Only Broken

Secrets Beneath the Silence

Claire's POV

During breakfast, I try not to dwell on the thought that my parents might be hiding something important from me. But every time I glance up from my plate and catch their faces, I have to resist the strong urge to ask.

They look so normal—like there’s nothing at all weighing on them, nothing they need to discuss with me. Somehow, that annoys me a little, but I still don’t ask. They’ll probably tell me when the time is right. Besides, I don’t want them to know I was eavesdropping on their conversation.

“Will you be heading to town today?” I ask, already prepared to lay out my plan to join them.

“Yes, we will, sweetheart. Want to come along?” Dad smiles at me, his eyes still fixed on his laptop.

“I’d love that.” I return his smile and continue eating.

“That’s great, sweetheart, but it gets pretty cold around this time in this part of the country so wear an extra layer of clothing.” Mom smiles, though there’s a hint of concern in her eyes.

I glance down at my spaghetti-straps top and nod, fully agreeing with her.

After breakfast, I head up to my room. I rummaging through my closet for a jacket that will match my blue jeans and yellow top. I try on several before finally settling on the right one. Even then, I still find myself lingering in front of the mirror.

I can’t help but wonder—out there somewhere, is there a man or woman with the same hazel eyes and dark brown hair as mine? Are my biological parents still alive? Could they be living in this very town?

The thought crept into my mind last night as I lay in bed, struggling to fall asleep. I imagined my biological parents appearing out of nowhere, fighting for me, demanding to take me back. But I know better than to dream about that.

Don't get me wrong, but many children left at orphanages as babies were abandoned because their biological parents either didn’t want them or weren’t ready for the responsibility. I know I fall into that category, so I don’t expect strangers to suddenly show up, claiming to be my family. And if they did, I’m not sure I’d willingly accept them either.

I join my parents in the car and watch as the mansion gates fade into the distance. After a few minutes of driving through roads lined with trees on both sides, we finally arrive in town.

I suddenly sense a shift in the air around me—a warm, welcoming yet chilly sensation trickles down my spine. I brush it off as my nerves settling before taking a deep breath of the Blueville air.

I see only a few people on the street, a common characteristic of almost all small towns. As we drive through, I study the buildings and settlements we pass. They all look small and cozy compared to those in the city. I realize that the tallest building here is, at most, four stories high. This place is nothing like the city

Some people stare at our car as we pass, and I can only imagine what these small-town folks are thinking—probably something along the lines of, "Oh no, more city people." I chuckle at the thought, but before I can dwell on it, I catch Mom stealing a glance at me with a huge smile on her face.

Suddenly, a sweet aroma fills the air, making me almost want to stick my head out of the car. I inhale deeply, catching the scent of delicious food just as we pass a small diner.

"Hm, small-town burger." I say, grinning. My parents both turn to smile at me, which makes me chuckle. I can’t wait to try the food here.

Wow. Is this love at first sight or what? I honestly thought I was going to hate this place, but I guess I was wrong.

“We'll be visiting one of the project sites before lunch. Hope you're cool with that.“ Dad says, trying—and failing—to sound youthful.

I laugh out loud. "Yeah, Dad, I’m cool."

Mom just shakes her head, smiling at us.

Suddenly, we take a different route, once again surrounded by trees on both sides. I sigh and lean back in my seat, realizing there’s nothing interesting to look at anymore.

Out of nowhere, I suddenly hear the loud, heavy rush of running water. Curious, I lean forward between my parents' seats.

"Are we heading to a waterfall?" I ask and they both glance at me with surprise written all over their face.

"Yes, sweetheart how did you know that?" Mom asks looking curious and I slowly sit back in my seat.

"It's... I could feel the weather getting colder. That's why." I hug myself and glance at Mom, hoping she buys it—because, honestly, the air is a bit chilly.

"That's right Claire, we are heading to a waterfall. You've got some really sharp senses sweetheart. " Dad smiles at me through the rearview mirror and I smile back faintly holding myself tighter.

Yeah, some really sharp senses indeed.

I sigh again, hoping what I said won’t make them think back to all the other times I did or said something strange—just like now.

Times when I heard things I shouldn’t have been able to hear. Times when I smelled things no one else could. Times when I broke things no girl my age should have been able to break. Or the times when I healed from cuts far faster than any human should.

These things have been happening to me ever since I turned ten. It’s like all five of my senses are sharper than they should be. I can’t explain it, but I know—deep down—there’s something about me that isn’t normal.

Maybe that’s why I never had any friends at my old school in the city.

They probably thought I was just private and secretive, like my parents. But the truth is, I didn’t want them to think I was a freak. Even my parents don’t know—because I’m afraid of what they’d think. Especially since I’m not their biological daughter.

That’s right. I keep secrets too. Everyone does.