Shattered (Book One of The Progressive Trilogy)

Chapter 24: Unsteady

Dedicated to @BooksInfireMe for checking on me and making me feel so much better! Thank you so much!

Chapter 24: Unsteady

Waking, yet again from passing out had me cranky and disoriented. As my brain began to become aware, it picked up the sound of frantic pacing and the clicking of fingernails picking at one another. There was only one person I knew with that particular disgusting habit. My eyes popped open to Aunt Karen pacing frantically at the end of my bed, mouthing words of argument to herself like a maniac. I decided to take pity on her, if only to get the answers I craved. I cleared my throat to catch her attention, causing her to jump in shock and jerk in my direction.

"Emma, you're awake," Aunt Karen said.

"And you're observant," I said sarcastically.

Aunt Karen sighed heavily before taking a seat on the end of the bed. She cleared her throat and began to fidget before speaking, "So, how are you holding up with everything?" The entire time she spoke, she kept her eyes averted and exuded a fake calm that made me cringe.

I sighed at her awful attempt at what I'm assuming to be normalcy before replying, "Karen, cut the crap. You and I both know you've been keeping a giant shit storm of a secret, so let's get started shall we?" I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at her when she continued to look down and fidget. My patience was extraordinarily thin from being stretched over all the crazy happening lately, so when she continued to keep silent I began to get very irritated. "Well, since you don't seem to know where to begin, how about I start with some simple questions, that okay with you?" Aunt Karen's distraught eyes glanced up at me as she nodded her approval, and I almost felt guilty for acting like a bitch. Almost.

"Okay, question one. When did you think it would be a good idea to inform me of my impending transformation into James Cameron's newest creation? Let's see, I've already started the process of transforming, so I've experienced the pain which means it's just about too damn late to say anything. What were you going to do? Wait until my bones started breaking through my skin and I was screaming in pain and say, 'Oh by the way, you're not human'? If so, I gotta say that was an awful idea." I took a deep breath after my rant to calm myself a little and prepared to continue, but before I could Aunt Karen finally spoke up.

"I was scared you'd have an early transformation from the shock of it all and turn Jackal. I mean, you had just been tortured and made to watch your entire family die, I was scared that the smallest upset could trigger you." Aunt Karen looked at me with pleading eyes that begged me to understand, and on some level I did, but I still couldn't shake the sting of betrayal from the only person remaining that I could call family.

"I can see where you're coming from, but you made the wrong decision. Did you think letting me go through this blind would be any better? Half the time I thought I was dying because I had no idea what was happening to me. And when it was time for me to transform, what was your plan? To say, 'Surprise! You're a fictional nonfictional creature!'? Yeah, I can tell you now that, that would have gone over like Katrina in New Orleans. And another thing, did you even think about my safety when you decided to keep a huge part of my life from me?" Karen looked confused at my last statement, so I elaborated, angry at her complete obliviousness and lack of foresight.

"I had no idea that people, namely psychotic murderous Jackals, would be after my head. I had no way to protect myself and hell, even if I did I wouldn't have known that I needed to watch my back! Your decision to keep me in the dark was a complete fail and could have not only cost me my life, but the people's lives around me as well." At this point Aunt Karen was in tears, but I felt no remorse. Her decision was irresponsible, ill thought out and almost ended very badly.