Our Broken Souls

Chapter 11

/I/D/K/

Mal's POV

I scream as my mother hits me once more. She screams insults at me. She's livid. I didn't mean to break the glasses. I tripped and knocked the table. They fell off. She throws the glass pieces at me. I curl into a small ball and start to cry. The physical and emotional pain carries on into the night. I sit there even after she is done. Silent tears fall down my checks. My arms are wrapped around myself. Thunder rumbles in the distance and I whimper. I hated thunderstorms. I scream as the lighting lights up the sky and thunder fills the quiet room. Stupid thing to do.

"MAL BERTHA!"

My body tenses and I shut up. My seven-year-old self was terrified. My mom towers over me with a horrifying look on her face. I didn't know what I was more scared of. The storm or my mother. She reaches for me.

I scream and bolt up. Ow. Belle comes rushing in the room and Evie, Carlos, Jay, and Ben wake up. Tears scream down my face. That night was one of the worst beatings that I've ever had. Evie sits next to me and hugs me tightly. I bury my face in her chest and sob. She shushes me and whispers calmly into my ear. She runs her finger through my messy hair.

"Mal it's okay. It was just a nightmare. Nothing will get you." She whispers.

"Mal? Are you okay?" asks Belle.

I lift my head up and see everyone looking at me with concerned faces on. Evie has a wrist brace on and Carlos has an arm sling. Evie wasn't abused that badly but she still had to endure quite a bit. Carlos is terrified of his mother. When he was beaten it was badly. Thankfully it was only once in a while. Jay was mostly verbally abused. We all were. He does however have a boot like thing on his foot. His is blue and hard though. I'm glad that they were taken care of while I was out. They all have jackets on so I can't see their arms or backs and such. I hope everything is okay with them.

"I j-j-just h-has a n-n-nightmare." I mange to get out.

She nods and sits on the other side of the bed. She grab me into her arms. I melt into her and start to cry again. She rubs my back soothingly. My body wrecks with sobs. After I'm done I see that everyone has left the room. It's just me and Belle.

"Mal... I'm so sorry to ask this but.. who did this to you?"

My eyes widen and I look down at the ground. I can't tell her. My mom would kill me. No I can't. They know something is up. I try to think of anything to say. Anything that will explain my bruised broken body. Nothing comes to mind.

"You don't have to tell me right now. I can wait until you want to tell me." She says.

My body relaxes and I left out a breath that I didn't know I was holding in. Maybe by then I'll have something.

"Thank you. For everything." I whisper out.

"Of course Mal. You are a guest here. We will treat you just as equally as anyone else here. Maybe even more."

Why are they being so nice? How can they be so nice? I tell myself not to get used to this. I shouldn't get my hopes up. If I don't hope I can't be disappointed. I don't even deserve any of this.

"Just know that I'll be here you guys. If you want to talk I'll be her to listen. I won't judge you. Not one bit. Sometimes that all you need. You really don't deserve any of what has happened to you. You guys have been a joy to have so far. You are much different than what we all expected you guys to be. I'm so sorry that you have been hurt. No one deserves this. You shouldn't just be taking this all alone. I just wish we had reach out to your guys sooner."

I look up at her. She is smiling sadly at me. I was speechless in the slightest. I just broke then and there. I explained everything that has happened. Everything I remember. It's painful to talk about. The demons that I've tried to hard to forget are now her. The cuts have reopened and are bleeding out. There are extremely excruciating. I'm sobbing into my arms which are wrapped around my knees. This was so difficult to do. It wasn't easy for me at all to talk about the past. Everything that was so hard to forget yet so easy to remember. Belle silently cries next to me and hugs me tightly. I cry into her and let everything out. I cry a heartbroken sob. I gasp for breath. Stupid ribs. The sun is setting outside. I calm down as she holds me. I wish that my mom was like this. Belle has shown me more love on the last three days than my mom ever has in my entire life. She lays me down and tucks me into the bed.

"Mal get some rest sweetie. In the morning we can talk about what to do."

I didn't want to sleep. With sleep came nightmares. Ben walks in.

"Mom. Dad and the other three need you."

"I'll be back soon. Ben stay with her while I'm gone." she says before leaving

He walks over to me and sits in a chair next to my bed. He takes my hand and looks into my eyes.

"Mal I promise that I will protect Evie, Carlos, Jay, and you from now on. I will do everything in my power to make sure that you guys are safe. No one will ever hurt yu again. I swear to always be there for you. I will always be here. I will never let you go. I will always listen. I will always help you. I will always be a constant. Never forget that." His eyes burn with determination.

"Thank you." I whisper as my eyes start to droop.

He smiles at me.

"Sleep. You need it."

I want to protest but I yawn. Ben puts a blanket over my body and I snuggle into them. My eyes close and I'm almost asleep. Before I drift off into a calm peaceful sleep Ben kisses my forehead.

"Goodnight Mal." He says.

For once I go to sleep without any nightmares. I feel safe and part of me believes him. I sleep without pain and for the first time in a long time, I feel hope.

So that was the chapter. I hope that you guys liked it. Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.

Question: Any of you read any or all of the Percy Jackson books?

I don't even know. I have and I love the books. I love to read.

~Twilightwolf13