The scent of death and sickness overpowered the room. Light flittered throught the pale yellow curtains causing the room to seem dim and somewhat shadowy.
"Lyric?" asked Amy, a young woman barely in her thirties, in a painfilled, shaky voice.
"Yes mother?" replied a young girl about eleven years of age. She wiped the bittersweet tears away from her bloodshot eyes. The girl knew her mother wouldn't make it to see a new year and this unnerved her.
"I-I" her mother stuttered in a scratchy voice, "I want you to look after your brother. Please keep him safe."
Lyric's gaze slowly shifted over to her brother sleeping on the couch. He would soon be the only thing she had left, well almost.
Downstairs a door slammed loudly causing the small house to vibrate. A deep voice angrily called, "Where's my dinner? I go to work all day and come home to an empty bowl! LYRIC!"
She winced at her name, "I'll be right back Mama."
"Lyric," said Amy taking her by the hand "Don't leave me yet. I want you to have this." She pulled a silver chain off her head and placed it into her daughter's palms slowly closing them.
Tears rolled down the young girl's cheeks. "I love it, thankyou." She held her mother's hand as her grip loosened.
"Daughter, I must go now. The good lord is calling me to leave this world. I love you with all of my heart. One day, we shall meet again."
"No!" cried Lyric, "Don't leave me mother, please!" However it was too late, coldness took over Amy's body and her eyes closed tightly.
She held onto her arm tightly tears now flowing in streams. Her mother was forever lost.
Loud stomping noises creaked from the stairs. Lyric cowered in the corner trembling. She knew she was in trouble. She knew that since her mother was gone, that her stepfather, Dave, could now do whatever he pleased with her.
"Lyric!" Dave shouted enraged with a horse whip in his left hand. "I thought I called you to come and fix my supper, did I not?"
"You did." Lyric replied at barely a whisper because she was shaking violently.
"Then what the hell are you doing up here?!" he yelled.
"M-Mother.." She attempted to say.
He glanced over to the lifeless body littering the bed. "I thought that woman would never die," Dave quietly grumbled.
Due to all of the commotion, Lyric's younger brother awoke. Fear shook the boy to his core. He was terrified. "L-Lyric, what's wrong with Momma?" With just a slight gesture from his sister, he understood and began to cry, " I want my mommy!" in his whiny three-year-old voice.
This upset Dave even more. He lunged toward the boy, but his arm was pushed away by no other than Lyric. "Pretty brave aren't you little girl?"
She narrowed her silvery eyes. "I dare you to call me that again. If you want to hurt him, you're going to have to go through me first, got it fatty?
Dave laughed meniacally and raised the whip. She cowered and shielded herself with her frail, willowy arms.
A loud crack blared throughout the small house. It was a bone shattering noise with shrieking following it. Blood dripped and began to cover the floor.
