That was how it started, smoke and burning wood. Mommy was screaming, eyes wild.
"This is why I told Daddy to get us a stone house!" she yelled.
Amanda got burned. It was a tiny red mark on her ankle, a mark that later faded into white, but she howled nonetheless. I remember how her blonde hair was singed of at the ends as she sniffled. I also remember how my heart ached, despite not completely understading everything. It was a turning point, the end, the beginning of an end.
Ronny Roger tried to save what was left of our meager possessions but failed.
When Daddy came back, it was all Mommy yelling at him and him yelling at her and her tearing her hair out in frustration. I remember finding her near the well, a clump of blonde hair in her clenched fist. Daddy also found her there, and he slammed his palm into her arm, yelling, "Are you crazy?" at her.
I remember being scared, scared that they would fight again, that they would get separated. My family was already torn enough apart as it was. Mommy then spat at him, her face contorted. He lifted his hand up, perhaps as if to smack her, but seemed to think better of it. Mommy and Daddy seemed entirely unaware of my presence, my existence, my being. I remember my insides ballooning with mixed emotions, mixed feelings, mixed passions. I remember calling Mommy's name out.
Mommy just glared at me, shouted, "Keep out of this, Emily!" and I ran back to where Amanda and Billie were sitting next to the trees.
I was six, then. Now everything has changed.
