Linden Chronicles

chapter 1 : corrupted family

 "FOR THE LAST TIME, SOMEONE GET ME MY ROUTER!" Sammy Linden demanded, shouting at the top of his lungs.

His three adoptive younger sisters, Lyric, Cami, and Zel stared at him.

Sammy enjoyed creating video games, and sometimes treated his sisters like they weren't human. They weren't worth it. Lyric and Cami were both sixteen, and Zel was a year younger, at fifteen.

He was adopted first. He was greater.

"Ugh! I have better things to do, AKA writing my draft for Deliverance! Can't you get it on your own for once, please!?" Zel asked. She wanted to write, she had dreams of being a writer.
Sammy's eyes flashed with anger, as Lyric stepped in between the two. It was a familiar look, one that she'd seen all too much.

"Leave her alone," Lyric said firmly. Despite trying her best to show confidence, she couldn't control the slight tremble in her voice when she spoke to him.

Sammy started to fume with anger. He knew it. No one was ever on his side. No one ever defended him.

"Alright, fine! I'll get it by myself, not a problem! But what I will do for sure is tell Dad about you ruining the freshly painted paint on the surfboard, Lyric Harper Linden!" Sammy said, storming away, with an evil grin on his face.

"But-I didn't even-" Lyric started.

"Whatever, no one cares if you did or didn't, what matters is that you're just a mistake that's alive. All of you are! So it wouldn't matter to me anyway if you got in trouble," Sammy barked from behind them. "I'm the true Linden!"

"All of you are Lindens! Sammy, don't talk to your sisters like that!" Sloan said, coming into the room, more or less disappointed looking. "You know, even if you guys were adopted, it doesn't mean you're more or less Linden! C'mon Sammy you know better!"

Sloan was their adopted mother, and Sammy was adopted first and unfortunately that meant he thought he was the true Linden, and best Linden.

Sammy threw his hands around. "Well guess what? Lyric ruined the paint on the surfboards the other day! And also-"

"It wasn't me! Aqua ran over it while Sammy was playing frisbee with him! Why do you always make up stupid lies Sammy! We all know you're lying!" Lyric shouted, getting up from the couch.

"Ok, ok, relax, I listened to everything," Sloan started, "Lyric, go to your room! You're grounded! And Sammy, come with me, you can repaint the surfboards."

Cami opened her mouth to speak, as Sammy gave her a sharp glare. "Vá engolir sapos," she said instead. Sammy didn't know Portuguese much to Cami's thrill and got away with saying anything.

"But why do I have to repaint the surfboards? Lyric is the one that ruined it, so she should be the one repainting it!" Sammy said, still aggravated by the fact that Sloan told him to repaint the surfboards.

"Oh come on, honey, painting one streak of blue isn't so hard. I promise," Sloan assured him. Sammy grunted, but had some reassurance that at least he wasn't the one getting grounded.

There was a sudden unlocking sound coming from the back door. It was Brett, their adopted father. He had just come back from his morning surf, and his long dirty-blond hair was wet and salty.

"Hello my mini cult," he said, referring to his four children. His children were not cult-like, but he referred to them as one anyway.

"Bonjour Papa!" Cami and Zel chimed at the same time, with smiles on their faces, trying to hide Sammy's damage.
Lyric was less enthusiastic and only gave him a small smile. "Hi Dad."
He made a sympathetic expression, "What's wrong Lyric?" he asked.