Broken

Chapter 1: Broken

I lay in silence. Lying on cool sand. Listening to the crashing of the waves. The seagulls squawked from time to time. The cool water pooled at my ankles and receded back down into the ocean, and back up. Repeat. The water soaked into the damp sand around me. The sky dove from orange to purple within minutes. I gripped the sand as the stars above began to form. I softly blinked every once in a while. I only took deep breaths. So deep, my lungs burned. My chest rose and fell violently. The air was moist and the scent of salt water. My favorite. The waves crashed along the cliffs. The round sky above me, turning dark, cold. I shivered. This was a quiet town. Where all the perfect families lived. Right on the beach in Southern California. It couldn't get better than this. I could practically go anywhere. I was very privileged. My hazel eyes scanned the red horizon. My eyes fluttered closed.

"You have no business wondering where I was!" My father yelled.

"Yes I DO!" My mother screamed. My dad raised his hand and brought down a force upon my mom's face. She screamed in pain and fell to the ground. My dad's face burned with anger.

I gripped the sand harder.

"You better stay down, bitch." He violently whispered to her.

My dad packed his things and left.

My eyes shot open. A tear rolled down my cheek. I sniffled and stood up. My long brown hair reached my waist. I shook my head and the sand grains fell back into the ground. My feet soaked into the damp sand. I was angry.

Visions kept flashing in front of me. Violent sounds of inflicted pain, shattering glass, screaming, anger, all the voices swirled around me. My breathing grew short and quick. I gripped my chest as my lungs burned and my heart, a heavy burden. My baby brother screaming in his room all alone, I'm trapped in the corner, screaming. My parents engaged in a deadly feud. My hands covered my ears. The visions kept coming.

I finally screamed so loud, that everything in the world became quiet. Everything stood, frozen. I stood there letting hot, salty tears roll down my flushed cheeks.

I suddenly heard my baby brother scream. I snapped out of it and sprinted as hard as I could to my house. I slammed the door open and got upstairs to, my brother, James' room. He screamed as the cold wind blew in circles around the room. I quickly shut the window and the door. I picked him up and held him tightly.

"Shhhhhh," I shushed him, sweetly. I continued to say, "It's ok. I'm here. I'll always be here. I'll..." my voice cracked. I fell to my knees.

I'm only 13. My parents don't care for James. I even named him. I love him like he's my own son.

I held his small body tightly pressed to me and I held his head. My eyes widened and silent tears spilled.

I'm alone.

All alone.

I sat on the ground. With my baby brother in my arms. He wasn't even one. He's not even my biological brother.

My mother had an affair.

But I still loved him.

I wrapped him in warm clothes and carefully carried him downstairs. I tugged on his beanie on the top of his head. He stared up at me with big hazel eyes. He reminds me of me.

I set him carefully into a stroller. Dried tears stuck to my burning cheeks. I slipped on a jacket and headed out. I pulled up my jean shorts. I fixed my hair and headed out. The cool, ocean breeze hit us as we walked out. We walked down the street. We walked on a lit path. The palm trees seemed to scrape the sky as we walked beneath them. I pushed the stroller along, thinking. The sidewalk sparkled in the light of the evening. Rarely did a car come by, if any, slowly. I kept walking down. I kept thinking.