Broken by Ellie Anne (reading well .TXT) 📖

Broken
Book One of the Shattered Trilogy


Part One
Onika


Chapter One
It All Begins


I am cold. I’m sitting in the shower, glass sliding door closed, bathroom door locked, bedroom door locked, better yet, hope I locked the bedroom door. I know there’s a wolf in my house, but I can’t scream for help, I’m home alone and it would just alert the all too dangerous animal that’s invaded my home. The crash from the wolf shattering the window and the sound of its claws on the wood still decide to replay over and over in my head while I anticipate the worst. I’m really good at anticipating the worst; it’s kind of my thing. Every year on the first day of school I go over the possible cons to even showing up only for the last few minutes. This situation is worse because it’s not a matter of bullies and stuck up girls, but whether or not the wooden doors of my bedroom and bathroom will hold up against the wolf that has destroyed my peace of reading by the fire. Let alone being in my home in Maine. It’s winter, it’s cold, and I live in a house where my back yard is the forest.

As I was doing my job of thinking up the worst possible demises for myself, I heard it. At first it was a quiet knock, and then it got louder. “Are you in here? Sorry about the door.” said the person or thing at my bedroom door. But all I could think was Crap, my parents are going to literally skewer me when they come home and find the back doors crushed and shattered.

All of the sudden “CRAP!” is shouted from this mysterious thing outside my bedroom. I get out of the shower, unlock the bathroom door, and listen. I heard howls, barks, and other sounds coming from the forest. As howls turned to cries and barks turned shouted orders, I realize that these aren’t your average, everyday wolves here, these are werewolves, mythological creatures I’ve only heard in my fantasy novels.

“I know you don’t know me but please unlock the door, let me in and lock it again. PLEASE!” I do as the werewolf asks, as thoughtless as the zombie I feel like. After he’s in my room, I dutifully lock the door behind me. Boy am I going to be dead when my parents get home. Super dead, super, unbelievably dead. “What’s going on out there?” I ask this weird werewolf sitting cross legged on the floor of my room.

“It’s nothing you would understand. Yet alone believe, just trust me, you really don’t want to know the trouble I’ve gotten myself into.” he replies, so much calmer than I am. Right now, all I want to do is hide under my bed and scream my head off. Be rational, Onika. You’re just having an unbelievably weird dream. It’s gonna be alright. I think to myself

“When my parents see this I’m so dead. They are going to skewer me. I am so, so, so, so dead right now.” I say, just to clear up the silence and to make sure I still have the ability to talk.

“That makes two of us who are gonna be dead. The only reason they aren’t coming in is ‘cause I just broke a rule so gigantically important, the others won’t break it even to punish me.”

“How old are you? And don’t say one hundred and four, I know you don’t live forever, you’re a werewolf, not a vampire.” I ask him so that way I don’t feel like I let a complete stranger into my bedroom. It doesn’t work. I’m such a huge moron.

“I’m fifteen. And how’d you know what I am?”

“Me too, and I’m the super fan of fantasy of all fifteen-year-olds. I eat it up, helps me cope with the blah my life is, it adds a hint, even if it’s fake, of excitement to my life.” I reply truthfully. Besides, why would it matter that this guy knows I’m the super nerd of the school?

“Ah. Well, how ‘bout helping me get out of your room completely unnoticed by the over-confident, too controlling, morons outside?” he asks.

I decide I like this mysterious guy that randomly popped into my life. He has all the action I wish I had. Then I start to think about his offer. It would be nice to do something exciting for a change and I could use a good brain working. “It’s a go. But first, what’s your name?” I respond. I figure it’s best to know his name if I’m really going to be helping him “escape”.

“Erin Stronghart. Yours?”

“Onika. Onika Fasthand.” I answer.

“Great, now that we know each other’s names, we can start hatching a plan. Any ideas?”

“That depends, we could use the window that pretty much goes straight to the forest, or we could try and get you into the garage where you can have access to the neighbors and city.”

“The city would be better. After all, we are part wolf. They’d expect me to try and go home.”

“It’s decided then. I’ll check the hall, you follow and ba-da-bing, ba-da-boom, your free as a dove.” I say, just a bit too cheery.

“What are you going to do though? With your house such a wreck, your parents will kill you. It’s my fault too.” he says. Okay, now I absolutely L-O-V-E, love, Erin. He’s nice, doesn’t care that I am a huge book nerd, and has a caring, kind side. Plus he’s kind of cute.

“I honestly don’t know. Roll with the punches I guess. My parents will make me buy the new glass panels for sure. Guess I better start saving.” I try and joke. All it accomplishes is a deep furrow of his brows and a sad face an angel would be jealous of. Not to mention his shabby but absolutely adorable light brown hair falling slightly into eyes. Eyes that just happened to be hazel, gold flecked, and full of emotion.

I don’t even know it, but some of my jet black hair has fallen into my eyes, my dark, secretive eyes. He moves to brush it away but I think he’s going to attack and jerk back. In the end, it just causes more of my long hair to hang in my face and his brushing it away. I realize he is oddly warm, then remember I’m cold from sitting in the shower for so long.

“Wow you’re cold. We should get you warmed up before we even think of unlocking that door.” Erin says protectively. Not that I mind, it would be nice to feel my toes again.

“Why are you so cold in the first place?”

“Well, when I heard the doors break I made a run for the safe haven of the shower in my bathroom. I guess sitting on tile for twenty minutes doesn’t do too well for body heat.” I say, pointing towards the bathroom door in my room.

“I guess that’s another thing that’s my fault too. Man, I feel like a freaking horrible person right now. First, I put you in danger by entering your house trying to get away from bad people, you’re freezing cold, your parents are going to be breathing fire when they get back, and now you’re helping me escape, putting yourself in danger, again! I am such a bad person!” he seems truly angry with himself to the point that it plays on my sympathies. That doesn’t happen too often. I’m the black-loving, stone-cold, nerd no one really takes the time to get to know. Now it’s my turn to feel bad.

“It’s not your fault. You were just trying to protect yourself and quite frankly I’m glad you did ‘cause you saved me a boring night with a vampire novel.” I reply trying to cheer him up. It’s not going so well. I get another extremely cute sad face, and I’m pretty sure he thinks my paleness is from being cold even though it’s completely natural. Another thing about me is I don’t get out much and when I do, I only am going to a bookstore down the street to see if there’s anything new in the “Fantasy/SyFy” section.

I decide I’m warm enough. “I’m good now. Let’s get you out of here.” I say, trying to get the plan moving.

“Fine, but how are you going to deal with your parents?” he asks ever so kind, and caring.

“That’s easy. Tell them some kids were in the woods throwing rocks, one hit the window, shattered it and I didn’t know what to do. When the yelling starts, tune it out as usual, and start saving. I always end up paying if something gets broken.” I answer. Hey, I’m not lying when I say I pay for everything. I learned how to manage money that way. Not to mention my parents see my twin brother as an absolute angel. What with his sandy blonde hair, turquoise eyes, and smile that makes sugar look pathetic as far as sweetness goes. I love him but I hate him.

“Do things get broken a lot around here? I’d hope not, for your sake.” he says curiously.

“Nah, just when my twin brother decides to break out the football. People don’t see how he’s my twin though.” I answer honestly. And people don’t, they think he was born before me because he’s so tall, 6’0” to be exact.

A tap on the windows startles me into letting out a squeak. Man, I’m really out of character today. First, letting a stranger into my room, actually having a conversation with him, helping him escape, and now squeaking? What’s wrong with me today?

“It’s okay. It’s just my best friend, John. He knew I wanted to leave the pack, helped me do it, and is now just checking to make sure I made it. He’s a good guy, gentle too. No need to be scared.” Erin explains while I scoot to the corner.

“Mind if I let him in?” he asks as he gets up and walks towards the window.

“Well, if