“Salvaged” – First Chapters

My body was being torn apart, and my stomach felt as if it exploded. The pain was excruciating, and I was aware that I was dying…

“Mom?” My vision was murky, but I could see her face. Her face was bloody, and her eyes were large and full of fear.

Her voice calmed. “Get out of the car, Attie.” Her words sounded crisp and clear.

I looked into the backseat in search of Melody and found her lying covered in blood in a twisted heap on the floor. I turned my attention back to my mother and out of the corner of my eye saw fire.

“Get out, Attie!”

“Mom?”

Everything went dark.

Attie Reed should have died in the wreck that stole the lives of her mother and best friend. But her life was spared. Why?

When Attie moves to Oklahoma to stay with the Bennetts for the summer, she hopes she has left her nightmares behind. But her battle is far from over, and Riley Bennett steps forward to help her fight the nighttime monsters. As the battle wears on, Riley begins fighting monsters of his own: his feelings for Attie. And Attie realizes she must begin to face the monsters of the night herself if she wants to conquer them for good.

Can Attie’s life be Salvaged?

BOOK EXCERPT

Chapter 1

Looking back, some might think it was the summer I turned seventeen that changed my life for the better; but I beg to differ. As impossible as it sounds, in one very important way, it was actually the summer before.

As it turns out, the accident that could have taken my life ended up being the tragedy that saved it. If it weren’t for the events of that day, I never would have experienced the dream that set my life on a new path – a new adventure.

It was the dream, his presence and the events that followed which prepared me for the biggest blessings of my life; and even though I didn’t know it, those blessings prepared to unveil themselves as the old Ford made its way towards home.

As each mile marker passed, it felt as though the knot in my stomach would double in size. For returning to a place so familiar, the unknown that lay ahead left me terrified.

“You know they can’t wait for you to arrive.” Gramps noticed my apprehension and talked nonstop during our drive from the airport. “Molly’s been talkin’ about you constantly, and she’s made sure to tell everyone at church that you’ll be livin’ with ‘em this summer.”

Although my exhaustion level reached its max and I wasn’t in the mood to talk, I sensed his growing concern so I chose to appease him by attempting to speak my first words since climbing into the truck almost an hour before. “Has she?”

“She sure has. I hope you’re prepared for the welcome wagon. You know you’ll be gettin’ a lot of visitors.”

“Ah, people want to come see the freak show, do they?”

He chose to ignore my comment. “Heck, I hear even Riley’s lookin’ forward to seein’ you.”

“That’s highly doubtful,” I refuted with a groan. “Who in their right mind decided we should spend another summer under the same roof?”

“Now, Atticus—”

“Attie.”

“— it’s the best we could come up with under the circumstances. It was this or you would end up sleepin’ on a cot alongside the animals in my clinic.”

“That would be better than having Riley torture me for three months. I could swear that boy lives to make me miserable.” My face felt warmer, and I knew it wasn’t the heat of the Oklahoma summer that caused the discomfort. Just thinking of Riley Bennett made my blood boil.

“Oh now, you’re just bein’ silly.”

“Oh no I’m not. Remember the time he shot me in the eye with that arrow? Or the time he locked me in the dirty clothes hamper?” I ignored the laughter flowing out of my grandfather’s throat. “To this day the smell of dirty socks makes me feel claustrophobic. If it weren’t for Melody, her brother would have kept me in that hamper for days.”

“You were in there for less than five minutes.”

“It felt like an eternity.”

“You were no angel either. I seem to recall you doin’ some harassin’ yourself.”

“It was self-defense. Survival instinct at its best.”

“You two were young and he was ornery.”

“Ornery? Try devil-child.”

“Atticus,” he scolded. “You shouldn’t talk like that.”

“I only speak truth.”

“You speak exaggerated truth. You always did have an active imagination and a bend toward the dramatic.”

“Active imagination my rear. Thank God for Mr. Bennett coming to my rescue a hundred times a day; there’s no telling what would have happened to me. That boy hated me before, and I don’t even want to think about how he must despise me now.”

“He doesn’t blame you, Atticus—”

“Attie.”

“Nobody blames you. Really, don’t worry. He’s changed a lot, grown up. Heck, who wouldn’t given the situation.”

“Great, another thing to hold against me. Let’s see, ruin boy’s summer before junior year—check. Cause boy to have to grow up faster than necessary—check, check. Now ruin boy’s summer before senior year—check, check, check.”

“Well, I apologize,” Gramps offered.

“Apologize for what?”

“Here I thought we were havin’ a welcome home party, but it seems to me that you’re much more interested in havin’ a full-blown pity party. Do they make balloons for that kinda shindig?”

“You’re right; I’m acting like a turd.”

“Yeah, you are. Luckily, I love you anyway.”

“Thank you.” I started to gnaw on my thumbnail. “I’m just nervous and scared.”

“I know you are, but I promise, you’re gonna be pleasantly surprised.”

Making our way up the drive, I realized that not much had changed appearance-wise. The home had the same pale yellow exterior with white trim and charcoal gray shutters. Weathered white wicker furniture sat on the patio, and green ferns hung above the railings between round white wooden columns. The only new addition that I could see was a porch swing, which now hung on the left side of the patio. The old oak front door with its large oval window beckoned guests to enter the once happy home, but I was hesitant to oblige.

Pulling down the visor and flipping open the mirror, I checked my appearance.

“Ugh, what’s the point? There’s no hope for me.”

“Shush now, Atticus.” My eyes turned to Gramps as he scolded me. I noticed his crumpled forehead slightly showing under his old brown cowboy hat and knew instantly that my comment bothered him. “God made you perfect.”

“Yes,” I grumbled. “God made me perfectly plain.”

My mother’s beautiful almond-shaped eyes and dainty nose or my father’s olive skin coloring definitely hadn’t passed down to me. I looked more like my Gramps than either one of my parents. He and I had small builds and paler complexions. Like his, my face had no distinct features. If someone were to draw a portrait of me, all they’d need to do is draw a large circle, two dots to represent my beady eyes, an inverted heart for my pug nose, and two thin, straight lines to replicate my lips. Heck, if they really wanted to outdo themselves, gluing some yellow yarn to the top of my head would make it a darned near perfect reproduction. I’d resigned myself to the fact that I was a very plain-looking girl and always would be. For some reason, God wanted me that way, and although I didn’t know why, it wasn’t as if I had a choice.

Looking back into the mirror, I realized that my dirty blonde hair hung flat on my head, looking stringy, and my dreary green eyes reflected a tiredness that made me look much older than my sixteen years. A lack of sleep was catching up with me.

I slammed the mirror shut and flipped the visor back against the roof just as Mr. and Mrs. Bennett entered my line of vision. My apprehension dissolved as I noticed Mrs. Bennett jumping up and down clapping her hands as Gramps pulled the truck to a stop. Mr. Bennett stood motionless but wore a large grin on his face. The appearance of the odd couple caused me to laugh.

“Attie.” Mrs. Bennett was practically running in place. “Get out here and let me give you a hug.”

“Yes, ma’am,” I said through the window. Mr. Bennett opened the truck door and grinned as an air of excitement rushed into the truck cab.

“Look at you,” she shouted. “Look at her, Tom; doesn’t she look amazing?”

“Yep, she sure does.”

If there were any two people more opposite in the world, I couldn’t imagine it. Thomas Bennett, being at least six feet six inches, with a stocky build, simply towered over his much shorter and slimmer wife, Molly. And his quiet nature balanced her constant state of excitement.

Being the same age as my dad meant that they weren’t quite forty years old, and with Riley going off to college next year, they had a whole new life ahead of them. They were both wonderful people, and they loved me.

Riley caught my eye as he walked out onto the porch. Never one to hide his emotions, his body language spoke volumes. With shoulders slouched, he kept his head down, which caused his moppy brown hair to partly cover his face. He refused to so much as make eye contact with me and as if I were on a roller coaster, my anxiety level rose again.

“Thanks for letting me come stay with you, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett. I know this can’t be easy on you.”

“Now don’t you talk like that, Attie,” Mrs. Bennett said. “We’re thrilled to have you here.”

“That’s right, Attiline,” Mr. Bennett added. “This’ll be the highlight of our year.”

Hearing Mr. Bennett call me Attiline instantly calmed my nerves back to a more manageable level. He’d called me Attiline for as long as I could remember and the fact that he still referred to me with his special term of endearment meant that his feelings for me hadn’t changed.

I continued to study Riley as he shoved his hands into his blue jeans and tensely curled his toes over the edge of the porch step. He was annoyed, and I felt guilty for intruding on his life.

Unfortunately, the time had finally come and I couldn’t go on ignoring him any longer.

“Good grief, it’s Riley Bennett,” I teased.

“Hey Charlie, he muttered.

I never understood why in the world he called me “Charlie”. He’d been doing it for years and more than any other reason, I could only assume he did it to drive me crazy. Normally it worked, but today I refused to let it get to me.

“Are you happy to see me?” I asked.

“Sure, why not.”

Looking down, I noticed his feet shuffling on the patio. He was agitated by my arrival and turned to go back inside, but his mother’s voice stopped him in his tracks.

“Riley, get Attie’s bags and take them up to her room. Make yourself useful for cryin’ out loud.”

If nothing else, no once could call Mrs. Bennett dull. She talked like a crazy woman, with arms flying around in the air and her eyes all buggy. Melody and Riley had always found her to be a constant cause for embarrassment. I on the other hand had always found her to be a breath of fresh air – just like me.

Slowly turning on his heels, Riley rolled his eyes and glanced at me. In an attempt to convey a certain amount of solidarity, I rolled my eyes as well. I couldn’t help myself, I felt bad for him. He obviously didn’t want me here in the first place and now he was being stuck having to haul my bags inside.

“Sorry,” I whispered.

“It’s all right,” he muttered.

Growing up, torment and torture had been Riley’s game plan every time I visited. He’d pulled my hair, locked me in closets, thrown ants in my sleeping bag, and blew up several of my Barbie dolls with an arsenal of firecrackers and now, here we were about to spend the summer together. If nothing else, the next three months would be interesting.

Chapter 2

Gramps thanked the Bennetts for letting me stay with them and then turned, grabbed my hands in his, and prayed. “Lord, thank you for bringin’ Atticus back to Guthrie. I’m so blessed to have her as a part of my life. Thank you for the Bennetts and their willingness to allow Atticus to stay with ‘em. Please bless ‘em in return for lovin’ this precious child. In Jesus’s name. Amen.”

“Amen.”

“I love you, Atticus Elizabeth Reed. Welcome home, princess.”

“I love you too, Gramps, and I’m glad to be here, even if I don’t act like it.”

His heavily calloused, rough hands still cradled mine. “All’s forgiven.”

“Thank you. But can I ask one little, teensy, weensy favor?”

“You can ask me anything, although I may not give you the answer you wanna hear.”

“Could you call me Attie from now on?”

“But your name’s Atticus.”

“My horrendous, forced-upon-me name is Atticus. My preferred name for years now has been Attie.”

“Atticus Finch was a great man. You should be pleased to be named after someone so brave and honorable.”

“Good grief, he’s not even real. Try telling your friends that it’s worth having a name like Atticus just so you can honor a completely fictional character. It’s utterly ridiculous.”

“Enough of this silliness. You’ll always be Atticus to me, and I’m way too old to be tryin’ to start a new habit.”

“Pff.” A blast of air escaped from between my lips and caused a tuft of my hair to soar.

“Get on now. Be a good girl and be sure to get some sleep. You look a little tired.”

“Yes, sir.”

A little tired? He was being polite because I actually looked like a school bus backed over me several times. I was falling apart at the seams, and nothing but my glue-white skin was holding me together.

Maybe a new location would do me some good after all.

Even standing just inside the front door, a sense of security engulfed my body. I was home and I felt safe and loved—except by Riley of course.

Directly in front of me, the staircase sat in all its old craftsman-style grandeur. The dark brown oak wood stood out against mossy green covered walls. I noticed the same fake plant sitting on a tall planter in the corner of the landing, and Mrs. Bennett’s framed postcard collection dotted the stairwell walls.

I sent several of the postcards during our many family trips around the country. Every time Dad was invited to speak at a university, he would turn the visit into a family vacation. I’d seen practically every state in the continental U.S. but had yet to leave the country. Every time we found ourselves somewhere new I made sure to purchase two postcards: one for myself and another for Mrs. Bennett.

Turning left, I headed toward the kitchen and made it halfway through the family room before noticing a new television sitting next to the old gray stone fireplace.

“Get yourself a new television, Mr. Bennett?”

“Isn’t it great, Attiline? It’s a fifty-inch flat screen HDTV.” His chest puffed out, and a large grin spread across his face. “It was the family Christmas gift this last year.”

“It’s awesome.” I nodded enthusiastically. “I guess I know where I’ll be watching football this year.”

“Oh, you’ll love it.” He spoke with as much enthusiasm as I’d ever heard him use. “The picture is so clear you can see each individual blade of grass.”

“I can’t wait.”

Football season was my favorite time of year, and Saturday through Sunday nights ran together as I sat and watched game after game. My ritual usually started Saturday mornings with “College Game Day” and then progressed through the weekend. College football was by far my favorite, but I watched professional football as well, seeing as how there weren’t any college games on Sundays.

“A lot of great players are returning to the Sooners this year, Mr. Bennett. It should be a great season.”

“Dang straight. Everyone on the Sports Animal is already talking about a National Championship. I think it’ll be exciting, and you can come over and watch it all on that huge screen.”

“I’ll bring the chips and dip. You supply the beer.”

“Very funny,” he said dryly just as Mrs. Bennett yelled for me to join her in the kitchen.

“Let’s have some girl talk. It’s been awhile since there’s been another girl in the house.”

“You poor soul.” Mr. Bennett grabbed me and gave me a bear hug. “She’s been preparing for this moment since she knew you were coming. It could be a very long night, so I hope you got some rest on the plane.”

I couldn’t bear to tell him that I was tired and only wanted to crawl in bed. I hadn’t slept since the night before, and even then I’d spent much of the night awake. A bad dream woke me up, and I never fell back to sleep.

Mr. Bennett gently squeezed my shoulders and pushed me into the kitchen as I braced myself for what was going to be hours of listening to Mrs. Bennett have “girl talk.”

I took my usual seat at the kitchen table as music played from the laptop sitting on the kitchen counter.

“Bon Jovi?” They were her favorite.

“Of course. Riley taught me how to download music and videos from iTunes, and I’m telling you, Attie, I’ve spent a fortune on all kinds of old music. I have over four hundred songs on that thing.”

“That’s impressive.” I gave an approving nod. “I may need to check it out and download some songs onto my Shuffle.”

“You should. And I hate to brag, but I’m totally hip.”

“Hip?”

“Oh yeah, I’ve got a lot of newer stuff on there too. Justin Timberlake, Fergie, all kinds of stuff. Some of it’s a little racy, but I pretend I don’t notice.”

“Sounds good. You’re definitely hip,” I confirmed sarcastically.

“Riley and some of his friends caught me in here dancing the other day while I was doing the dishes. I thought he was gonna die of embarrassment, but I think I move pretty well for my age. I mean, I was a cheerleader in my heyday, but Riley said he thought I might blow out a hip or something.”

“He clearly underestimates your talent.”

“You always did speak the truth, Attie. I’m gonna love having you home.”

“So I guess teaching at a high school means you get to hear all kinds of new music.”

“Oh yeah. The girls make sure I’m up-to-date. It helps me stay young. I’m not the old fuddy duddy type.”

“No, you definitely aren’t that.”

I glanced around the red kitchen as she talked about her favorite students. She’d always been a collector, so knickknacks filled every available space. Her decorating style perfectly matched her personality—busy. Handmade gifts from Riley, Melody and years of students littered shelves that she’d hung randomly on the walls and trophies of all sizes, shapes and types filled the china cabinet. Funny, I didn’t actually see china.

While looking around the room, I noticed for the first time ever that behind every item she displayed, there was a story. These weren’t just knickknacks, they were memories. The items kept her attached to her past and now in many ways, attached to Melody.

Her continued flurry of words caught my attention and although I wished we would simply get it over with and acknowledge the extremely large elephant in the room, we continued to make small talk as she unloaded and reloaded the dishwasher. I wondered how long it would be before someone in the house mentioned the name “Melody.”

Mrs. Bennett began fanning herself in an effort to cool down. “So, Attie Reed, let’s get caught up on your life.”

Riley suddenly appeared and entered the kitchen but she held out a hand and shushed him away. “We’re having girl talk in here. You get on out.”

He ignored her and continued on his path. “I need a drink.”

“Drink your spit,” she said giving him a gentle shove back towards the living room. “You can get a drink later.”

“Mom, seriously I just need a drink and then I’ll leave you two alone.”

“Fine,” she said throwing her hands onto her hips, “you’ve got fifteen seconds.”

He rolled his eyes for the second time since I’d arrived and grabbed a water out of the fridge before walking back out of the room in a huff.

Mrs. Bennett turned up the music and then turned to face me. “So, do you have a boyfriend?”

She wasn’t wasting any time trying to get to the good stuff and I was immediately embarrassed.

To avoid her gaze, I reached for an oatmeal cookie from the plate in front of me, “No, I don’t have a boyfriend.”

“You’re kidding? No boyfriend?”

“I don’t mind really. Guys just don’t seem to pay me any attention.”

I noticed Riley’s head snap in our direction and by the look on his face, he didn’t seem surprised by my admission. Luckily, he quickly lost interest and turned his attention back to the TV.

“I’ve always known I wasn’t one of the pretty girls. I think boys see me more as buddy material. You know, like someone they want to hang out with but don’t necessarily want to make out with. I’m beginning to believe that’s my lot in life, every guy’s best buddy.”

Mrs. Bennett’s head shook so violently from side to side that I was surprised it didn’t fall right off. “I don’t believe a word of that, Attie. You’re gorgeous; you always have been. I bet the boys are just intimidated by you. You’re self-confident, and you know what you want. That scares boys off.”

“I wouldn’t say I’m self-confident. Clueless maybe, but definitely not self-confident. And anyway you know what boys want, and I don’t have them.”

Her eyes grew wide in anticipation. “What do boys want?”

“You know…they want girls who have big boobs and I don’t have those.”

A clammer rose from the living room and I realized that Riley’s chair had fallen over and he was sprawled onto the floor.

“Stupid chair,” he said getting up of the floor, giving it a kick and moving to the couch.

Mrs. Bennett laughed. “Oh, Attie, if there’s one thing boys want more than big boobs, it’s a challenge. Stand your ground, hold on to your values, and make ‘em wait. You do that and you’ll have boys falling all over you.”

“That’s what Mom always said. ‘Boys like a challenge.’ But I don’t think I’m trying to be a challenge as much as that I just am one. By nature I’m a challenge. Mom always said I was a handful and it would take a very special boy to put up with me.”

“She said that?”

“Well, that and that if anyone ever kidnapped me they’d let me go after only a few hours. I guess she figured I’d drive them crazy with all my talking.”

“She always did have a sense of humor. You’ll find a special boy one day, and he won’t care that you don’t have huge boobs, although yours are perfect. Not too much and not too little. Just right.”

I grabbed another cookie while sneaking a look at my chest. Mrs. Bennett was wrong, they were too small and far from perfect.

“Riley, get on in here and open this jar for me,” she screamed.

“Mom, I’m watching TV.”

“Don’t start with me,” she threatened.

I noticed him shiver at the sound of her voice and remembered he’d once said her voice was so shrill it was like the sound of fingernails dragging down a chalkboard. “Get your butt in here right now before I call your dad in here to make you do it.”

He threw himself out of the sofa, stomped into the kitchen and opened the jar before slamming it onto the counter and starting to walk back out.

“Wait just a minute mister. I’m not finished with you yet.”

He threw an angry glare my direction, which caused me to pull my legs up to my chest in defense.

“Where do you think you’re going?” his mom asked.

If there’s one thing she excelled at, it was intruding in other people’s lives. Nothing was sacred or secret as long as she was around. Knowing other people’s business was what she lived for.

“Answer me, Riley. Where are you going?”

He removed his stare from me and transferred it to his mother. “I’m goin’ for a walk for cryin’ out loud,” he snapped.

“To where?”

“What is this, an interrogation?”

“Don’t get smart with me, Riley Bennett.”

“Probly Joshua’s.”

“Well, why don’t you invite Attie to go along? She’s been cooped up in airplanes all day and I’m sure Joshua would love to meet her.”

She wasn’t merely making a suggestion; she was pretty much giving him an order, and we both knew there would be hell to pay if he didn’t comply.

“Fine,” he said rudely. “Wanna come, Attie?”

“You go ahead,” I replied. “I wouldn’t want to intrude. I think I’m doing that enough already.”

“Riley!” she yelled.

He glanced back at me and his eyes practically begged me to let him off the hook.

“It’s okay, Mrs. Bennett, I’ve got to unpack anyway.”

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

As I got up and walked toward him, I realized just how tall he was. The top of my head barely reached his shoulders and I was instantly aware that if he wanted to he could break me into a million pieces in a matter of seconds.

I reached up and gave him a pat on the head. “It’s all right Riley, I’m a big girl. If I want to go for a walk, I can go by myself.”

And with that, I skipped up the stairs toward my room.

Riley Bennett had tried to get the best of me and failed miserably. I’d won round one.