The Denial of Hearts (COMPLETED) [wattys 2018]

20

The funeral was a quiet affair. Sarina went out of her way to make sure of it. She finally was out from under his influence.

She had sat through the will reading. After the dull talk of money being donated here and there, his property was all he left to Sarina.

All his money was gone. Her percentage of LoTech was non existent. Even with the two companies emerged together, Mason had full control of his now fifty percent.

He wanted a grand funeral, in a church, filled with people.

So on the day of Malcolm's funeral, Sarina held a small ceremony on a plot in the cemetery, because Malcolm wanted to be cremated and placed with his wife's remains.

That had surprised Sarina because she didn't know what happened to her mother after her death.

After the wake, which only held about twelve people, Sarina had a new bounce in her step. Mason and her went to her family home.

She had no intentions of stepping inside the large gloomy house again, but this time there was no bad aura, no sneaking around, no Malcolm.

The staff had left days ago and the house was quiet.

Sarina turned on the lights to every room she walked in. Her main goal was her father's study.

Popping open a cardboard box, Sarina carried it around, hoping to reclaim some of her items.

Her father's study turned fruitless as she went to her room. She gathered some of the stuff she went without over the past couple months and piled it neatly inside the box.

She sat on her bed and stared at her room. It was girlish and pink and juvenile.

Mason came in and stared at the horrendous walls. "Oh dear lord. Was this your room?"

Sarina nodded as she laughed. "My father tried everything to keep me as little as possible a few years back." Sarina went to a chair that held an old porcelain doll. She picked it up carefully and brushed the dust away.

She played with the dolls blonde curls. "This is the only thing I have in this world that belonged to my mother." Sarina whispered as she wiped the tears away.

Sarina handed the doll over to Mason as she opened her closet. It still held a lot more of her clothes and shoes. She didn't want to deal with that just yet and made a mental note to come back to it tomorrow.

Sarina was on a mission. She knew what she was looking for when she looked in every room.

But every room was a disappointment. Sarina was losing hope.

Mason came to her and held her as Sarina stood outside her father's room. She had gone through everything. The house was huge and she had searched every nook and cranny.

"I can't find it." Sarina cried.

"What are you looking for?"

"My mother. In my father's will, he said he wanted to be cremated and put with mums ashes. But I can't find her ashes."

Sarina turned to Mason. "Have you had any luck about those photos I asked about?"

Mason shook his head. "Not yet."

"If I wanted to hide something in this house, where would I be?" Sarina asked herself. "Oh!"

"What?"

"Take all the photos down."

"What?"

"He might have had a safe or something behind a photo or art work. Take them all down."