All Chapters of SECRETS: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Sirens blared loudly in my ear. Red, white and blue lights flashed in my eyes, lighting up Smallwood Street. My body ached all over, but my joy overshadowed some of the pain. It felt wrong to feel relieved, to have any positive feelings what so ever, when those that I loved, those who were all I had, were being carried out on gurneys, hidden away by loose, black body bags. All of the terror created by this night was gone, yet the feeling still remained for the upcoming months. Tonight I was free. A fireman held me close to him. He held me tight, as if he were protecting me. One hand lay on my back, while the other rested on my head. I felt as if he were trying to make me bury my face in his chest, cry for what I've lost, what I've been through, and hide me from the man that would be walked out of that door. Yes, he was trying to protect me, but from what? I had already survived. I had already seen that monstrous face. I may have needed protection before, but now it was different. I was

THE TWINS This table was made to sit four, that's what Mya thought to herself. That meant the twins, their mother and their father. Tonight, it was just Mya and her twin sister Amy. They hadn't had all four of the chairs filled in a few years and this made Mya really upset. Their mother left long ago, with promises that she would return, and their father...well lately he was never home. Who knows what hes out there doing? Who was Mya Kidding? Her and her sister both knew what was happening. Their father had met someone. He could make up all the lies and excuses he wanted to, but they already knew the truth. Mya looked across the table and it was like seeing her own reflection. Amy had been playing around in her food for the last twenty minutes, probably just as upset as she was; only she was trying to hide it. Amy's reddish brown hair was up in a messy bun and she wore her housecoat. She had suffered from a summer cold last week and was just now returning back to normal. Her nose was

KAHLAN The next day started early, six am to be exact. Today I started school. Tina told me to get a good nights sleep, but I was quite restless; too many bad dreams. Though he went away, the dreams didn't. Along with today being the first day of school, I also had an appointment with a lame therapist. Doctor Damon Meir. It was an agreement between the Judge and I. It was the only way he'd sign my emancipation papers. The only thing worse that could happen to me that night was being placed in foster care. To be placed with people I didn't know, maybe participate in some sort of group therapy and talk about my feelings and the past. No, I didn't want that. As far as I was concerned, I wanted to act like nothing had ever happened. I wanted to just start life over and move on. That's when the idea of emancipation popped up. It surprised Ernistina that I was approved, even with the conditions and rules that I had to follow; though they were all very simple. Stay low, stay out of trouble,

KAHLAN AND CHAD Some job Ashley did, I thought to myself as I stood outside of the door of my first period class. I think I was expecting her to be at my side through out the day, but instead she dropped me off at my first class, followed by general directions to all my others. Here we go. The new girl was my title now. I didn't like it, but it was better than some of the alternatives. I walked into the class, keeping my head down. The female teacher who sat at her desk rose to her feet, smiling. Her red hair was tied to the back, where loose curls hung. Her hands went automatically to her side, and I could tell she hadn't been a teacher for more than a few years. She wore loose tan jeans and a navy blue button up shirt. After all, not many teachers got the excited look in their eyes when getting a new student. I could tell she had been expecting me. She explained that the students were doing an independent reading for the remainder of class, and since I had yet to check out a history

KAHLAN AND THE GIRLS Walking through the lunch room, I felt another panic attack coming on. The cafeteria was packed. Every circular and rectangular table had been taken. The lines to get your food were long and slow paced. I knew that it would be this way, no matter how much I tried to deny it. My fellow peers had already settled into their groups. I at least hoped there would be one empty table where I could sit alone. I was good at being antisocial. I practically perfected it over the last few months. As I scanned the lunchroom, there was a table that I didn't mind sitting at. There weren't any young men. And I knew two out of the three girls sitting. So I grabbed my lunch tray and went straight to Carly's table. As I sat, I felt a little tension, as all three girls' eyes were on me. Carly's blue eyes looked ice cold. "Hi Kahlan," Ashley greeted, looking up at me, remembering me from his morning. She was the only one who made me feel welcomed. "Hi." I still looked Carly in the fa