Broken (The Siren Series #1) (5 page)

“
Do you want us to walk you home
Ellie?” asked Becky.

“
No thanks, I’ve got my aunt to pick me
up in a bit, Dad insisted.” I said.

“
Oh, ok then we’ll see you tomorrow.”
said Becky. “Give Kate our love.”

They both waved goodbye and set off down the
road together. I took my phone out and checked to see if I had any
more messages. There were none.

“
Come on Kate, where are you?” I said
out loud.

“
Waiting for someone?” A voice full of
confidence and seduction called to me.

My body tingled with excitement like it did
yesterday. That voice. I’ve heard it before. Slowly I turned around
to see the same beautiful Woman. She stood there, facing me with
her back to the bright sun, giving her a silhouette of her perfect
body. I’d forgotten how beautiful she was. Her eyes were a bright
beautiful scarlet, and her hair was a deep shade of red that it
looked like living fire. She wore a long white dress that had two
straps over her strong shoulders and had a slit at the side showing
a bit of her bare leg. To finish off the look her face was
flawless. She looked like she’d just come off a runway in
Paris.

I tried to find Becky and Lilly but they were
already gone. I tried to pluck up the courage to talk to her.

“
You’re that woman I met yesterday.” I
said without any confidence.

She gave a smile that could light the darkest
of nights. I took a step back.

“
You don’t have to be scared of me
Ellie.” she said with such a soft voice.

I burst out into rage “How the hell do you
know my name, who the hell are you, and what is happening to my
fucking life.” I screamed.

The Woman just stood there with her eyes
brightly attached to me.

“
You’re just like your mother.” she
said.

“
My mother?” I said asked
slowly.

“
Yes allow me to introduce myself. I am
Rhea. You could call me a friend of your mothers.” she said
softly.

My head was swimming with questions. This
Woman says she’s a friend of my mother’s? Was she a mental
patent?

“
Are you sick or something, my mum is
dead!” I yelled. “What is wrong with you? Why do you keep stalking
me? Are you crazy or something? Leave me alone!” I started to
breath heavily.

“
I know it must be hard for you Ellie,
but you need to know that I’m here for you.”

“
What do you mean? I don’t want
anything to do with you!”

“
Ellie, you must listen to me. You
are..” her words were cut off.

A car horn sounded behind me and I whipped
round to see it was Kate pulling up to the curb. I yanked the door
open and jumped straight into the car before it could stop. I told
Kate to drive.

I breathed a sigh of relief as the car
traveled away from the woman. Kate noticed my heavy sigh.

“
Who was that woman you were talking to
Ellie? You look a little spooked.”

I didn’t want to say anything at first but I
gave in. “It’s the woman I told you about.” I replied.

“
Her!” she said surprised and took her
eyes off the road.

“
Kate the road!” I reminded her and she
snapped back to reality.

“
Sorry, but when you said about a woman
talking to you, I thought it would be a middle age woman or
something, but not a supermodel.” she said.

“
Yeah she does look all dolled up.” I
said.

“
Dolled up isn’t the word, did you see
that dress? Must have cost a fortune.”

“
Yeah it does look expensive.” I said
blandly.

“
Right, phone your Dad, tell him you’re
with me for the afternoon.” Kate said.

“
Really?” I said with excitement. I
took my phone out and found the number straight away, I held the
phone to my ear, and he picked up within a few rings.

“
Hi Dad, I’m going to be with Kate for
the afternoon, is that okay?” I asked.

I could hear him thinking it over. “Where are
you going?”

“
We’re just going to hang out that’s
all.”

“
All right but make sure your not home
too late, have fun.” he hung up.

“
He said yes.” I said.

“
I have a good brother,” Kate said
happily. “Right I’m starving, let’s go get a burger.”

Come to think of it, I hardly ate anything
for lunch and the thought of a burger did make me hungry. Kate
continued down the road and took a left and then a right turn. I
gazed out of the window. Everything flew passed like a blur as we
passed different street and carried on down the road. Kate slowed
down and turned into the drive through. There was another car ahead
of us waiting to be served. I could see kids jumping up and down in
the car with excitement.

“
What do you want Ellie, my treat.”
Kate asked.

It didn’t take me long to think what I
wanted. “Cheese burger, large fries, and strawberry milkshake.
Please.” I asked.

“
What no ice cream?” Kate laughed as we
pulled up to the window. She gave the order to the woman and added
two ice creams and paid cash.

“
Did you just order ice cream as well?”
I asked.

Kate gave a devilish smile.

Kate moved the car forward and grabbed the
hot bag of food. It smelled so good that I hurried and took the bag
out of her hands. Kate asked for some sauce and attendant gave her
a handful.

She parked the car around the corner and we
ate our food while listening to the radio. I ripped off the paper
covering my burger and took a forceful bite. It tasted so good, and
I even dipped a few fries into the milkshake. (Even though it’s bad
for you, but I needed the comfort food.)

“
So what’s going on in school then?”
Kate asked while putting hot fries into her mouth.

I knew this question would be coming up
sooner or later. “It’s okay, just the same.” I replied.

“
Is that all, how’s Becky and Lilly I
haven’t seen them in a while?” Kate said.

“
Yeah they’re good, we have our ups and
downs, but I don’t think I would be able to face school without
them.” I answered.

“
Oh? Why’s that then?” Kate asked. She
knew the answer already, but she wanted to talk about
it.

“
Just that school is sometimes hard for
me, that’s all, I don’t have many friends in school and sometimes
I’m on my own.” I said while taking another bite.

“
It gets better, trust me when your
older school may seem a million miles away.”

“
Kate, why are you really
here?”

“
What do you mean?” Kate looked
bewildered.

I stared at her.

“
Fine,” she broke. “Your Dad is worried
about you Ellie. You’re behavior is scaring him.”

“
I didn’t know that.” Hearing Kate’s
confession made me feel guilty. The burger started to taste foul in
my mouth.

“
He told me, he found you on the floor
the other night. He thought you were dead.” Kate said. “You know
how he worries.”

I drank from my milkshake. The coldness
spiked throughout my head giving me bad brain freeze.

“
There’s nothing wrong with me. I’m
fine” I said as I rubbed my forehead.

“
I’m not saying there is, but if you
need to tell us anything you can, ok?” Kate said.

Did they think I was on drugs or something,
well who can blame them when they find me curled up on the floor
screaming.

“
Ok let’s change the subject, are there
any boys you like?” Kate asked.

It was relieved when Kate finally changed the
subject, but this was another subject I was no good at. “No not
really, I’m kinda’ invisible to them, but Becky’s the one that has
the attention.” I said.

“
Does it bother you?” she
asked.

For a moment I thought, it was a weird
question to ask. I was never really jealous of Becky, but
sometimes, I’d wish I had her confidence to just go for it but that
wasn’t me at all. I brushed off the self doubts and answered her
question.

“
No not really.” I answered.

I took the last handful of fries, dipped them
into the sauce and shoved them into my mouth. Kate handed me one of
the ice creams and I began to eat at it slowly.

Dad really brought in the big guns in with
Kate. He knew she could get me to talk. That’s kinda’ low for Dad,
but I could understand where he was coming from. I know he’s just
looking out for me. I’ll have to have a proper talk with him
soon.

Now it was my turn to question Kate. “So how
goes the dating then?” I asked.

“
Not good to be honest,” She replied.
“Looks like we’re in the same boat.” she laughed.

It was nice to hear Kate laugh for once. Kate
might put up a front of a strong woman that lets nothing gets to
her, but I do worry for her sometimes.

“
What about work?” I asked.

“
Yeah it’s fine, very busy I don’t have
time to sit down. There are more patients coming in everyday and
there’s talk about shutting down a ward as well, which people won’t
be happy about that.”

Kate works as a nurse at the local hospital.
She’s really good at her job, always there when someone needs help.
Some of the nurses at that hospital don’t give a crap. No bedside
manner at all.

I was having my appendix out at the
local hospital and I remember one of the nurses. She was a large
stumpy woman with a face that could scare any child. This
horrifying woman was having
difficulty finding a vain
in this poor woman’s arm. I could tell the woman was in pain but
the nurse did not care and told the poor woman to shut up. How can
any nurse act like that, it was horrible to watch. Luckily Kate was
on the same ward and saw how she was butchering this poor woman’s
arm and took over and she did it in seconds.

“
You finished?” Kate asked.

It took me a moment to finally respond to
her. I looked down and saw that I was just playing with the half
melted ice cream. I stared down into the creamy pot, as if it
contained an answer to all my problems. It didn’t.

“
Yeah, sorry.” I said as I passed her
the ice cream and the other rubbish to her. As I did our hands
touched and I felt my stomach turn. Fearing the worst, I knew what
would happen. I watched her face closely for the rapid change in
her personality, fearing the animalistic lust that I could inflict
onto people. A few seconds past, and nothing happened.

“
Are you going to let go?” Kate
asked.

I sat there with my hands gripped onto Kate’s
hands, nothing at all. Releasing my grip, I touched her upper arm.
Again I waited for her to change.

“
What are you doing?” Kate confusedly
asked.

I took my hands off Kate with surprise. “Just
seeing if you’re cold that’s all.” I lied.

Kate threw a puzzled look my way and left the
car. I watched her walk to the outside bin. What the hell? Had my
curse somehow disappeared? No, I don’t think it’s that easy. But it
works on others. Something wasn’t right here. Anyone who touched me
went crazy, but not her. Kate jumped back into the car and wiped
her hands with a napkin.

“
I think I overdid it.” She said while
rubbing her stomach.

Kate put the key into the car and it roared
to life. She pulled out of the car park and turned down the same
road we came from. The drive home was quite fast and not a word was
said.

I must have freaked Kate
out.
I thought.

She parked the car right outside the house, I
was about to get out the car when Kate tugged at my school blazer.
I turned to face her and she had a worried look on her face.

“
Please look after yourself and you’re
Dad.” She politely asked. Why was everyone freaking out over
me?

Kate brushed some hair from my forehead and
kissed it gently. The kiss was warm and loving.

We both stepped out of the car and entered
the house to see my Dad sitting on the sofa with what looked like a
hot cup of tea.

“
Did you have fun girls?” He
asked.

“
I think she did, Ellie did pig out
though.” laughed Kate.

“
Hey!” I said. Kate gave me a playful
nudge. “You’re the one who ordered the ice cream, not
me.”

“
Yeah, yeah. Anyway I’m off” she said
jingling her keys. Kate came over and gave me another kiss and a
big hug.

Before Kate left the house she turned and
gave me a wink and then she was gone.

“
So what did you girls talk about
then?” He asked.

I knew he was asking for me to spill all but
there was nothing to tell really. “I thought you would have waited
a while, before asking,” I said. “But nothing really, just girl
talk.”

I climbed the stairs and changed into my lazy
clothes. “Ah that’s feels better.” I said aloud.

I decided to join my Dad downstairs to watch
TV, he held out a freshly made hot cup of tea. Taking the mug off
him, I settled down in the comfy arm chair. Slowly I sipped the tea
hoping not to burn my mouth. Dad sat on the sofa next to me and we
both watched TV together. Nothing really good was on at the late
afternoon. I liked it when all the dramas came on at night, but
some of them were kinda’ gruesome. I took another sip and felt the
warmth soothing tea hit my stomach.