Broken

.day seven.

Hanna

"So what you're saying is that I have to travel to Portland with you to find Kenneth?"

Tyler swept his black hair from his face, his dark green shirt contrasting with his bronze skin. He folded his arms over his muscular chest, looking down at me with disapproval, like he was an overbearing father that didn't agree with anything his child said or did.

I smiled slightly. "That's the deal, Ty."

My cousin shook his head vigorously, though I saw hesitation contorting his features. "There's no way in hell I'm going to go on this... this suicide mission with you two!"

I heard the floorboards creak, and I turned my head to find Esther taking a step back, her fingers closing on the locket, the gold shining through the spaces, despite the curtains being closed, blocking all sunlight from reaching it. Her face paled slightly, then her cheeks flushed a pale pink. I placed a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it away.

Her words shook as she bit her lip. "It's not a suicide mission, Tyler!"

"Then why does the locket say 'head to Hillside to the subway and take the orange line, the red line, then the black line?' Sounds like we'll die on the way there."

"Tyler!" a low voice boomed from upstairs, and I tensed. It must've been masculine, because the way it said my cousin's name shook the walls, causing Tyler to ball his fists at his sides. "Listen to them!"

"F-fine!" he retorted, shaking slightly. His blue gaze, striped of the cold defiance and replaced with fear, swept up the stairs before landing back on the two of us.

"Ty," I started, taking a step toward him as my voice softened, "it's only five hours that you have to stay with us. Five hours. That's it. Once we're there, you... you can leave. Go back to your father. Go back to your normal life, like we never left. Esther and I can take it from there."

"My normal life?" Tyler cut in, his eyes widening. I watched his muscles tightening as he fought off the urge to yell. He could only muster a harsh whisper as he leaned closer to me. "Hanna, listen to me. My life... my life is far from normal, and you know it. What would I do here, waiting for you?"

"You... you can just..." I sighed, closing my eyes for a brief second. "You can go back to school. If anyone asks, just say we're sick or... or something. Make something up."

Tyler placed his hands on my shoulders. "What if you don't come back? I couldn't possibly–"

A pounding on the front door stopped all of us in our tracks, and I stepped on my tiptoes to gaze past my cousin. I could see three people swathed in blue and black, and air hissed through my teeth. Stomping down the stairs was Tyler's portly father, two beer bottles in his hand, both empty.

"Who is it?" the man announced roughly.

"It's the police. We're here for Hanna Hawkins."

Tyler let his gaze break from the door and land on me. I lifted a shoulder, my eyes locked on the door, my ears fixed on the words. He pushed me toward the window with Esther on his other arm. "Go! Go!"

I managed to unlock the screen, and was instantly greeted by a violent wind that whipped my hair back. I slipped out the window, weightless for a moment before crashing onto the ground. Searing pain raced up my left side, and I peeled myself off the ground as Tyler appeared next to me. My blood ran cold as I heard them knocking on the door again, hearing them call my name again.

I looked up to find Esther leaning against the windowsill, her caramel hair blocking her view. I motioned frantically for her to jump, my heart racing. I blinked, and she was standing in front of me, holding her arm. Her stormy gaze switched between me and Tyler. My cousin stepped forward until he was right in front of her, looking her over before turning to me. A weak smile played on his lips, his expression flat and slightly winded from the fall.

"Count me in."