Broken Silence Read online

  Copyright notice

  Copyright © 2018 Jarica Riley.

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in book reviews.

  Any references to historical events, real people, or real places are used fictitiously. Names, characters, and places are products of the author’s imagination.

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  Author’s note

  Thank you for reading my book! I would appreciate you taking the time to review after reading. If you find any errors please feel free to email me at [email protected] It was a pleasure writing for you and I hope you enjoy Charlie’s story!

  Prologue

  “Hurry up, Charlie!” My best friend Elizabeth hissed up at me. She was waiting for me in the grass under my window. I slowly slid open my window and threw down my small backpack. I chuckled to myself as I heard Lizzy curse at me. I made quick work of using the tree that grew close to my window to climb down to the ground. If my parents were smart they would cut the limbs further away.

  “Let’s do this!” I whispered as we quickly made our way down the block to her car. She parked at the end of the street so I wouldn’t get caught. My parents were fairly laid back, but they wouldn’t be happy if they knew I snuck out every weekend. I had the perfect disguise. Everyone saw me as the smart and quiet girl, so they wouldn’t suspect that I wasn’t afraid to sneak out too.

  “This is going to be a huge party. Evan’s parents are out of town and the entire school is going to be there. Well anyone who cares enough about their reputation will be.” She quickly checked her makeup at the stop sign, before driving away.

  “You look perfect, Lizzy. Quit fussing with it.” I said with an eye roll. Lizzy had been my best friend for years and was a natural beauty. She had perfect straight brown hair and bright blue eyes. She was athletic, but girly. Essentially she was every high school boy’s dream. I was her plain best friend that didn’t know how to properly do her makeup and was part of the drama club. Musicals were my passion. Singing was one of those things that just instantly calmed me. I hoped to be on Broadway one day.

  Lizzy parked two blocks away from the party, in the only spot we could find. I was thankful for my converse while Lizzy tapped away in her heels. Lizzy always wanted to attend and make a name for herself at our high school. She was a sophomore and I was a freshman, so I guess it was lucky we were invited at all. My job was essentially to make sure she made it home safe. Starbrooke was hardly dangerous, but a drunk girl should never be alone to drive or party.

  Two hours into the party and I was more then ready to go home. I didn’t feel like drinking and at this point in the night I was practically the only sober one here. I went off to find Lizzy and convince her I needed to get back. I finally found her flirting with one of the jocks in the kitchen, with a beer in her hand.

  “Hey Lizzy, you ready to go?” I asked gently, not trying to be rude.

  “Not yet, but here are my keys, you can drive my car home. I’m going to stay the night with Stephany, she lives next door.” She was slurring. I didn’t want to leave her, but I wasn’t hanging around for hours. I went off to find her friend to make sure she was really staying the night. Once I knew Lizzy was in good hands I slipped out and walked back to the car.

  Driving home this late, I was hoping I didn’t run into any cops. I was way to young to be driving around at nearly midnight, especially in a town this small. I made it home and parked in the same spot she parked in earlier today.

  I made the walk back to the house. I noticed the living room light was on and cursed. That meant dad couldn’t sleep again or had more work to do. Hopefully he didn’t check on me. Our walls weren’t exactly soundproof either, I would have to be super quiet. At least I was practiced at this. Having a best friend like Lizzy, meant sneaking out to do things. My mom thought that high school girls shouldn’t stay out past nine, even on weekends, so if I didn’t sneak out I would never be able to do anything with Lizzy. Her parents were always gone, so she pretty much did whatever she wanted.

  I quietly climbed the tree, then slipped in my bedroom window. I was walking as silently as possible to my bed when I heard a bang downstairs. I looked over and noticed my door was cracked. That wasn’t good, that meant they knew I wasn’t home. I walked to the door and figured I better face the music now.

  As I reached the door I heard a scream. My heart started pounding in my chest. Why was mom screaming? I listened intently and heard more banging and yelling.

  “I checked upstairs, one of the kids isn’t home. The room was empty, but this one was in bed.” The man’s voice was harsh and rugged, and one I didn’t recognize.

  “I guess that kid gets off lucky. The rest of you, not so much.” Another voice threatened and I heard my mom sob. I heard muffled talking that must have meant their mouths were gagged. I tried to stay silent as I searched for my phone. I quickly dialed the police and barely whispered my address and that someone was hurting my family. I was to scared to talk louder.

  “Shut up and stop crying! It won’t help you!” The first man yelled, followed by a smack. I closed my eyes and silently slid into my open closet. I pressed myself behind my dresses and prayed. I chanted that help was coming, over and over again.

  The gunshots were so loud that I almost screamed. Three gunshots and my heart stopped. No. This can’t be real. Things like this only happened in movies. My family was fine. They weren’t hurt or worse. The tears were flowing down my cheeks and I held back the sobs that threatened to break through.

  “Go upstairs and look for the other kid one more time. We need this job done right.” The first man barked at the second. I panicked and held my breath. I buried myself as far back in the closet as I could. I reached over and picked up my old softball bat. I listened as closely as I could, but couldn’t hear his footsteps. A few seconds later my door flew open and smacked against the wall. I heard my room being destroyed as he flipped my bed over and searched around. I prayed the police would hurry. I heard the closet door slide open with a bang. I didn’t dare breathe or move.

  “There you are, sneaky girl.” The surly man rasped as he reached in and grabbed me by my hair, pulling me out of the closet. I yelped at the pain. He slammed the fist holding the gun into my throat to stop me from yelling. The pain was excruciating and all I could do was whimper as I tried to drag in a full breath.

  “I hear sirens! Go! Our job is done!” I heard the man yell from downstairs. The man holding me cursed and let go. I heard the sirens approaching and he visibly panicked, starting to run. He turned around and fired a few shots towards me and ran. I felt a burning in my side, but barely registered it through all of the adrenaline coursing through me.

  I heard the sound of his feet pounding through the house and the bang of the front door. It was now completely silent in the house, I couldn’t even hear the muffled screams of my family anymore. I pulled myself up off the floor and ran as quickly as my body would allow. I went to the window first and I could see two figures hop in a car and drive away just as the red and blue lights came down the street. I flew down the stairs to make sure my family was alright.

  A blood curdling scream tore through my house. I didn’t even register that it was coming from me. My entire mind went numb as I continued screaming. The image of my parents and older brother slumped over at the table was burned into my very soul.

  The front door banged open as officers came running inside. I was still screaming as the dragged me outside and over to the waiting ambulance.

  Chapter 1r />
  Two years later.

  “What’s wrong Charlotte? Nothing to say?” I heard someone say as I made my way down the hallway. I dodged a shoulder bump from another student and stared at the floor. I refused to give them the satisfaction of seeing the emotion on my face. I was slowly becoming a statue. Emotionless. Silent. Mostly invisible.

  The truth was I had shut off my emotions long ago, refusing to feel anything. I also haven’t said a single word to anyone in almost two years. I no longer felt the need to fit in or care. Making new friends meant I could lose them. I didn’t want anyone in my life I cared about since I lost my family.

  My voice was supposed to come back within six weeks after the damage the man did to my vocal chords and esophagus. Once it was healed the doctors and even therapists tried everything to get me to talk. I’m sure I could have tried, but I didn’t see the point. Talking wouldn’t bring my family back and I couldn’t find the will to try.

  My teachers wrote me off as mute and I was no longer called on in class. I kept my grades up and did what was asked of me. My foster parents and adults didn’t really try with me anymore. I was grateful as long as they stopped trying to send me to psychiatrists. The one the court ordered me to see said it was a coping mechanism. He was mostly right. He predicted I would talk again in a few weeks after I processed it. Stating, it was just my way of pushing the world away.

  The police investigated for over a year and never found any leads. My dad was a scientist and my mom was a teacher with no known enemies. It was essentially ruled a random burglary. I told the police that they mentioned it was a job, but it didn’t help. I was the traumatized victim and must have heard wrong. They didn’t take me seriously, saying that my memory was affected by my intense grief. After the funeral their stuff was packed away and put into a storage facility paid for out of my trust account. I didn’t have access to the money until I was eighteen, but it went into a trust account that only state approved charges could come out of.

  Almost a year after their murder, I was approached by a man I didn’t recognize. As soon as he dragged me into a nearby alley I knew what he was there for. I tried to use my voice to call for help, but it barely rasped out. Once he realized I couldn’t yell a sadistic smile spread across his face. “You are better off not talking, but count yourself lucky. Those idiots thought they killed you until we found out they closed the case on their murder. Keep your mouth shut. I would hate to have to come back and finish their job. Enjoy my mercy today.” He threatened in a low menacing voice that now haunted my dreams. Ever since that day I withdrew into myself even more. I knew he would act, so I never told the detectives and shut down in my therapy sessions.

  Today would thankfully be my last day at this school. The psychologist ruled that I would be better off with a change of scenery, since they tried everything else. So I was being moved to a foster family two hours away. I didn’t care. It wasn’t going to change my mind. I’m sure the social workers had explained to my new temporary family that I was a mute. My belongings were already packed up in two suitcases and ready to go when I got home. Today was to give me a chance to turn in my books and say goodbye if I wanted. I didn’t want to say goodbye to anyone here.

  As I made my way to the doors of the school, Lizzy was waiting. She walked up and stopped me. “I heard today was your last day. I hope the move helps you. Stay strong. I still love you Charlie.” I nodded at her and gave a small dead smile. She had tears on her face and turned to walk away. Lizzy tried so hard in the beginning to bring me back, but she gave up when I wouldn’t speak to her. If I pushed her away, then her broken best friend couldn’t bring her down so it was probably for the best.

  I made my way to the front of the school where my social worker was waiting. Danielle was a nice woman who always talked to me like I was a human. Most people talked around me when I refused to speak. She wasn’t one of them. She was the only adult in my life who respected me enough.

  “Ready to go, Charlotte? I really think you will like this change. Your foster family is just one woman. She is a lawyer who works from home most days. She only has to go on court dates, so she will be more available for you. Your new town is quite a bit bigger than Starbrooke. Arcadia Hills will be a great change for you.” She gave me the news in her usual cheerful voice as she ushered me into the car.

  I tuned her out as we got into the car. The drive was hardly silent. She continued talking to me the entire way. The beauty of not speaking and her not expecting me to was that I could listen or not and she would be none the wiser. I just gave the occasional head nod.

  Two hours later we pulled up to a large two story home. It was beautiful, with a perfectly manicured lawn. I guess lawyers made pretty decent money. At least she would be a busy woman so she wouldn’t feel the need to bug me all of the time. My last foster parents were constantly talking to me, like that would suddenly fix me.

  The front door opened and a middle aged woman in business attire stepped out. She had long blonde hair pulled up in a pony tail. She had to be almost six feet tall and seemed graceful when she walked. She wasn’t overly pretty but had a subtle beauty and kind eyes.

  “You must be Charlotte. I’m glad you’re here.” Her soft voice caught me off guard. I expected a loud or severe voice from a lawyer. “I’ll show you to your room. We can order you some clothes or anything else you need online so that you have everything you need for school and here. Come on in. I’m happy you are here.” She said sincerely, with a small smile. I appreciated she wasn’t trying to be overly upbeat for me.

  She took one of my suitcases and led me inside. I followed her through the house as Danielle trialed behind us.

  The house was amazing. She went for a bright and open feel. The windows were all open and the walls were a soft gray. The furniture varied in whites and grays. There was the occasional pop of color, but it was subtle and bright. I actually really liked the look.

  She led us up the stairs to the second floor. “Your room is at the very end of the hall. You will have your own bathroom. My bedroom is downstairs if you ever need me at night. The other two rooms are spare rooms. I don’t use them very often since my bedroom and office are both downstairs. I know you don’t speak, so I have a cell phone for you here and you can text me anytime if you need anything. I’m the only contact in there. I also do most of my grocery shopping and clothes shopping online, so if you ever want anything, don’t be afraid to add it. I put a notepad in the kitchen to add things you might need.” She opened the door to my room and ushered me inside.

  “What a beautiful room, Charlotte!” Daniel exclaimed. She wasn’t wrong. It was bigger than any room I had ever called my own. It had white walls, which were currently bare. The full size bed had a fluffy teal comforter. The furniture was all black and white. The desk had a sleek black computer and printer on it. There was a stack of school supplies and a brand new backpack on top of it.

  “I’ll let you get settled in and unpack. Can you come down for dinner at seven and we can order you a few things then. I’m Sophia, remember to text if you need anything.” She gave me a sweet smile and left me standing in my room. Danielle followed her down after a quick goodbye.

  I sat on the bed for a few minutes, processing everything. I pulled out my new cell phone. I noticed Sophia’s number but I didn’t have anyone else to add, so I left it at that. I downloaded a few apps I enjoyed, before setting it aside. I pulled out my small supply of clothes and personal items. The only belongings I kept with me other than clothes was a family photo and a bracelet mom gave me on the last birthday I had with her. I never took it off.

  I set my photo on the nightstand and went to the closet to put my clothes away. The closet was nearly half of the size of my room. I wouldn’t be able to fill it if I tried. This would be a huge change over the crowded house and tiny room that was my previous foster home.

  After running out of things to check out I downloaded an ebook app and proceeded to download a few of the books I boug
ht on my old tablet. I read to calm down my mind before joining Sophia for what I’m sure would be another awkward dinner.

  Around seven I made my way slowly through the house. I assumed the kitchen was further down the main hall. I walked into the kitchen but didn’t see Sophia or a table. I walked through the archway to my right and found a huge dining room. Like the rest of the house the kitchen and dining room were also bright and open. The table in her dining room was huge, it seemed so wasteful for a single woman, but who was I to judge. Maybe she had guests over a lot.

  I turned as I heard footsteps coming down the hall behind me. I took a seat and turned to face Sophia. She walked in with quite a few Chinese takeout boxes. It was one of my favorites so I definitely wasn’t complaining. I gave her a big smile to show my thanks.

  “I hope everything was ok upstairs?” She asked in that soft voice of hers. It almost had a calming quality to it. I nodded and gave her a small smile. “I hope you don’t mind, but I took the liberty of doing a few things. So after I grab some plates we can go over rules and get you some clothes.” She hurried into the other room and returned with plates and glasses and a pitcher of water. I helped her set the dishes down before they dropped. And she gave me a grateful grin.