abuse
It was the third time that night that I heard something break in the kitchen, then accompanied by my mothers scream.
I sat in my bedroom, hugging my 5 year old sister tightly to my chest. She looked up at me with her wide, innocent eyes.
“Shan...what are mommy and daddy fighting about this time?” She asked me. She was such a beautiful little girl, her curly blond hair fell around her face, making it nice and round. Her sparkling blue eyes shone in the light. Her face was often bruised, but she still smiled. She still smiled…
“I...I don’t know Ryce.” I said in a hoarse whisper. My voice had been shot since I was yelling so much the previous day.
“I hope they stop soon.” She leaned her head against my chest, and soon fell asleep. I held her close until the front door slammed shut. My dad had obviously gone to go out and drink. I heard the bathroom door across the hall shut. I knew my mom had gone in there to cry. I layed my sister down in my bed and covered her in a blanket. She curled up in a little ball. She honestly looked like a little angel. I opened my door softly and turned the light off. I stepped across the hall and leaned against the wall.
After about 5 minutes, the door opened, revealing my moms bruised and tear streaked face. She was surprised when she saw me standing there. “Oh, Shan...”
“Mom, what was it about this time?” I whispered. She shook her head at me. “God damnit mom! Why can’t you just tell me?” I said. She looked a little shocked by my tone of voice.
“Shan, your father means well. You know that right?” She tried to hug me, but I backed away. “Don’t be like that.”
“Dad is hurting you mom! I don’t think he ‘means well’. You always say that, and you know he’s just gonna come home, drag one of us out of bed, and hit us some more. Just look at Ryce! Look at what he did to her!” I motioned to my bedroom. My mom started to cry again. She started to back in to the bathroom. I grabbed her wrist, not strongly enough to hurt her, but just enough to make her stop. “Don’t you go back in there just cause you can’t take your son yelling at you.” My eyes narrowed.
“Shan, mommy? What’s going on?” Ryce rubbed her sleepy eyes. I looked back at her, she was standing in my doorway, hiding behind the wall.
“Oh, nothing sweetie. Come here, I’ll put you to bed.” My mom said, kneeling down as to pick her up. Ryce didn’t move from her spot. Ryce looked at me, and then to mom. She pointed at me.
“Sorry mom. I think she wants someone who actually cares what happens to her.” I walked over to my sister and picked her up. She wrapped her tiny little arms around my neck, and burried her face in my shoulder. I walked down the hall to her bedroom, and flicked on the lights. Her pink walls greeted my with a depressing tone.
The walls were all covered in dents and holes from my dad hitting them.
I layed her down in her bed and she crawled into the covers. She smiled at me, her blue eyes glinting. I kissed the part of her forehead that wasn’t bruised and said goodnight.
“Good night!” Ryce chirped happily. I turned off her light and closed the door. I walked back to my room, the bathroom door was closed again. I walked into my bedroom and shut the door. I turned off the light and jumped into bed.
The worst was only yet to come.
I slept in until 10:00 on a Saturday morning. I woke up to the banging of pots and pans in the kitchen. I rubbed my eyes and got out of my bed. My sister was sitting on the end of it. She leaped at me and hugged my neck. “Morning sleepy head!” She said in my ear. I hugged her back.
“Morning Pea.” I always called her Pea. She wouldn’t let anyone else call her that.
“Mommy went to work. Daddy is in the kitchen.” She explained to me. I nodded and she jumped off my bed, running into the kitchen.
I started getting dressed. I was just pulling my pants on, my chest was bare and cold, when I heard screaming from the kitchen. It was Ryce.
I bolted out of my room. Ryce was cowering on the floor and my dad was hovering over her. Ryce was crying really hard. I ran over to my dad and pushed him.
“Dad! Stop it!” I pushed him away from Ryce. My dad looked at me and slapped me across the face, it was hard enough to knock me to the ground.
“Don’t tell me what to do!” He spat at me. He bent down and grabbed the back of Ryces neck. He was choking her.
Without any realization, my fist connected with the side of his face. He let go of Ryce, she fell onto the ground and cowered away. My dad looked at me, stunned. I looked right back at him, also stunned at what I had done.
“What did you just do?” He yelled at me. I jumped at the tone of his voice, but then, I walked right up to him and got in his face. I was about as tall as him, so it was fair.
“You...you are a monster. How could you hit a 5 year old girl?” I saw his fist clench. “If your gonna hit me, just do it already! Do it infront of your daughter, like you did the last time. Just hit me dad! HIT ME!” I yelled in his face. His eyes narrowed and his hand raised. I closed my eyes, waiting for the punch. It came with more ferociousness than I expected. Pain surged through my face. I clasped my nose, it was bleeding, but not broken. I looked at him. “That makes you feel good? Hitting your children? Hitting your wife? You can’t be serious. Look at what you did to me, look at what you’re doing to Ryce. I’ve had enough dad. Enough is enough. No more. I’m not going to go through this bull...” I looked at my sister, her eyes were swollen with tears. I stood up straight and took my sisters hand. “I’m not going to watch my sister get hurt anymore.” I tugged on her hand and dragged her down the hall.
“You get back here! You get back here right now! If you walk out of that door, you’re never coming back!” My dad yelled at us. Ryces hand clung to mine. I opened thr front door and pulled her outside.
We made our way down to the police station. which was a good 5 minute walk. When we entered the building, the woman at the desk looked at us in horror. “What happened to you two?”
Knowing when to say enough....could just save your life.