Claire

Pausing in between a line, I waited for the yelling and sobs to stop. They were at it again. Even though it's now a regular thing for them, I didn't like that they were interrupting James's bedtime story.

I looked at him, he was calm and half asleep, or maybe he was already in his private world.

"You bastard! You can't just come back here whenever you want, drunk and covered in your own filth!" My Mom yelled at her husband and was rewarded a slap. I wonder why she even tries, she'll only get beaten up.

"Who do you think you are bitch? This is my house. You and your brats are invading my territory, you can't tell me what to do in my house." I heard another slap, quickly followed by punching noises. Well, she asked for it.

He was right though, we were invading his house. I mean, I didn't even want to be there but I'm just fourteen and not old enough to move out yet. Also, I couldn't just leave my little brother there.

"We are married, Frank. This has to stop! The drinking, the drugs, the girls... all of it, you have to quit." Mom yelled at him.

Another slap. I exhaled. It's times like this that I miss my old life; back when my Dad was still with us. We were not rich but we were happy. Dad would go out and do odd jobs just to get us by, then he'll come home to me, Mom and James still in the womb. I was contented.

But then, my Dad just took off one day and never returned. My Mom said that he abandoned us and we'd have to survive on our own. It was bizarre to me even at ten years old. Dad wasn't like that, besides, who abandons his almost due wife and his little girl to fend for themselves? Only a monster would, and the loving Dad I knew wasn't anything like a Monster.

A week later, my mom brought home Frank. He looked responsible then and he was nice to me, but I didn't accept him, I couldn't. Mom didn't even try to convince me, all she said was: "We need his money." They got married the next day without ceremony. I hated everything, I hated my life. I resented everyone until my baby brother was born three weeks after. There I had someone to love, to cherish and to hold unto.

"Hit me all you want but I'm not going to shut up. You have to quit!" Mom's yelling broke my line of thoughts.

"Damned woman." Frank cursed and then I heard shuffling and crashing.

I closed the storybook I held and threw it aside.

"This has to stop." I muttered angrily to myself and left my sitting position by the edge of James's bed to his wardrobe. I took out his bag and began throwing clothes into it. I couldn't let James grow up in that environment anymore. We had to leave, with or without our Mom.

"What are you doing?" I heard James's low voice but I didn't turn away from my task.

"Packing up your stuff. We're leaving."

"W--Where are we going? Is Mom com..."

"Let go of me you bastard!" Mom's shriek cut him off.

"I don't think so, she'll come later. Right now, we need to get out of here."

"But Claire, where would we go? We can't leave Mom behind." I exhaled, frustrated. I didn't want to leave her behind too but we just couldn't stay anymore. Frank had hit me sometimes in the past, who knows if he'll start hitting James too?

I walked back to his bed to sit close to him.

"Honestly, this is hard for me. But we can't keep living like this. I'm scared for our safety and our sanity." When he frowned, I gave him a soft smile.

"I mean, this is not how a kid your age should live. It's bad for us both. Do you understand?" I peered at his face, wanting to read every expression on it. He looked like he was battling to come up with a decision.

"Where would we go?"

"Uncle Mark's house. I know you've never met him before and it's been a long time since I've heard from him, but I remember his address. We'll go there and wait for Mom, I'm sure he'll talk some sense into her to divorce Frank." He looked away from me and grew really silent. When a few minutes passed and he didn't say anything, I thought he was back into his private world and I went back to putting his clothes and essentials into the bag.

"Are we leaving tonight?" His calm voice gave me a jolt.

"What...? I mean, no. We'll leave early tomorrow before they wake up."

"Okay. You promise that Mom will come right after?"

"I promise." I said, smiling widely.

"Let go!" Mom's voice reminded me that they were still out there fighting. My smile vanished.

I quickly finished packing James's stuff, picked up his empty backpack and slipped out of the room, making sure Mom and Frank don't hear me. I tiptoed into their room. If we were leaving, we'll need money and the only way to get it was to steal it. I knew where Frank hid his money; he never really hid it from me because he knew I would never touch it. But this night's different. It was in his socks drawer; I took a few notes and quickly slipped out quietly.

My next stop was the kitchen, I had to raid the fridge for food. We were going to spend nearly three hours from Charlotte to Raleigh, so we'll need food; especially since we're going to miss breakfast.

"Tell your cub to get back to sleep." Frank's words rang in my ears. It could only mean that James was out of his room. I hurriedly grabbed whatever my hands could reach and zipped the backpack, rushing back to James.

I got there in time to see Frank grab Mom's hair and shouted in her ear: "Tell your fucking cub to get back inside his room." Mom winced, trying to get away from him. I quickly stood in front of James, shielding him with my body just in case Frank tries anything.

"Oh, now the ice Queen is out. Did you hear me Doris, tell your brats to get lost." He said, punching her in the guts. James grabbed my hand tightly, bursting into tears.

"Let her go you beast!" I screamed at him. I couldn't just look on anymore.

Ever since Mom married Frank, we haven't been so close to each other, we rarely talk. When Frank started misbehaving, I knew she was getting what she bargained for. At first, when he hits her, I'd try to help her but then he'll turn to me and hit me too. I pleaded with her severally to end their marriage but she never listened. I didn't care anymore, I turned my attention to James and tried to give him a normal life; I ignored them whenever they fought and my Mom got beaten up.

But this time, I just wanted to save her, whether she wanted me to or not.

"What did you call me?" Frank asked, staring at me as if I'd grown a second head.

"Let her be, she..."

"Shut up!" He violently pushed Mom away, making her crash hard on the coffee table.

"What did you call me?" He asked again, approaching us closely. I walked away from him without turning my back to him. As soon as I felt James's door, I opened it sharply and pushed James in, to save him from Frank's wrath.

He dragged me by the hair and threw me across the room like I was nothing. I landed on Mom. As I saw Frank open James's door, I lost it.

"Leave him alone!" I shrieked, grabbing a table leg to hit him with it. He easily blocked the blow and punched me in the face. My head swoon. I staggered back, not even sure of where I was.

I heard Mom shout and more shuffling, but I couldn't make sense of anything. When my head cleared, I saw that Mom was above Frank, scratching his face with her fingers. That was my chance! I found the backpack and swung it over my shoulder. I opened James door and took him out as we made for the door.

"What about Mom?!" He fussed, trying to get free from my grasp.

"She'll come later, I promise." Before we could reach the door, someone grabbed my hair and I was flying across the room the next second.

"You're not going anywhere." I bumped my head really hard from the fall, but I quickly stood up again as I saw Frank grab James. Mom beat me to it, she brought down a vase on his head, hard. At first, I thought it was over as Frank was still, but then, he stirred and tried standing up.