The Tattoo (formerly Unbreakable)

Something Broken

Meriddion turned to look at Ash, he was scared. She didn't like to see people scared. Much worse, he was scared of her. Tears came to her eyes. What had happened?

"No."

"What?"

Her father asked in surprise.

"He made a mistake. It's fine."

"What?" This time his voice was angry, bordering on furious.

Meriddion stood from her seat defiantly.

"He's done nothing wrong, I'm not going to do anything."

She turned to walk out of the room, stopping before she reached the door.

"You know, I won't be broken that easily."

Meriddion left the dining hall and went back to her room and sat down on her couch.

What had she done? What had she been thinking? Her father would be furious, he would probably kill her.

She began to frantically shove clothes into her backpack. She was putting her sweater on when Ash walked into her room.

He had so many questions that he didn't know if he could ask. Instead they just stood there looking at each other waiting for someone to say something. Meriddion broke the contact first shrugging on her backpack and grabbing her keys. She brushed past him and walked out of the room.

"Wait!"

He stepped out of the room and stood in the hall looking after her as she turned around.

"What."

She said coldly.

"Why are you going?"

She stood staring at him.

"You don't even realize do you? He loved me because of you, and now he hates me again because of you. I can't stay here. Who knows what he'll do next?"

Meriddion turned and ran down the hall, darting around corners and through doorways until she was out of the house and in the garage. She turned the ignition and pulled out of the driveway.

Ash watched from her window as her headlights disappeared down the road. He was totally unaware of Mr. VanShay's entrance to the room. He pulled Ash from the window and threw him to the floor, kicking his gut.

"Where is my daughter?!"

"I-I don't know, she left."

He choked before Arnold kicked him again.

"Where?"

Ash began to cough sprawling on the floor.

"I swear I don't know."

Arnold kicked him again before leaving the room. Ash lay on the floor coughing, tears of pain coming to his eyes, something had broken inside of him, the same way something had broken inside of her.

Meriddion pushed her foot on the gas pedal a little harder. Her eyes flicked across the road.

She didn't know where she was going. Tears began to fall from her eyes, what was there to live for anymore? Her father hated her, her old friends were gone, and so were her new ones. There was nothing left for her. Perhaps her family would accept her, the ones she had never met. They were across the country in California, at least her mother's brother was. She only prayed that he was more like her mother than her father.