she had left. Once finished; she set the note on the counter, grabbed the key to her grandfather's house, and walked out the door. She knew her Aunt would be a bit upset that she didn't wait to leave in the morning, but she wouldn't apologize. For the first time in her life, she was making a decision that would be best for herself.

So as the door of her uncle's home shut behind her, she knew this chapter of her life had come to an end, and a new one was beginning.

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