The Devil Child

Chapter One

 Polly drew in a deep breath, staring at the moss green front door of her uncle's house. She'd never been here before; she'd never even met her uncle. It was her aunt who had reached out to her, begging her to make the drive to a sleepy town in the state of Vermont. It was a small, middle-of-nowhere place where she was sure to be safe.

The best part was probably the fact that her aunt and uncle weren't religious in the slightest.

She turned her head, watching as the bright green taxi cab pulled out of the driveway. She had been expecting a stereotypical yellow taxi when her aunt called, saying one was going to pick her up from the airport. However, the sight of the green cab had her feeling out of sorts, and out of place. She wasn't used to the north, or the east coast area. Vermont may not have been on the ocean, but it was close enough, considering she had been previously living in Oklahoma.

She brought her hand up to knock, but the door swung open on its own, shocking her for a moment when she came face-to-face to a small child. She was wearing a blue tee shirt, black shorts, and shin guards.

Polly had never played sports, but she knew the telltale signs of a soccer player. The girl's dark hair was pulled back into a ponytail, and a soccer ball under the arm completed the outfit.

"Jenny, not so fast! Your cousin will be here any minute!" A voice from inside the house yelled, clearly occupied with something else. There was a crash, and then a loud groan, indicating something had been dropped.

"You're Pauline?" Jenny, the soccer player asked. Her tone of voice wasn't accusatory, just curious. She cocked her head to the side, taking in Polly.

"Uh, yeah." Polly stuffed her hands in the front of her overalls. Her bare legs had goosebumps, as well as her bare arms. It was fall, but in Vermont, that clearly didn't mean warmth and sunshine. What it meant was bare trees and gusty winds.

"You look nice." Jenny turned back into the house, letting go of the soccer ball. "Pauline is here," She yelled, turning back to eye Polly. "And she looks cold."

Polly couldn't stop the laugh that flew past her lips. She gripped her suitcase tighter, longing to find her room so she could finally get changed. It was abundantly clear that the weather in Vermont was nothing close to where she'd come from.

Her aunt - a woman she had also never met - came skidding into the foyer of the house. She had her arms full with blankets, but she smiled welcomely, as if Polly wasn't interrupting a single thing. "Pauline! Come on in! I'm getting things ready for you, but I can show you to your room. Your uncle is still at work, but he's getting out soon. Hopefully. You never know with cops these days! Always on call!" She let out a warm laugh, heading further into the house. Polly paused for a moment, eyeing her younger cousin. She didn't have any siblings growing up, so seeing a younger child around the house would be something to get used to.

Polly followed her upstairs, where she watched the dark haired woman dump the pile of blankets onto the large bed.

"This is it, I hope you like it!" The woman smiled, stepping out of the way. Polly could care less about what her bedroom looked like. It was the gesture that made Polly smile. After going through what she had, Polly was gracious of anything.

"You are a devil child! You deserve nothing!" Polly's mother shrieked, slapping her across the face. "I refuse to believe you like girls. No, no, you just need some help. I'll find you help!"

Polly didn't think she needed help at all, but she didn't have a say. Her mother was in charge, always. And what her mother wanted, her mother got.

"Help? What kind of help? I'm not broken, mother."

"You're confused. That's all. I'm calling Dr. Higgins."