Our Sick Inheritance (editing)

Chapter 2 - Secrets

The night was glassy, but Colin's luxury car had the power of a full-size truck that could climb any of earth's mountains during any weather. Its shiny black exterior reminded him of a naked woman stretched out. Her skin protected by a shell of black oil as thick as vinyl with wheels for her hands and feet. Finishing the look with a black motorcycle helmet on her head. It was sleek, fast, and strong.

Colin clicked off the glow of his headlights and turned onto the main road that lead towards the long driveway of his property. The stars were the only illumination, but he could drive this road with his eyes closed if he had to. The left path of the forked road took him to the back of his oversized house. There were cameras all over his property. Colin made sure the videos on the back half of the house had been turned off from his phone before he arrived.

Nate and Christine didn't expect him until tomorrow afternoon. Anna was told that her father was scheduled to arrive the next week. With as much trouble that she gets into, it was important to have the element of surprise. Colin had been following his daughter's e-mail account and knew she was up to something naughty behind his back. If she found out he had been spying on her, it would be all she needed to rebel.

The episode he was expecting upon the news he had for her was something he was dreading entirely. To knock her out with a sleeping agent would be preferable, but she would probably try to swim through sharks to leave. Colin was tired of her secret life and he needed rest. He was hoping the move was going to excite her instead of anger her into destruction, but he knew better. Colin was finally at the end of signing the last of the final papers. Nate's was the last signature he needed.

Snow was thick on the ground. Christmas had just passed, yet Colin wasn't able to make it home in time. However, he made sure that everyone had gifts to open on Christmas day as he had been sending them to Christine and Nate for months to hide. There were too many storms obstructing his path to fly from Switzerland to Seattle, Washington. He had just sold his family's property which was emotional, so he was glad when he had a few shut-in days alone. It was all for a good cause, he just hoped Annalina would see it the same way and forgive him.

Colin accelerated because his eyes were getting heavy as he was tired from all the traveling. His body was deteriorating fast, and his anger problem was getting out of hand. Colin felt bruised from just the last few hours but pushed on as he always did no matter how much he hurt. Lately it was getting harder to hold his stamina. He needed some sleep.

Through the white scenery, Colin could barely see through the spaces between each tree across the manicured lawn and sculpted bushes to the front of his house. Parked in the side lot was Nate's little black California licensed sports car. Colin smiled, pleased that Nate had followed his orders.

Faster, Colin's car whispered past the trees on the curvy road as the front of his house disappeared. The trunk of the trees encased in shadows that lined his property looked almost a moldy black under the moonlight. With the headlights back on, he flowed on the few twists and turns until he leveled out at the top of the hill. The back of the massive structure of the house once again arose into view. Switching off the car's lights so nobody in the house got a flash of the glow, he eased into the small parking lot behind the house. The lot was used to bring in their special soil.

Twenty feet from his car stood the large tree with Christmas lights that marked the top grandeur of the garden. The house looked cold and dark. A shiver ran up his spine. Colin thought it looked as eerie during the day as it did at night. He wasn't sure if it was a feeling or because of the secrets he knew it held.

Colin shut off the car and sat in the silence. A brush of cool wind drifted through the window and caressed his cheek. Immediately goosebumps formed on his neck that itched from sweat. It was only then that he finally felt beat down and fully exhausted from the night. Every movement seemed like an effort. Colin looked down to the sleeve of his arm and noticed a piece of long blond hair had stuck to his dark black arm hair. He wrapped the hair into a little ball then lit it with a lighter to watch it go up in smoke. He had to fight an erection from the smell of it.