Broken Beyond Repair - Chapter 1
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"It's been two years to date, since the baffling disappearance of 15 year-old Jessica Krowse. She was last seen outside Maple Falls High School, on the morning of March 2nd in 2009," announced the news reporter on the local news. Another innocent person taken from our streets, I thought to myself. I couldn't help but be curious to wonder if she was really still alive. Maybe she had been cooped up in some garage or basement, and she had no way of escaping. Or maybe she was brainwashed to the point where she didn't know who she was or where she was. I felt sadness and pain as I thought about this mysterious girl, Jessica Krowse.
My thoughts vanished quickly as I heard muffled voice coming from the other side of the front door to my house. Then the door quickly unlocked, so I flicked off the TV, not-so-quietly ran to my room.
"Jason, when should I tell everyone to come?" I heard a voice yell. A guy of course, no girl would yell like that, knowing the person they were talking to, was only 5 feet away from them. "Nine!" I heard my brother, Jason, respond as he rummaged through stuff, making a lot of noise. I peaked out the cracked of my door and down the hall, only to see Jason looking through the liquor cabinet. "Of course, another fucked up party at the Jones' household," I whispered under my breath.
Jason just turned 21 last month. There was no big celebration, or even a cake for that matter, at least not with his family. Our family has been pretty distant ever since our dad passed away three years ago. His life was taken when he was struck by a heart attack at an age much too young. He was so full of life, and kept our family together. After that dreadful day, we were all silent. Jason, my mom, nor me spoke. Nobody knew what to say. We were all much too devastated. And with that my mom focused on her career, which meant long working hours and many business trips, and Jason... well he began hanging around the wrong crowd. I, on the other hand, put my time into community service work.
I never had many friends growing up, because of where I live. I'm not a fan of the stuck-up rich kids that I'm constantly surrounded by. I never understood their way of life, and so I decided I would be content doing my own thing. I've always spent my time working with underprivileged children of our community, but now more than ever. There is something about the way they look at you that is so appealing. When you see children with absolutely nothing, and yet they still have a glimmer of hope in their eyes. They're so grateful, happy, and full of life, but many people I know, wouldn't give them the time of day. Except my dad of course, he always told me, 'Even when you think you have nothing, someone has less'. I will always remember those words, and for that, I help those less fortunate.
I closed my door quietly, and went to lie down on my bed. I sunk into my mattress and laid there for a minute, before hearing my brother and his friends talking loudly. I put in my headphones and turned my music up loud, until I couldn't hear them anymore. I couldn't bear to listen to my brother talk about how drunk he was going to get tonight, and who he was going to hook up with. I rolled over and saw my alarm clock. 4:22 it read. Dinner was served at 6 pm down at the shelter. After about 25 minutes, I got up and pulled a sweater over my head. I chose a thick pullover, to keep me warm, that read "USC". I have never been to California, nor to that university, but it was always my dream school. I flipped open my laptop to check the weather. "Awesome. No rain tonight," I said to myself. With that I left my room, and walked quietly down the hall and passed the kitchen, where I saw my brother and 5 of his friends. All guys. Luckily none of them saw me, so I was able to leave without having to speak with any of them.
I hopped on the bus, which was only a 5 minute walk from my house. My mom hated when I took the bus, so she bought me a car. Some fancy car that I don't even know the name of. But I hated driving, and I also hated showing up at the shelter with a fancy car, when the people there have barely enough to survive. I felt weird. I rode the bus for about 20 minutes until I arrived. I smiled politely at the driver as I walked off the bus. I recognized the driver since I come down this way often. He looks a little rough around the edges with his brown shaggy hair and stubble on his face, but he's a real gentlemen.
I walked up to the shelter with my head down and my hood pulled over to cover my ears from the chill. Most of the time, there are many people waiting around the shelter, but I hadn't noticed that no one was. When I got to the door, I tried to open it, but it was locked. I looked up and saw a hand-written note taped to the door. 'SHELTER CLOSED DUE TO POWER OUTAGE', it read. I was a little disappointed when I read this - so many would go without food tonight.
So I headed back to the bus and waited there for quite sometime before the bus arrived, however this bus was not the bus that took me back home. This was a different bus, and the closest stop to my house was about a 20 minute walk. When the bus slowed and began to pull over, I waved him past indicating I was waiting for another bus. The bus pulled over anyway and the doors opened. "Get in! The other bus isn't running due to the power outage," the bus driver yelled in order to be heard over the engine. I quickly got onto the bus taking the bus drivers advice. The other bus was a trolley bus and ran on electricity, so it was this bus or I walk the whole way.
I wasn't too excited to have to walk all that way, until I remembered my brother was having a party. Then I wished the walk would last all night. When my mother was away on her business trips, Jason always threw parties. My mother was never happy when she got home and always gave Jason shit about it. She would never say anything to mean, but you could always tell by the way she spoke, that she thought Jason was a failure. Jason and I weren't close after my dad's death, but I could always see the hurt in his eyes when I saw my mother speak to him. It made me feel the need to stand up for him in a way, even though he was doing stupid things. I always wonder if Jason would quit doing these stupid things if my mom actually paid attention to him, or lived at home. And by lived, I mean staying at home for longer than 8 hours while she's sleeping. Maybe if we all put in effort, we would be able to become a family again. I pondered this for a moment, until my thoughts were interrupted by the bus driver. "Ma'am, is this your stop or am I stopped here waiting for nothing?" He asked, in a somewhat irritated tone. I apologized and quickly rushed off the bus.
I finally reached my driveway, and I could already hear the music blaring. I reached in my pocket and pulled out my phone, "It's only 6:45." I said to myself. I was hoping I would have gotten home before people were here, then I wouldn't have to pass through them to get to my bedroom. I saw a couple of people scattered on the front lawn. One stumbled over and began giggling uncontrollably. "What do you think, drunk or high?" I bet with myself. I kept walking, and debated with myself if it would be easier to go through the back door or the front door. I chose the back door, since we don't use it as often. As I came around the back of the house, I saw two dark figures. One tall and filled out, the other was still tall, yet very thin. Probably just a couple getting some air, I thought to myself and kept heading for the door. As I neared the door, the emergency sensor light flicked on. I was a bit shocked when I only saw a guy, figuring that the other shadow was a tree. I noticed he was staring directly at me, so I looked away nervously and slipped inside. I made my way to my bedroom, put on some comfy clothes and jumped into bed. I turned out the lights and put in my headphones.
I was slowly drifting off to the sound of the music, when I heard a loud knock. I pulled out my headphones and sat up for a minute looking strangely at my bedroom door. I heard the knock again, so I loudly said, "Don't come in!" I wasn't in the mood for some drunk person to come stumbling into my room. The door swung open anyway, and a tall guy stepped into my room. I couldn't see who it was since my lights were out, and I didn't think anything of it, until he closed my door and locked it.
My thoughts vanished quickly as I heard muffled voice coming from the other side of the front door to my house. Then the door quickly unlocked, so I flicked off the TV, not-so-quietly ran to my room.
"Jason, when should I tell everyone to come?" I heard a voice yell. A guy of course, no girl would yell like that, knowing the person they were talking to, was only 5 feet away from them. "Nine!" I heard my brother, Jason, respond as he rummaged through stuff, making a lot of noise. I peaked out the cracked of my door and down the hall, only to see Jason looking through the liquor cabinet. "Of course, another fucked up party at the Jones' household," I whispered under my breath.
Jason just turned 21 last month. There was no big celebration, or even a cake for that matter, at least not with his family. Our family has been pretty distant ever since our dad passed away three years ago. His life was taken when he was struck by a heart attack at an age much too young. He was so full of life, and kept our family together. After that dreadful day, we were all silent. Jason, my mom, nor me spoke. Nobody knew what to say. We were all much too devastated. And with that my mom focused on her career, which meant long working hours and many business trips, and Jason... well he began hanging around the wrong crowd. I, on the other hand, put my time into community service work.
I never had many friends growing up, because of where I live. I'm not a fan of the stuck-up rich kids that I'm constantly surrounded by. I never understood their way of life, and so I decided I would be content doing my own thing. I've always spent my time working with underprivileged children of our community, but now more than ever. There is something about the way they look at you that is so appealing. When you see children with absolutely nothing, and yet they still have a glimmer of hope in their eyes. They're so grateful, happy, and full of life, but many people I know, wouldn't give them the time of day. Except my dad of course, he always told me, 'Even when you think you have nothing, someone has less'. I will always remember those words, and for that, I help those less fortunate.
I closed my door quietly, and went to lie down on my bed. I sunk into my mattress and laid there for a minute, before hearing my brother and his friends talking loudly. I put in my headphones and turned my music up loud, until I couldn't hear them anymore. I couldn't bear to listen to my brother talk about how drunk he was going to get tonight, and who he was going to hook up with. I rolled over and saw my alarm clock. 4:22 it read. Dinner was served at 6 pm down at the shelter. After about 25 minutes, I got up and pulled a sweater over my head. I chose a thick pullover, to keep me warm, that read "USC". I have never been to California, nor to that university, but it was always my dream school. I flipped open my laptop to check the weather. "Awesome. No rain tonight," I said to myself. With that I left my room, and walked quietly down the hall and passed the kitchen, where I saw my brother and 5 of his friends. All guys. Luckily none of them saw me, so I was able to leave without having to speak with any of them.
I hopped on the bus, which was only a 5 minute walk from my house. My mom hated when I took the bus, so she bought me a car. Some fancy car that I don't even know the name of. But I hated driving, and I also hated showing up at the shelter with a fancy car, when the people there have barely enough to survive. I felt weird. I rode the bus for about 20 minutes until I arrived. I smiled politely at the driver as I walked off the bus. I recognized the driver since I come down this way often. He looks a little rough around the edges with his brown shaggy hair and stubble on his face, but he's a real gentlemen.
I walked up to the shelter with my head down and my hood pulled over to cover my ears from the chill. Most of the time, there are many people waiting around the shelter, but I hadn't noticed that no one was. When I got to the door, I tried to open it, but it was locked. I looked up and saw a hand-written note taped to the door. 'SHELTER CLOSED DUE TO POWER OUTAGE', it read. I was a little disappointed when I read this - so many would go without food tonight.
So I headed back to the bus and waited there for quite sometime before the bus arrived, however this bus was not the bus that took me back home. This was a different bus, and the closest stop to my house was about a 20 minute walk. When the bus slowed and began to pull over, I waved him past indicating I was waiting for another bus. The bus pulled over anyway and the doors opened. "Get in! The other bus isn't running due to the power outage," the bus driver yelled in order to be heard over the engine. I quickly got onto the bus taking the bus drivers advice. The other bus was a trolley bus and ran on electricity, so it was this bus or I walk the whole way.
I wasn't too excited to have to walk all that way, until I remembered my brother was having a party. Then I wished the walk would last all night. When my mother was away on her business trips, Jason always threw parties. My mother was never happy when she got home and always gave Jason shit about it. She would never say anything to mean, but you could always tell by the way she spoke, that she thought Jason was a failure. Jason and I weren't close after my dad's death, but I could always see the hurt in his eyes when I saw my mother speak to him. It made me feel the need to stand up for him in a way, even though he was doing stupid things. I always wonder if Jason would quit doing these stupid things if my mom actually paid attention to him, or lived at home. And by lived, I mean staying at home for longer than 8 hours while she's sleeping. Maybe if we all put in effort, we would be able to become a family again. I pondered this for a moment, until my thoughts were interrupted by the bus driver. "Ma'am, is this your stop or am I stopped here waiting for nothing?" He asked, in a somewhat irritated tone. I apologized and quickly rushed off the bus.
I finally reached my driveway, and I could already hear the music blaring. I reached in my pocket and pulled out my phone, "It's only 6:45." I said to myself. I was hoping I would have gotten home before people were here, then I wouldn't have to pass through them to get to my bedroom. I saw a couple of people scattered on the front lawn. One stumbled over and began giggling uncontrollably. "What do you think, drunk or high?" I bet with myself. I kept walking, and debated with myself if it would be easier to go through the back door or the front door. I chose the back door, since we don't use it as often. As I came around the back of the house, I saw two dark figures. One tall and filled out, the other was still tall, yet very thin. Probably just a couple getting some air, I thought to myself and kept heading for the door. As I neared the door, the emergency sensor light flicked on. I was a bit shocked when I only saw a guy, figuring that the other shadow was a tree. I noticed he was staring directly at me, so I looked away nervously and slipped inside. I made my way to my bedroom, put on some comfy clothes and jumped into bed. I turned out the lights and put in my headphones.
I was slowly drifting off to the sound of the music, when I heard a loud knock. I pulled out my headphones and sat up for a minute looking strangely at my bedroom door. I heard the knock again, so I loudly said, "Don't come in!" I wasn't in the mood for some drunk person to come stumbling into my room. The door swung open anyway, and a tall guy stepped into my room. I couldn't see who it was since my lights were out, and I didn't think anything of it, until he closed my door and locked it.
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