Behind Closed Doors

Chapter 8

Father is angry. When we arrive home from the beach, he screams at us all, followed by a beating. He yells and shouts, calling us liars and a disgrace to the family. When Cate finally comes home, the yelling and hitting and screaming is repeated, but this time, worse. 

"I was sitting in my office working when I hear a knock on the door," father yells, his voice dripping with venom, "and you know who it was? The neighbor boy, Brady. He said he had to tell me something important, and you know what he said?" Father's face is bright red, and I can see the veins popping out of his forehead. "He said that my daughter is one of them, one of the alphabet parade." I feel dizzy, and my chest tightens with furry and hatred. Hatred of Brady, of father, of this terrible situation called my family.

We don't see Cate for the rest of the evening. Father locked her in the linen closet under the stairs for the night to "teach her a lesson", leaving the rest of us shaking and terrified. 

At around ten at night, I'm laying in bed, trying to fall asleep when I hear my door creak open, and see a pale sliver of light fall in my doorway. I feel a warmth breath on the side of my face paired with a whisper. "Adelaide," I hear, "are you awake?" I sit up in bed and turn my nightstand light on, seeing a small procession of my sisters coming through the doorway. I gesture for them to come inside and shut the door before mother and father realize my light is on. They settle down on the foot of my bed before Lilia speaks. "None of us could fall asleep, so Izzy and I were talking. Things around here are getting really bad. I mean, Cate is locked in a closet tonight, but who knows what he will do to her tomorrow, or the next day. Whether we like it or not, we're all in danger." I nod, wondering what she's going to say next. "We know by now that telling someone is a lost cause, no one ever does anything. But, what if we were the ones to do something." "What are you saying?" I ask, my mind running through the possibilities. In my seventeen years, I've tried short of everything to get help. I've told adults, tried to convince father to go to therapy, and wrangled invitations to stay with friends and family, but to no avail. Lilia, Izzy, and Esme share a glance before Izzy stands up from her seat on the bed. "We should run away." She says.

I sit there, aghast. Run away? My mind flashes to my freshman year. The last time I tried to save my sisters, someone died. My sisters look at me expectantly, waiting for me to make a decision. I'm the eldest sister, the caretaker, the ringleader. I have the final say. My decision will make or break our freedom, our lives. I tilt my head to the side, considering my options. Either we run away and risk homelessness and poverty, or we stay here and risk mistreatment and abuse. Finally, I take a deep breath and say, "let's do it."

We need to make our escape tomorrow night, before anything else happens to Cate, so we stay awake for the next few hours, planning. Once we're sure mother and father are asleep, we'll leave out of the front door and walk down the streets, until we reach the outskirts of South Haven. Cate should have been released from the closet by then, so she'll be with us for the escape. From there, we'll take a taxi for the three hour drive to Detroit, where we can bunk down in a cheap motel. The plan is to get as far away from our parents as quickly as possible, and in a big city like Detroit, it will be easier to stay hidden. Of course, there's the matter of money, and surviving on our own. Between the five of us, we have nearly seven thousand dollars in savings, which is one of perks of growing up in a wealthy household. That should be enough money for a couple nights stay at a motel while we get on our feet. Esme, Cate, and I are old enough to find work, which will hopefully allow us enough financial stability to eventually get our own apartment.

I look at my sisters, their eyes alight with excitement and wonder at the prospect of finally leaving.
Of finding freedom.
Of finding happiness.

"Now all we have left to do is pack." Esme says, her voice glowing with anticipation. I nod formally. "Yes." I say, handing my sisters each a large tote bag. "Now, we have to pack lightly and not fill up to much space. Esme, you get together lot's of food and water. Lilia, you're in charge of clothing. Make sure to pack enough for each of us." Lilia and Esme both nod and tiptoe off with their tote bags, careful to not awake mother or father. "Izzy, I want you to gather pillows and blankets. I'll take care of the rest." Izzy nods and then scurries off as well, tote bag in hand. I sigh, looking around my bedroom, now free of sisters. I grab another bag, stuffing it with hair and tooth brushes, soap, shampoo, conditioner, and finally, the money. I have about two thousand dollars in an envelope in my dresser, and the rest of my sisters keep their money in various wallets and containers. After going to each of our rooms and retrieving the cash, I sit back down on my bed.

We're really doing this. After years of abuse and neglect, we're finally leaving. I'll be able to get a job, buy a house, and go to college without constantly being in my parents debt. I'm done letting father control me and my sisters lives, and if no one else will do anything about it, we will. I lay back down in bed, pulling my lavender comforter up to my chin, and close my eyes, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.