A Mind to Tear a Soul in Two

Chapter Nine

"Charlie..."

Someone was calling her name. But the voice seemed so very far away.

"Charlie..."

Her mind was muddled and fuzzy, and her body warm and cozy. Trying to focus was outside her realm of possibility at the moment. Choosing to ignore the noise interrupting her dreams, she turned over and pushed all thoughts away, welcoming the vast emptiness of sleep.

But the noise didn't stop.

"Charlie."

"Charlotte."

She suddenly recognised the voice penetrating her subconscious. Jesus, she wished the woman would leave her be. She'd been up all night tossing and turning, and it seemed as if she'd only just managed to fall asleep. And now her devil of an aunt was trying to pull her out of her dreams and into the reality of morning.

"No. Lemme be." Whining out her demands she covered her face with a pillow and willed the voice of her aunt to let her sleep.

Grabbing the quilts covering her niece, Polly took a firm hold and yanked the warmth onto the floor. Her voice brooked no insolence, "Charlotte Shelby, wake up this instant."

As the cold rushed over her body, Charlotte's eyes flew open to see Polly standing above her, a mocking smile plastered across her face. It was unnerving.

"Oh good. You're awake." Polly's fake cheery voice set her on edge. "Wake up. Get dressed. We've got business to tend to."

Curling into a ball in an attempt to stay warm, Charlotte whined out, "What time is it? It's too early."

Ignoring the question, her aunt moved to retrieve trousers and an old shirt from the wardrobe. Plucking the items from their home she threw what she'd chosen to her niece and informed, "Get up. We've got quite the day ahead of us and there are visitors are here to see you."

Wincing as the clothing items fell across her chilled form, Charlotte reached over the bed, stretching her arm down attempting to grasp the blankets that had just been violently stolen from her sleeping body. "If it's the lads, Pol — send 'em home. I'm not interested–"

Cutting her off Polly informed, "You're brother has called a family meeting."

Scoffing, she told her aunt, "Tell him to stuff it."

If there had been anything worth meeting about, she would've heard about it by now. She much felt that her time was better spent sleeping rather than listening to Tommy go on and on about whatever it was he'd set his fancy to this day.

Rolling her eyes at the childish behaviour, Polly returned to Charlotte's bed, demanding, "Get your scrawny ass outta bed and downstairs for breakfast." Then reaching down, took hold of Charlotte by the ear and hauled her to her feet.

Screeching over the unjustness of pulling her from a warm bed and suffering abuse so early in the morning, Charlotte finally took the hint that Polly wasn't going anywhere until she was fully dressed and making her way to breakfast.

"Christ almighty, Aunt Pol — I'm up!" Wrenching free of the woman's hold she asked, "What are you doing here so early anyway?" Moving to get dressed in front of the warm fire, Charlotte worked to button up her shirt while questioning her aunt.

"Never you mind. Get dressed, there's food downstairs."

Sighing at the woman's ability to never fully answer a question, she tried again, "Well, what's this meeting about–"

Her question was cut off by a wail so piercing it nearly cracked the teacup sitting on her mantle. Wincing as the noise settled Charlotte questioned, "What in the bloody hell was that?"