No Trespassing: Echidna's Darlings, #1

By Marianna Palmer

There's a lot that Gina Daniels doesn't know about herself. Why she gets so angry. Why she destroys stuff. Why she punches the bully right through a wall. Too bad to find the answers she'll have to go and deal with half gods and monsters. Trolls are ugly, mean, and powerful, right? But that's what Gina is. To learn to control her strength, she'll have to squeeze chickens, eat squid, and deal with arrogant Heroes whose main goal in life is to kill monsters. With a best friend of a gorgon, an annoying werewolf who has a crush on her, and a teenage vampire, if Gina doesn't figure out how to survive, she may bring the whole school of monsters down on top of her.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Marianna Palmer
• Release date: Mar 16, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224433483

Marianna Palmer

Marianna Palmer is a creative force who has been crafting captivating stories from the depths of her imagination since she first learned to dream. Encouraged by a dare from her sister, she bravely embarked on a journey into the world of writing, which became her sanctuary during years of solitude, personal challenges, and overcoming deep-rooted fears. With an unwavering passion for storytelling, Marianna pursued her education and proudly earned her BA degree. However, she didn't stop there. Preferring the enigmatic allure of privacy, she briefly disappeared from the public eye, resurfacing intermittently in the company of her sister before once again retreating into her world of words. Currently residing in the vibrant city of Tacoma, WA, Marianna draws inspiration from the beauty of her surroundings while reveling in the safety of her sister's presence. Determined to live life to the fullest, she fearlessly confronts the unknown, defying the daunting obstacles that once hindered her path.

Book preview

No Trespassing

Books in the Echidna’s Darlings Series

Watch for Falling Rocks Book 2

Do Not Disturb Book 3

Danger! Turn Back! Book 4

Other Books by Marianna Palmer

Professor Zipwhit and the Dream Rider

SLATE Series:

Savage Tear

Lonely Tear

Angry Tear

The Burner Series:

Burn the Same

Alternate Burn

Burnout

Other

Empty Beach

The Stealing Touch

Shadow Rebirth

And So We Hunt

No Trespassing

Echidna’s Darlings Book One

Marianna Palmer

Contents

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Epilogue

Chapter One

G

ina Daniels believed she was the ugliest girl at Franklin High School. A fact that John Walters, self-identified school bully, made sure to point out to her every day. Look, it’s ugly. Hiya, ugly! he yelled as she walked past in the school hallway. She was also the littlest here, which made her a prime target for John. See, she was supposed to be still in Collins Junior High, a twelve-year old among her peers. Instead, here she was, a twelve-year old among twits.

Gina tried to ignore John, and kept her face downward, though it wasn’t easy when anger raged within. This wasn’t the first time that she had been called ugly; she should have been used to it by now. Besides, Gina agreed. The mirror always showed a face that was nowhere near pretty. An enormous bulbous nose sat squashed onto her somewhat small face over pencil thin lips, under huge eyes, surrounded by the ugliest brown hair you could imagine.

Hey, ugly! Are you going to go off somewhere and break a mirror? he sneered and followed her into the gymnasium. Gym, yay, the lowest point of my existence, she thought to herself, as she separated from John and slipped into the girls’ locker room. Ignoring the pack of girls chattering excitedly among themselves about nonsense, she slipped into one of the stalls to change.

Peace always came when she was alone, but she knew she only delayed the inevitable. She changed into shorts that showed off her very thick knees. The shorts were topped off by a humongous tank top which fell flat against her chest. Gina pointedly ignored the mirror as she passed it: she knew she looked like a monster. The safest thing was probably staying inside the locker room until class was over, but Gina Daniels could be called a lot of things. A heavy reader, a fashion victim, an angry, ugly psycho! But not a coward, never a coward!

Outside the locker room, she walked towards the other students, who had already gathered against the wall. John’s eyes lit up when he saw her, and Gina walked forth cringing. Sure enough, he laughed evilly.

This is too easy, he said. Steeling herself up for the next insult, she waited, hoping the teacher would arrive quickly. You are the ugliest girl in this grade.

Gina writhed, willing him to shut up. I hate him!

Hey, stupid! Can’t you understand when you’re being insulted? Aw, what’s the matter? Are you going to cry and make yourself even uglier? It’s no wonder your mom ran away from a stupid, ugly beast like you.

Something inside Gina snapped. No one, no one, talked about her mother! Gina ran at him in two seconds flat. A ferocious growl followed her—a growl? Yes, she was so angry, she was growling, and it continued as she threw him hard into the door that led towards the hallway. The impact caused the door to fall off its hinges. The bully fell down but then returned to his feet. He wobbled crazily. She didn’t allow him to reach her. Instead, she ferociously rammed him into the lockers.

The next few minutes were just crazy confusion. She continued to hit him again and again. She never realized that her victim was already on the floor. The gym teacher arrived, and he tried to pull them apart, but Gina didn’t even break stride and pushed him away. Some part of Gina’s mind knew that it should be impossible for a twelve-year old girl to push back a fully grown gym teacher, but she didn’t care—anger had taken control, and no one could get in her way. Three more teachers were called, and they finally stopped the snarling and spitting Gina.

When she finally calmed down, she realized that the bully hadn’t been fighting back for the last ten seconds. She had won!

Winning was a relative term, however. When the anger evaporated, she understood that she was the one standing, and the bully was the one in the ambulance.

In the principal’s office, he looked at her with a great deal of concern. Suddenly, she was no longer a child: she was a monster. His lecture lasted forever and ever. It finally ended with him saying he’d be calling her father.

My father won’t be home until this afternoon, Gina said without emotion. He has three jobs.

Well, I’ll send you home with a note, and I expect you to have him call me. We have a zero-tolerance policy in regard to fights. Since suspension doesn’t seem to be severe enough for this crime, Ms. Daniels, you will have to explain to your father why you’re not allowed back at Franklin High School. Frankly, I’m very disappointed. To think that one of our most intelligent students, one who skipped ahead two grades would be a … well, would do such a monstrous thing.

Gina wished she could defend herself, but there was nothing she could say. What she had done had been inhuman. It was time to go home.

Home was a tiny cottage on the north side of town. It might have been called quaint a hundred years ago, but now it was just called old. There were, of course, much uglier homes to be found in Seacove, Washington, a small town about sixty miles east of Seattle, but none were quite like the two-story cottage, dilapidated from years of rainfall, and smelling of mold in the basement.

Her father wouldn’t be there, not at this time of the day. He had never graduated high school, so his job options were limited. The graveyard shifts took all the way from the previous evening into the next day’s morning, and then he’d start up again, right after she left for school. When she was in bed, he was at work, but when she woke up, he was there. He also always made a point to be there when she got home from school, too, which Gina loved him for greatly.

Gina unlocked the front door, feeling the loneliness of coming home to no one for the first time. In the kitchen, a note stuck to the refrigerator caught her attention, and she read it slowly:

Gina, I am soooooo—

(Gina rolled her eyes. Her father was always dramatic.)

—oooo so soooo sorry that I can’t be there with you when you get home. But there is some food in the fridge. I’ve got a deal happening. It may change our lives. Be good, and I’ll be home soon.

Dad

P.S. Try not to destroy the house.

Gina paused with confusion. Now what? she thought. Well, she’d have to wait for any answers. In the meantime, she was hungry.

The refrigerator was always well-stocked, so she wasted no time and grabbed some sandwich making stuff. She wondered what her dad was up to. I hope it’s nothing dangerous, she thought with concern. Her father was always getting into dangerous situations. Once, Gina had to bail him out of jail. Her Uncle Lou had helped with the bail money, with strict instructions of never letting her dad think again.

Gina was never home at this time of day, so she decided to enjoy some books. To her disappointment, the words on the page just swirled around. Her mind was filled with the scene that would happen when her father arrived home. How would he look at her? Would it be like her mother’s face, the time she walked out the front door and never returned?

Great, she was going to drive herself crazy. The only thing that calmed her down was cleaning, so the house was sparkling when the front door finally squeaked open. Her father was home at last.

Hey, Baby, how was school, you beautiful gem, you? her father asked as he entered the house and swept Gina into his arms.

Hi, Dad, Gina said, not wanting to lose her father’s embrace, because as soon as they separated, she’d have to tell him what she had done. Shame burrowed in her heart, and she clutched him harder.

Aw, what’s wrong, little girl?

I … am just glad to see you.

Well, good, but I’ve got great news, he said. You’re not going back to Franklin High School. She pulled away and looked at him hard.

What, Dad? Gina said quickly. How’d you know?

Well, of course I know! I’ve only been searching for this your entire life! Wait… He peered at her. What do you mean?

I got into a fight. Well, I started it… and I finished it.

Good girl!

Gina just shook her head. Her father always had been a fighter. Dad, I’ve been expelled. Here’s the note; the principal sure wants you to call him.

To the netherworld with that school and that principal!

Dad, I hurt a kid—really bad. They had to call an ambulance for him.

What happened? he asked, finally calming down enough to listen.

He said Mom left because I was so ugly. I hit him, and kept on hitting him, even when he wasn’t fighting back anymore. I don’t really remember that part very well.

Did you mean to hurt him, Gina? he asked.

Not as bad as I did—I swear! He just made me so mad, I saw red.

Well, that’s part of why I want you to leave that school—they haven’t been able to take care of you the way you need. They never have for anyone! It’s why I dropped out.

You were kicked out.

Whatever! There’s this school, Gina, a wonderful, amazing school. He pulled her down onto the couch beside him. If you go to this special school, you’ll have all the things I can’t provide. Guidance, control, and a better future. You’ll learn ways to control your temper.

Another school? Another first day? Gina asked in despair.

Yes, honey, but the last one, her father reassured. This school is perfect for you. You won’t be teased or harassed—and when you graduate, you’ll be able to have a real job and a real family. Your future spouse won’t leave you. His eyes shaded over for a few seconds, but Gina shook his arm.

Tell me more. Gina was starting to get very worried. This sounded impossible. It meant that her father was off on one of his crazy schemes.

Now, don’t worry. This isn’t one of my crazy schemes. Her father knew her too well. Your whole life has been different, hasn’t it? I know, because I’ve watched you struggle, but now you’re at a new beginning. This school is the best place for children like you.

Like me? What do you mean? Gina looked at her father with tears starting to burn her eyes. She had a funny feeling he was going to start bringing up all her … mishaps.

Sure enough, he said, Oh, Gina, you can act like things don’t happen, but they do. This last one is just the latest in a long line. The incident in kindergarten—

It was an accident, Gina protested.

An accident? You crushed the floor.

It was made of very shoddy craftsmanship, Gina insisted stubbornly. I don’t have that kind of strength.

And your bed?

I can’t explain that, Gina admitted.

I can, Gina’s father said. You had a nightmare and ate the frame.

I did not! Gina yelled. It must have been an earthquake or something.

What about the lockers at school?

That was juvenile delinquents, nothing to do with me.

Gina, he just said patiently, they had handprints in them.

I knew it! Gina exclaimed. You think I’m a monster.

Gina, you are. I think you’ve read enough of the tales to know. He quickly ran to their overflowing bookshelf and brought back a book of fairy tales. See, the term is troll. He pointed to a picture of a big ugly monster with a bulbous nose and hideous pond-scum green eyes. You need to learn how to be a troll. That’s why I’m sending you to the School for Monsters.

Chapter Two

T

he next morning, Gina sat on her bed and stared at her backpack. It was packed with the normal things: pencils, pens, a notebook, a calculator, and an organizer. Nothing that would prepare her for this new school. Last night, her father had been so excited, because he had a really great and colorful brochure. There was a school called Echidna’s School for the Gifted, kept secret from humans, or Fragiles as monsters called them. Its sole purpose was to teach monsters. He insisted that she was a troll and had even given her a troll doll to look at. Gina was quick to point out that she didn’t have ten-inch pink hair, but he had just laughed and hugged her.

He was serious? A school for monsters? I’m not a monster, she thought stubbornly. All those things that had happened were coincidence.

Gina! Are you ready?

No! Gina yelled back honestly. I’m not going.

Gina, her father replied, it’ll be fine, really!

No, no, no! Gina said, and resolutely crossed her arms. He appeared in her doorway.

Gina, I don’t want to argue about this. He crossed the room in two strides and then checked to see if she was ready. Despite Gina’s protests, she had gotten dressed and ready to go. George had been so excited he had decided to splurge on a new wardrobe for Gina. So, she certainly was dressed snazzy. She had decided to wear some new blue jeans with faux diamonds skirting the cuffs, a really soft shirt that reached her neck, and a bright blue and green jacket to keep her warm.

Her father had no clue on what was going to happen and how she was supposed to get to the school. The brochure said that for future journeys to school a bus would pick her up, but for the first day someone named Ms. Monroe would take care of everything.

It’s already 7:40, Gina reasoned. "That cheesy brochure said school started at 8:30 with a mandatory breakfast at 7:30. There is no time for me to get there, even if you knew where the school was. It’s over. Can you