Devin pulled his dirty knees close as he listened to the outside noises. Instead of hearing crickets chirp like they would on such a beautiful summer night, he heard silence.
They stopped yelling. Why? Was something wrong?
The seven year old boy slowly climbed out of his bathtub and made his way to the bathroom door.
How typical. The silence scared him more than the arguing.
The boys tiny hands grasped the doorknob as he pulled the door open and stepped outside. The child didn't have to travel for long before he saw it.
Right there at the foot of the stairs was his father in a pool of blood. With a gasp, Devin hurried downstairs and bent down next to his father. Now trembling in fear, he began to search for his mother. The rapid movements of his head made the shaggy brown hair on his head brush across his forehead. "Mama? Mama, Daddys hurt real bad. We gotta call 9-1-1!" Devin called as he opened to door to the kitchen. Thats when he saw his mother washing her hands at the sink cheerily. She turned to face the boy and casually swiped her cheepily dyed hair from her green eyes. "Aw, sug. Look at your legs. Oh I reckon you were down at that ol' creek again. C'mere and I'll wash your legs off." The plump woman smiled as she beckoned for the boy to come closer. Devin obeyed and held his leg out as his mother washed it off with a washcloth. Sane went when he switched legs.
"Mama, Daddys bleedin'! We gotta call someone. Grandma's a nurse! Let's call her!" The son said as the mud from his leg was wiped away gently. Suddenly, Devin felt pain from his leg. He struggled to pull away, but his mother kept her grip tight on. "No. Daddy is no longer here. Now stop squirming." The woman snapped bitterly as her hand on his leg kept right on squeezing. Unable to bear the pain, the boy struggled again and cried for his mother to let go. "I said STOP!" The chubby women snarled and yanked the leg toward her. Devin felt his leg slip from under him. Down he tumbled. A sharp pain erupted from the back of his head before darkness engulfed him.
The boy was unconscious before he hit the ground.
