Read a free excerpt of Broken: The Salvation Series Book #1 by J.D. Wilson
Chapter 1
Cheryl sat in church on another Friday evening as the
reverend taught about Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount and what it means. Her aunt
and uncle always took her to church and Cheryl just buried her head in the
bible as if she were religious.
Cheryl never read a word of the
Bible though and would never listen to anything the church leader had to say.
She pretended to listen, but was really occupied with other things-like what
she was going to wear tomorrow and whether she should wear sandals or
flip-flops with the outfit she picked out in her head. The truth was she didn’t
trust church leaders, especially anyone who called themselves a pastor.
Although she knew that it was a cult
she was under as a child, Cheryl could not bring herself to trust a leader,
much less a God.
Her aunt and uncle had church
leaders over many Sundays and Cheryl always found a way to get out of having
dinner with them by always sleeping over her friend Khali’s house. Those were
the only days she believed there was a God.
Cheryl accepted Christ into her
heart a month after living with her aunt and uncle, but only because her aunt
said it was the right thing to do. That was nine years ago and since then
Cheryl learned to smile when necessary and say amen when appropriate.
Cheryl started rubbing her head
because of the exploding pain in her temples. For the last hour she’s had her
head down pretending to focus on the bible that was in front of her. She could
never focus in church, not tonight, not ever.
She would just sit there each time
waiting for the service to be over.
She looked over at her aunt who was
nodding her head, agreeing with the reverend. Cheryl put her head back down and
pretended to study the Bible in front of her.
Finally, when her headache got
really strong, she whispered to her aunt that she wasn’t feeling well and that
she’d call one of her friends to drive her home. She didn’t want to disappoint
her aunt by leaving early, but she had a headache since lunch at school. Her
head pains were also an excuse enough to get away. Cheryl would normally stay
in the service for her aunt, but she didn’t want to. Her aunt was deeply
religious and believed every word in the bible. When the reverend told everyone
to turn to a scripture Cheryl excused herself, as if she was going to the
ladies room, and headed for the hallway.
Cheryl felt relived as soon as she
stepped into the hallway.
Mrs. Bower came out of the church
office and saw Cheryl.
“How are you doing Ms. Cheryl?” Mrs.
Bower had a wide smile and wore glasses that were way too big for her face.
“Ok, I guess.” Cheryl answered in
like manner.
“Are you leaving early?”
“Yes. I got a headache while I was
in there. I think it’s too hot in there or something.”
“Well, I could turn the air up.”
“No. That’s ok, I’ll just leave
early.”
“Well before you go, I wanted to ask
you if you would be willing to take on the Youth Minister position.”
“Youth Minister? I don’t-”
“It’s a fascinating job and I always
see you studying the bible so you’re the perfect choice for the position.”
“I just don’t think-”
“Crystal will be leaving us in
July,” continued Mrs. Bower ignoring Cheryl’s decline. “You would have plenty
of time to think about it.” When she was done talking, Mrs. Bower then stood
there smiling waiting for Cheryl to say something.
“I’ll…think about it,” Cheryl said
halfheartedly.
“Oh, praise the Lord. And the Lord
will bless you, you know.”
Cheryl smiled as she saw Mrs. Bower
walk through the door she just came from.
Continuing her journey, Cheryl
bypassed the ladies room and went out the side doors. She took her phone out of
her pocket and called Khali, one of the few true friends she’s made since
moving to Chest Shire Falls. Khali was such a good friend by agreeing to pick
her up and Cheryl would do the same for Khali in a heartbeat, if she had a car
of course. Closing her phone she rubbed her head again. “Headache: Go Away,”
she ordered the pain in her head.
She started walking in hopes the
ache in her head would go away.
Looking ahead she saw how beautiful
the church ground was. The lawn had been mowed the day before and the church
gates were freshly painted. But Cheryl was not one impressed by the outside
appearance of things. Yeah, the church was beautiful, just like the old church
she attended growing up.
She winced at the memory of her
childhood church. If only people knew what was going on inside that church,
then maybe they would have seen that the radiance of that church was only a
visage.
Cheryl stopped and waited by the
church steps for Khali to pick her up. Khali used to attend Friday night bible
study with her, but she just stopped one day. Then she stopped coming to Sunday
service and now she attends church only sometimes.
Suddenly, Cheryl heard someone
coming up behind her and she turned around.
The guy she had often seen at Truman
High School was coming toward her. She remembered him because he is always
parked in the school parking lot dropping his brother off in the morning and
picking his brother up from school in the afternoon.
He was the “bad boy” of the town.
Earlier in the year she saw him beat a few kids up outside the school for
ganging up on his brother. He had some bruised ribs after the fight. She could
tell because she saw him hunched over a little when he walked his brother back
to his car.
Later, she saw a rather large bruise
on the left side of his head when he picked his brother up from school the next
day. It was the day, among many days, that she was waiting for Khali to say
goodbye to her boyfriend, Brandon. She remembered him being in his car that day
and when he looked her way she turned her head. If he saw her looking at him
she wouldn’t have known because she didn’t look his way again.
The three boys that ganged up on his
brother had worse injury.
Cheryl’s aunt even knew about him.
“There’s that dangerous boy,” she heard her aunt say one day on their way to
church. Cheryl looked out her window and saw him walking from his job at the
pen factory to his grayish-blue car.
Now he sat in front of her on his
bicycle.
“Hasn’t your mother taught you to
never to be by yourself at night,” he said jokingly.
She looked at him, “No.”
“Are you trying to get yourself
killed then,” he said in like manner.
“Maybe I am.”
His smile died down.
She cocked her eye brow and took
mace out of her pocket and showcased it, “Or maybe I’m not.”
He had a half-smile, “I suppose you
think that mace will save you from weirdoes.”
She didn’t answer him. After a long
silence he spoke. “My name is Justin Crawler.”
Cheryl did not want to speak to
anyone tonight, so she ignored him. Boy,
I wish I had a car, she thought. She turned and started walking toward
the road.
Justin rode his bike alongside her,
“That’s when you say that your name is…” He left space open for her to speak.
“Aren’t you going to tell me your
name?”
“No, because my aunt told me to
never give my name out to strangers,” she said sarcastically.
Justin smiled a little. “A little
humor to go with that beauty; how excellent.”
She didn’t turn around nor smile,
which was exactly the opposite of what he was trying do.
Cheryl now waited impatiently for
the car that was supposed to pick her up.
“Do you even know where you’re
going?”
“Look, I’ve heard all about you.”
“What have you heard?”
“That you are the “bad boy” of the
town and that I should stay away from you.”
“I’m not a dangerous kid.”
“Say that to the three boys you beat
up in the school parking lot.”
Justin became real serious, “I
couldn’t let them get away with hurting my little brother. He’s all I have left
of my family. I can’t lose him.”
She saw Justin stop before his
emotions ran over him. “Anyway, I’m only trying to see if you are okay.”
“I’m fine, just leave me alone
alright?”
“Not until you tell me where you’re
going.”
“Why should I tell you?”
“Because I care.”
“No one cares”
“You sound like me sometimes.”
She pretended his words didn’t mean
anything to her. “Then maybe you should spend your time inside the church,
instead of outside.”
“No,” Justin said casually, “I mean
it obviously hasn’t worked for you.” Justin stopped his bike. “I just wanted to
talk to you and figure out why your eyes are always sad.” He got off his bike
and walked beside her.
“I see you outside the school when I
pick my brother Lionel up. You talk to no one.”
“I do talk to people,” Cheryl said
defensively, “just not to you.”
Justin ignored her disdain and
continued, “You completely isolate yourself…” He looked back at the church,
“Are you running away from something?”
“I said I have mace so leave me
alone.”
Justin looked around, “You’re not
exactly in the safest part of town.” He paused. “Listen, I just don’t want you
to get hurt. That’s all.”
“And why do you care if I get hurt?”
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