Beautifully Broken

Prologue

There was a boy who lived next door. He was the shy type, scared to even wave hello as the pretty little girl peered at him from over the fence.

This went on for the first few days after he moved until he eventually warmed up to her.

Every school day, they'd walk to the bus stop together, talking and laughing as kids should. They became quite close, going to the playground together, walking home together, and even joining their respective varsities together.

On holidays and summer vacation, he would leave town with his family going on different trips around the world. How she wished she could do the same.

She stayed at home with her parents, feeling the distance growing between them. At an early age, she fully understood the difference between a house and a home and when asked, always answered with, "heading back to the house."

Whenever his family would leave, the noises and pain got worse. It was like they were waiting for witnesses to leave so they could come and murder the family.

Her family seemed pleasant on the outside but she knew how rotten her dad was and how much hurt her mom goes through. How they stayed together, she did not understand.

The horror nights started in the summer of fifth grade. Her friend had left for a road trip to New York, leaving her with her family.

With no other neighbors except the forest, the sounds in her house echoed through the walls until they became the daily melody of her life.

Her mom left for work, her dad drunk on different things. One of them being his lust for someone's affection and touch. Even his daughter couldn't escape this heated desire.

After several years passed, gone were childish ways and bright sparkling eyes. Her beautiful and modern house was appreciated by many but the broken home stayed hidden from people's views.

The little girl carried on through the pain that scarred her, telling no one. Not even her hard working mom. She found escape in only two places. The attic and her treehouse.

Once her friend got back from his summer trip, he found his friend in the treehouse. They both knew that their families wouldn't dare climb the tree. After his dad built the treehouse for her, he promised to never go up there and no one else could.

So the boy climbed up the tree and went up through the hole at the bottom floor of the treehouse where he saw his friend crying in a fitful sleep.

He wondered what could possibly make a young girl cry so much. Not even a broken or lost toy could make a kid cry that much.

He stayed with her until night fell, the crickets and hoots of owls reminding him of a past camping trip.

He had been scared but his parents and older siblings reminded him that he was not alone. That they would always be there.

He then realized that this young girl didn't have her parents nearby.

He then decided that he would be the one. He would be there for her.

"I won't leave you alone." He whispered to his crying friend as she tossed and turned.

His parents found him in the treehouse, calling for him to come down. He explained the situation and both pride and concerned mixed in his parents faces as he assured them that he would be okay sleeping in the treehouse that night.

"You told me that I'd never be alone. And I don't want her to feel alone either." He said confidently. "I'm staying with her."