The Prisoner Project

INTERLUDE II

I N T E R L U D E

            D I A N A   B L A C K - 1 4

        DIANA TOOK THE LONGEST way home. Her home was a long way from school already but she wanted to take her time, savour her loneliness, and make peace with her racing mind. She could see the outline of her house from a distance and heaved a weary sigh. Her neighborhood was so sparse that the next house was a mile away. She hated living so far away from everyone because it made her feel claustrophobic. Her family constantly choked her by shoving their shitty feelings down her throat. Then expecting her to reciprocate. Fuck that, Diana thought.

When she got to the front door, she was practically grimacing. Face screwed tight in irritation and everything. If she wasn't as lethargic as she felt, she would have turned back around and gone straight to the library.

It was always worse going home when Aria was away at Reading Camp. It was going to be the worst summer of her life. She struggled at school and she struggled at home with her parents and brother. Hugh was horrible to her since she was his only target. Her father had become posion to her eyes and ears, and her mother? Despite being the only person she loved in that house, the cloud of sadness that often followed her often depressed Diana.

Diana was rarely early back from school, but it was the last day so school was out. She pushed open her front door and froze.

She heard noises.

She tiptoed across the landing and into the kitchen, careful not to startle anyone. The noises had become more audible and she could decipher the sound of a man and woman. It was sounds of plensure. She gagged. It had to be her parents.

She froze at the thought. But her parents had fought again and mom had gone to stay with Gran.

Curious as a sneaky cat, she took the few steps she needed to know the noise was coming from the living room and peered in.

The sight before her could have killed her. Literally pressed a barrel against her chest and pulled the trigger. Her heart was in her throat. Her eyes were oceans.

Naked limbs entangled together, pushing and pulling apart. It was horrifying. Not necessarily grotesque as you couldn't truly tell which part collided with what. They were behind the sofa, making noises like animals in a cage. It was wanton, forbidden. Nothing that his daughter should witness.

What had struck her the hardest and made her suffer was that she could see the dark hair of the woman. Her manicured hands were tangled in her fathers mane, and Diana could see a pair of elegant shoes and white dress discarded on the sofa edge.

Her mother had blonde hair.

"No.." She gasped, as all her fears came to reality. She knew of her fathers affair but she had wished it to be false. A trick of the mind. "No!"

As soon as her voice echoed round the room, the bitter pair sprung apart. Suddenly, her fathers head popped out from the other side of the chair. His face was red, from anger, shame or list, Diana couldn't tell. He looked like a child, a child who had been caught playing with fire.

  Her hands flew to her mouth.

She was trembling with anger that stemmed from the roots of betrayal. She couldn't believe that her mother suffered everyday, had become a ghost of who she once was because her father was fucking another woman.