Reclaimed (Book 1)

Chapter 2

Summer sat in the back of the cop car and stared at her cuffs. She had lost enough weight that they might just slip off. Even if she did get them off there was no where she could go.

"What number is this, Summer?" asked the cop.

"Five," she grumbled. "And I'll just keep doing it."

"You can run away until you're eighteen. After that we don't care anymore because you're an adult. Remember that."

"I look forward to it."

The cop glanced at her in the mirror and shook his head. "It's a hard life with no job, money, or any skills in general."

"I'll be fine. Thanks for caring so much. You should get a promotion."

The cop cursed under his breath and continued driving. She loved that she could get under their skin. The whole force thought they were helping her by continually picking her up but, all they were doing was putting another family at risk. The purple eyed demons always found her. That's why she could never stop running.

They arrived at the station and the cop took her cuffs off. She was still a juvenile and not deemed a threat. Too bad they didn't know she could burn the whole place down if she tried.

"The interview room is being cleaned so I'll let you stay in the waiting room. There's a cop right outside. Don't try anything stupid."

She gave him a mock salute and then stuck her tongue out when he turned his back. The door slammed shut as she sank into one of the chairs. Of course it felt like she was locked in a freezer.

The door suddenly opened almost as soon as it had shut. Standing there was a female cop that she had never seen before.

"Summer," greeted the woman. "I have some food and water for you. Are you hungry?"

"Yes," she said, trying to keep her voice calm. It had been almost an entire day since she had eaten anything. That was the downfall of living on the streets. She never knew where her next meal was going to come from.

The woman handed her the tray and left with a smile. Once the door shut Summer devoured the whole thing in a matter of minutes. Now if she could get some sleep then maybe she would be ready the next time her purple-eyed friends attacked.

Summer allowed her eyes to close as she laid down on the chair. Not even the cold, hard plastic or the new people she had just met could keep her awake. A full stomach and the safety of the police station was enough comfort to finally let her body relax.

Her sleep was restless. The images of her attackers constantly flitted through her dreams. Sometimes they were so real that she was certain she was being chased.

A knock at the door made her shoot up out of the chair. She backed up against the wall, frantically reaching for some kind of weapon. Anything that could hurt a person.

"Summer I...what are you doing?" Asked the cop from earlier.

She relaxed and stretched her hands over her head. "You can never be too cautious. Don't they teach you that in cop school?"

He narrowed his eyes. "Very funny. Anyway, you'll be excited to know that a cousin of yours has come into town. He just found out that you were still alive after the accident with your-"

"Yeah okay," said Summer, waving her hand. She knew the story; she had been there. No reason to relive the memories. She had crazier things to worry about. Like a cousin she knew didn't exist.

"Are you ready to meet them? If things go well, then maybe you can have your permanent home."

"Sounds exciting," answered Summer.