Shattered Novel – At birthday, Ethel got her stepfather’s gift – a letter in the wrapped box. Dear love, you have done a good job keeping our relationship a secret. I know today is your birthday, but that does not stop me from eating my cake tonight, so prepare from me tonight, it is going to be a memorable one. Love you baby. Reading quietly, she knew what he meant by eating his cake. What Rex had done to her in her room four years ago had left her in agony day and night. Now she was going to do what she had been planning to do all these years…..run away. She wore a thick red cardigan, a head warmer and hand glove, as she pushed open the window in her room, a scary thought crossed her mind.
Thelma has been swamped all day accounting for the house expenses that had increased ever since Logan was arrested. Her mind raced on how she could keep up with paying the house rent, Ethel’s school fees and the car expense too. She stared at her desk that was picked with books and crumpled papers and shook her head in frustration. The table was a mess, so is her life. “Mummy, why has daddy not come home since last week? He promised to play games with me.” Ethel, her only daughter who was nine said as she walked into the library where she was with er favorite doll clutched to her chest. “How many times have I told you not to ask me that question? Dad is never coming back okay?!” she yelled at her.
“But why?” Ethel who was startled by her mum’s reaction asked. “I want to know where my Dad is” “You want to know? Your Dad is rotting in jail!” she blurted out.“He is a murderer!” she yelled. “No! No… it’s not true!” she yelled back at her mum, tears welling up in her eyes. “He is! Get out! Get out of here!” she raged. Ethel ran out of the library, throwing her doll to the ground. “Ethel! I am sorry.” Thelma ran after her, regretting she said what she had said earlier. Ethel locked the door of her room before her mum could catch up with her. Thelma knocked gently hoping her daughter would open the door, when she was tired of knocking she sat on the floor resting her back on Ethel’s room door. She drew her knee up to her chest and placed her chin on her knee crying. She can’t continue to live this way. She has to think of something fast or else she will be out begging on the street. It wasn’t up to a year when Thelma met a very charming young man , Mr Rex Wilbur who was very wealthy.
They got married and she and her daughter moved in with him. Ethel hated it as her mom got married again. She didn’t want anyone to replace her father, not even her stepfather. “What did the doctor say?” Rex asked Thelma as they ate dinner. “Well…um” she cleared her throat and drank some water. “The doctor said she is growing well and healthy” she smiled as she placed a hand on her protruded belly. “Whoa! The baby is a she?” Rex exclaimed excited. “Yes” she smiled as he held her hand. “Ethel, what’s wrong? Why aren’t you eating?” Thelma noticed quiet Ethel who was lost in thought. “I am not hungry” her voice almost a whisper.
“Don’t tell me that. I made the sweetest chicken soup ever, c’mon try it” Rex said as he took her spoon and scooped from her plate some giving her to eat. She shook her head not wanting to eat. “Ethel eat! Don’t be a spoilt brat!” her mom chided her. She ate it reluctantly. “Isn’t it delicious?” Rex smiled proudly. “Yes” she muttered. It was the truth, Rex was a good cook. After they were done eating, she helped her mum clear the table and washed the plates and then went to her room where she found solace. She sat on her bed, gazing out the window into the dark blue sky, trying to connect the dots formed by the stars. This was the game she and her dad used to play every night while they lay down on the grass in their back yard. She smiled at the sweet memory as tears trickled down her cheeks. The knock came again this time louder and then the door opened. “You’re crying. Would you like to tell me something?” he said as he sat on the edge of her bed.
She didn’t answer him, she just wanted him out of her room, she wanted to be alone. “Why aren’t you answering? Tell me, have I offended you? What’s wrong, Ethel?” he sighed deeply, he ran his hand through her silky blonde hair and smiled “You have a beautiful hair.” he said hoping she will smile or talk to him. “Just leave me alone!” she spoke rudely to him. “I see now. I now know why your mama calls you a spoilt brat. Don’t worry I’ll teach you how to behave.” he got up abruptly from the bed and went to lock the door. Ethel jumped out of her bed afraid of what he was going to do to her. He grabbed her hand and pulled her pushing her to the bed. She tried all she could to escape but he was more stronger than her. He raped her and threatened her not to tell a single soul, including her mom and he left her weeping in her room. – Ethel’s couldn’t focus in class, the incident of what happened last night kept on playing in her mind. She felt a tap on her shoulder from behind and then looked behind her, it was her best friend Sylvia Stevens. “Miss Sebastian said you should stand up” Sylvia told her. “Oh!” she rolled her eyes standing up abruptly. “Ethel Clifford! See me in my office after this class”
Miss Sebastian said. Shrugging her shoulders, she started at her blank English notebook in which she hasn’t written anything. “Show me today’s note” Miss Sebastian said to Ethel who was seated in her office. “It is not complete ma’am” Ethel told her. “Why is it not complete? Tell me and you were not paying attention in today’s class. Ethel look at me. If there’s anything bothering you, you can tell me, okay?” “o… kay” she smiled bleakly looking at her kind-hearted teacher. “You may go. One more thing” Miss Sebastian quickly tore a paper from a note book and scribbled her phone number and house address and gave it to Ethel. “Thanks.” Ethel said as she took it and tucked it in the pocket of her cardigan. She left Miss Sebastian office shutting the door behind her. FOUR YEARS LATER “♪♫Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you Happy birthday to you, Ethel Happy birthday to you ♪♫” her Mum, Dad and her baby sister sang. “Hip! Hip! Hip!” Rex shouted in excitement. “Hurray!” They all chorused.
“Thank you.”Ethel smiled shyly. She blew out the light on the thirteen candlestick on her big round cake and made a wish, a wish only known to her, that one day, she will be free and have the chance to see her father again. Her birthday was celebrated with only here Mom, Rex and her baby sister, Eleanor. They gave her gifts and the night ended with eating of the homemade dishes. After the party ended, Ethel went to her room, she ripped open the wrappers of the gifts given to her. She was too impatient to wait till tomorrow. Eleanor’s gift was a birthday card and a white teddy bear, her mom’s gift was a cellphone and a dress…… Rex’s gift was the last one she opened, she saw a white paper in the box he wrapped. She rolled open the paper, it was sprayed red with spray paint and something was written on it with a black marker. It read: ༼Dear love, you have done a good job keeping our relationship a secret. I know today is your birthday, but that does not stop me from eating my cake tonight, so prepare from me tonight, it is going to be a memorable one. Love you baby.༽ Ethel read quietly, a single rose was attached to the letter. Not today again, she knew what he meant by eating his cake .
She kept the letter and the rose in the drawer under her bed, she immediately changed out of her birthday dress to her pyjamas, she didn’t bother to shower, she packed her blonde hair into a ponytail. She was going to do what she had been planning to do all these years…..run away. She wore a thick red cardigan, a head warmer and hand glove, as she pushed open the window in her room, a scary thought crossed her mind, it was already dark. Vampires and Zombies move at night, don’t they? She will risk it, if she got caught and perhaps eaten by them, good, at least she will be free from the vampire that lives with her, in the house– Rex but, if otherwise, awesome! The police ransacked Rex’s home in search of Ethel. Thelma couldn’t believe it when Rex told her that Ethel was missing during the early hours of the morning. As soon as he told her she immediately contacted the police and signed a missing persons report. She paced around in Ethel’s room trying to figure out why her teenage daughter was kidnapped. She walked to the window opening the draperies, the window was open and she found something intriguing on the window sill– dried blood.
Could it be that she was injured by the kidnapper before the kidnapper escaped with her through window or was she raped? “No! No!” she closed her eyes tight trying to shake off the horrible thought that crossed her mind. She took out her phone and snapped the dried blood stain on the window sill and went out of the room. “Mrs Wilbur, we have searched the entire neighbourhood yet we didn’t see any trace of her but I assure you we will not rest until we find her.” The criminal investigators said. “Thank you,” she smiled bleakly “I have something to show you.” she said switching on her phone to show him the picture the had taken. “Hmm” he sighed. “The forensics saw that too. They’ve gotten fingerprints and DNA. If you find anything strange please don’t hesitate to call us, okay? ” he said to her patting her shoulder. “I will” she said as she walked him to the door, shutting it behind her. She plodded to the sofa and slumped into it.
“Thelma,” Rex said as he opened the door walking into the house. “Are you okay?” he asked her as he walked to the sofa raising her head from the arm rest and sitting there, he placed her head carefully on his laps stroking her hair. “You know I am not.” she sniffed. “Why are you sulking over spilt milk? I spoke to Detective Zachary, he said either she was kidnapped o she ran away.” “My daughter will never run away unless something is wrong!” she sat up, yelling. “What if she actually did?” “I know my daughter Rex,” she sobbed “She wouldn’t run away from me” she covered her face with her palm placing her elbows on her lap. “Maybe someone made her run away.” Rex shrugged his shoulder. “Who would let her escape? Could it be you?” After hearing what her husband said, Selma suddenly thought of something and roared at him.