The Pulse Series (Book 1): Pulse Read Free

Her eyes were blue, so I had to assume I'd gotten the green of mine from my father, whoever he may have been. Where she was tall for a woman I was about a foot shorter than anyone else my age. Also unlike my mother I had taken to hacking off my hair unevenly to keep it above my shoulders.
    My mom stretched out like a cat and turned to look up at the man above her. "Look, Alex is home."
    I sighed. "Hey, Mom." I glanced at the man above her and felt uncomfortable as I recognized him. "Hi, Chuck."
    Chuck was a tall, thin man with a pencil thin mustache and soul patch beard underneath his mouth. His dark shoulder length hair was slicked back and gelled into place. He reclined back on the couch and ran his eyes up my body. He licked his lips. I shuddered and started toward my bedroom.
    "I'm going to be reading all night. Bye."
    "Of course you are. Don't let the book bugs bite, or something."
    I glanced back as I got to my door and saw Chuck leaning forward to pass my mom a glass pipe and lighter. As I watched as his hand slid up her skirt. I felt my eyes burn but blinked to force it away. I didn't have any tears for my mother any more.
    I opened my backpack and took out the key, unlocking the deadbolt on my door and slipping into my room. I locked it again behind me and flicked on the small lamp that sat near my barred window. A large desk sat on one side of my room, and a mattress lay on floor. There was a walk in wardrobe built into the room. I emptied my pockets onto the desk. The passport might sell for something, so I hid it and the cash in a small hidden gap that was under the wall behind my desk.
    I made my way over to the wardrobe and stripped off my jeans and shirt. As I pulled the cloth over my head a sharp pain ran down my side. I looked down at the area where I had landed and winced. It was a dark purple. I gave it a few gentle pokes and almost passed out from the pain. Something was moving in there.
    I spent the next fifteen minutes awkwardly trying to wrap a bandage around my chest. There wasn't much you could do for broken ribs except keep pressure on them. Once I was done I pulled out a light tank top and carefully slipped it on over my underwear. It was cool though the night, but I hate the way blankets tangle around my body when I'm sleeping so I try to wear as little as possible. I pulled out the book I had been reading and closed the wardrobe door. I lay down on my mattress and allowed myself to relax for the first time since I'd left the house that day.
    Once I had settled down into be I noticed a small lump of pressure in my chest that was on the verge of being painful. I took a few deep breaths and coughed a few times, but the pressure was still there when I was done. Probably something to do with the fall. I decided to ignore it and hope it went away. It wasn't like I had the money to go to the hospital anyway, especially for something as vague as chest pains.
    As I sat reading my eyes began to get heavy, and soon I was dozing on my bed. A scream followed by a loud crack tore me from sleep. I jumped up and ran to the door, opening it and rushing out into the living room. I saw my mom on her back in the center of the room, the broken pieces of the table lying around her. She was giggling like a child.
    My mom turned to look at Chuck who was laughing from his position on the couch. "You were right. I guess it wouldn't hold my weight!"
    "For god's sake, mom, do you know how long it took me to get that thing in here?" I had spent hours pulling that thing down from where I had found it on the thirteenth floor. I don't know why I bothered trying to do anything that would make this place nicer. I should have learned by now that it was pointless.
    I felt eyes, and looked up to Chuck who was staring at me over his shoulder with his mouth open. I looked down at myself, remembering what I was wearing, and looked back up at Chuck with my cheeks filling red. He was shaking as he stared at me, and for a moment I wondered