Broken, H.R. Davison [best books to read for success .TXT] 📗

Broken

Broken 

 

Book Two of the Guardian Series

 

 

 

Fractum Puella

 An excerpt from

Bezaliel's Lost Scripture

 

 

The children of God bearing the matching marks will be tasked as guardians.

Their bond must be strong to prevail.

He must protect her from harm, for her weakness is her own grace.

She must forgive his fallacies, for his weakness is her.

 

Wings bound.

Lost brethren of Eden seek redemption.

Fallen children of God will strike against the guardians.

The Accursed one will lead them into battle.

 

Abduction and agony, a mother’s love holds strong.

Lucidity separates and aggression is unleashed.

White light will bring darkness.

Broken bonds liberate caged wings.

 

 

Kat

 

I can’t see where I am, the room is hot and completely pitch black. I don’t know how long I’ve been here. I am sitting on a rough surface. From feel alone I believe it to be concrete. There is no noise, just silence. I walk the room from corner to corner. Ten paces to a corner then turn, another ten paces to a corner then turn. So on and so on for infinity. I sit in a corner with my knees drawn to my chest. My whole body hurts from all the abuse. There is no bed, only the floor. There is no toilet, only a bucket. There is no escape, just the walls and the floor, and darkness, and my pain.

 

I feel something crawl across my bare arm, making me scream. My voice is hoarse from screaming. I do the only thing I can do, think. I think about my mother, about her death. I think about my dad, and how much he must miss me. Does he wonder where I am? Is he looking for me? Someone must be looking for me. I think about what a failure I am. How could I have thought I could save my mother? I can’t even save myself.

 

I try to stay awake as long as I can. My rest is broken with nightmares, terrifying images of Armaros killing my mom again and again. I try to think of happy thoughts. I picture DJ in my mind, try to remember the feel of his touch and I can’t. His embrace around me seems like a distant memory.

 

I think I must be losing my mind. Sometimes I think I hear Andy calling to me. He tells me to be brave, that he will find me, and that he loves me. After my failure at saving my mom how can anyone love me? I can’t even love myself. I hate myself. I am worthless.

 

I have a lot of time to think. For the past several weeks before this all I wanted was a normal life with normal problems. I can laugh at the irony now. I am as far from normal as I can get at the moment. I hear a noise. I tilt my head to listen. I realize it is me. I am laughing. I am going crazy. I tap my forehead. “Stop. Think. Stop. Think.”

 

“DJ I wish you were here! DJ I WISH YOU WERE HERE!” I scream. He can’t hear my wish. I don’t even know his true name. I laugh again.

 

I cry, my eyes are swollen with the strain of the never ending cascade of tears. I miss Andy. I wish he were here with me, to put his arm around me and comfort me. He is so caring, so sweet. I think I am falling in love with my protector. Although, he isn’t much of a protector, I make a mental note to tell him that next time I see him.

 

There will be no next time. I am going to die here. I scratch at the flakes of blood on my neck. The tender spots there barely have time to heal before he is back for more. I hurt everywhere. This is a game to my tormentor. I scratch my head and pull away hair with my cracked nails.

 

Just when I don’t think it can get any worse a door cracks open. I see a silhouette of a man enter the room. I retreat further into my corner, holding my breath. Hoping he can’t see me. No such luck.

 

I feel his bony hand on my arm pulling me to my feet. “Please…” I whimper. “Please don’t hurt me again.” I press my nails into my palms, focusing on the pain in my hands instead of what I am about to endure.

 

He doesn’t speak, only grunts in response. I feel the nails of his hand digging into my cheeks, squeezing them. I can smell coppery breath breathing in my face. I try to pull away, back into my corner. “No… “A raspy voice hisses. “Be still.” His voice sounds like sandpaper rubbing on stone. I cringe away when he licks my face.

 

I close my eyes and pray it will be over soon. I try not to cry. He always makes it worse when I cry, but it the end I always do. I am a coward. I am worthless. I am broken.

 

 

Andy (Then)

 

The strange lady sits on the couch next to me and my brother. I look sideways at Cody to see what he thinks. He shrugs at me and then makes a motion with his eyes. Conveying he doesn’t know either, but she is pretty huh? Twin language is great. We can talk without using words, almost like telepathy.

 

My mother is on the floor playing with the little girl. Lego blocks are scattered everywhere. The toddler reaches her chubby fingers out to play with the blocks as her long wavy hair hangs in her face. My mom calls for me and Cody to come play with her. Cody jumps down, eager to make a new friend. I continue to sit on the couch with my arms crossed. I don’t want to play with a baby. I don’t want to sit next to this strange lady either, but it’s better than playing. I would rather be in my room reading. My parents tell me that I am too smart for my own good.

 

The strange lady smiles at me. Since I am always polite I smile back. “Andrew.” She says to me. “Your mother says that you are already reading at a fifth grade level, at only five years old you must be very smart.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” I tell her. “I am. I can do addition and subtraction as well. All the other kids in my class can barely say the alphabet.”

 

She claps her hands excitedly. “That is fantastic.” I grin back at her. Maybe this strange lady isn’t so bad. She seems to understand me. However she did bring her drool machine with her, so I keep my arms crossed. The smile drops from my face when my dad walks into the room.

 

“Andy, please come into my office with us for a moment.” He tells me. “Cody, be a dear and stay in here with Kathryn while we talk.”

 

“Okay daddy.” My twin chirps from the floor, always eager to please.

 

I follow my mom and dad into the office, the lady in sitting in there too. I climb onto the high back chair across from them and swing my legs back and forth. “Andy this is Belle.” My mother tells me motioning to the strange lady sitting next to her. She is small, much smaller than my mom. Her hair matches the little girls. Her wide green eyes sparkle when she smiles at me. She gets out of her seat and kneels in front of me.

 

“We have something very important we need to talk to you about Andrew.” My father says, walking over to stand next to my chair. “You are still so young, but you are smart so we think now is a good time for you to learn your destiny.”

 

Belle takes my left hand her own. She is so small they are almost the same size. She looks at my thumb closely, at the birthmark there, the only defining difference between me and my twin brother.

 

“Eli…” She whispers to my father in awe. “I can’t believe it. It’s all coming true.”

 

Andy (Now)

 

I lean over the edge of my bed and throw up the contents of my stomach into the trash can. I can feel her pain, every time. My hands tremble when I wipe my mouth. Sweat beads on my forehead.

 

“It’s not her fault you know.” Cody says walking into the room handing me a cold wash cloth. “She doesn’t know.”

 

“I know.” I say hoarsely, my voice cracking from the strain of screaming. “I don’t blame her. I blame myself.” I look away from my twin. I don’t want him to see the silent tears that run down my face. He wouldn’t understand, he thinks he does but he would be so wrong.

 

“I got