Chapter 16

It was soft, gentle as it hummed a song, Andrianna was sure she recognized. Andrianna was also sure, she recognized the voice, that what she was hearing right now was a distant memory. A memory, from another time; a happy time.

Andrianna felt her eyes droop. Without realizing Andrianna's head bent down, to rest on the palm of her hand. And just like that, she was swept away.

Andrianna stood at the door frame of her kitchen. Listening to 'Groovy kind of love' being played in the background. She was watching the small petite woman in front of her, swaying her hips to the song as she whipped the batter for a cake she was going to bake later that day. It was going to raspberry and chocolate flavored.

Andrianna could almost taste the flavor on the tip of her tongue as the chorus of the song played along.

When I'm feeling blue, all I have to do

Is take a look at you, then I'm not so blue

When I'm in your arms, nothing seems to matter

My whole world could shatter, I don't care

Wouldn't you agree, baby you and me got a groovy kind of love

Andrianna found herself humming along with the woman.

"Oh! My little bunny were you watching me?"

Andrianna nodded looking into the deep brown eyes. She knew it in her heart at this very moment that no matter what, Francis would always be her real mother. Despite, her devotion to her mother, she lacked the kind of adoration Andrianna felt at this moment as she watched Francis bake a cake. It was the kind of adoration that one had to earn. This was only given by being around in the child's life. It was not something you automatically received by merely giving birth.

Andrianna watched Francis walk to Andrianna, then pick her up in her arms. One hand supported Andrianna while the other clasped at Andrianna's outstretched hand. Andrianna buried her face in Francis' hair, taking in the smell of vanilla.

Francis always smelt of vanilla.

Andrianna felt herself smile as they swayed to the music, when the hand that had felt firm and soft merely seconds ago, all of a sudden felt dry. The smell of lavenders was replaced by a stench of a rotten corpse. The full lush mane of dark curls seemed to fall apart.

The entire body seemed to rot to death. Andrianna did not want to open her eyes. She shut them tighter she did not want to see Francis. She could barely hold onto the bones of what held her in a dance.

ADRIANNA!

Andrianna jolted awake from her dream as she felt Marshal's hands shake her awake. His face was close to hers as he repeated her name over and over again. Andrianna felt groggy and the side of her head hurt. Marshal's voice in that moment seemed unbearable. She wished he would stop talking.

Her mouth felt dry like she had been screaming for hours all together and her lungs hurt. She felt the loud pounding of a heart that she did not register as her own and a foul metallic taste surrounded her gustatory senses. Her body felt sore.

Despite everything, it was the pounding that needed to stop. Like a loud drum being banged inside her brain. Like her brain was on fire. It was excruciating to the point that she screamed that Marshal to keep quite. She screamed for the pounding noise to stop.

She was unaware of the position her body had assumed in her sleep. It was disturbing. The sort of unnatural pose that was commonly portrayed in paranormal horror movies. And in a terrified haze to a bystander that had watched way too many horror movies and was religious enough she looked possessed by a paranormal entity.

Her voice seemed deeper as she screamed. And between the shrill disturbing noise of her pain she spoke, "Gragerio Halaveste Giardo Humemente. Ilasio Contrio Destrovelento Yamit Gaye Hostro Fututa"

When the screams stopped, her nails followed. Digging into her skin, drawing blood. Leaving scars in its wake. She laughed eerily as her nails dug in deeper. It was an odd contrast to her pain and her actions. Tears ran down her cheeks and she kept going. Both Marshal and Victor were on the side of her bed holding her down as the medical professionals came in.

Andrianna was almost lucid at this point. This was when she was awake with the pounding in her head, when she heard Marshal call out her name over and over. The episode had passed.

Andrianna felt the sharp prick of a needle. Then, there was darkness.