Iridescent.

The Burns.

The lights were out, the room was pitch black the and the only source of light in the room was of dim rays of sunlight coming from behind the heavy curtains.

Ash lay in her bed lazily disappointed by the fact that its already weekend. She checked her cell phone, it was 10:15 AM.

It was way too bright outside while everything seemed gloomy inside her house. Her mom, her dad, her little brother and her elder sister all will be home. She desperately wished that she could escape this weekend somehow.

She sat  in her bed, thinking of washing up and to go down. Noises started to stir from downstairs. Ash was perfectly aware that her parents were fighting again because if her elder sister.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL NIGHT MARCELLA ?!", Ash could hear her mom shouting from downstairs.

"ANSWER MY DAMN QUESTION MARCELLA! YOU AIN'T PASSING TILL YOU ANSWER ME!"   Her mom kept on shouting , but it was only her shouting.

Ash stared at her veins that stood out on her pale hands. There was pin drop silence inside room. The only noise was her heart beating steadily. It somehow calmed her to stare at her veins, how her blood flows soundly through them. But her concentration didn't lasted long, it was interrupted by a crashing sound from downstairs.

"HOW DARE YOU PUSHED YOUR OWN MOTHER, MARCELLA JOSEPH BURN!" Ash heard her father screaming this time. It wasn't new for Ash. The same old drama in her house. The everyday story. Her elder sister abusing her mom and dad. It was the same scene set in repeat.

"I WILL NOT LET YOU TOUCH ME JOSEPH BURN!" Ash knew this was her elder sister shouting, it was only her elder sister who was able to abuse her own blood parents this way.

"I AM NOT ONE OF THOSE DAUGHTERS WHO WOULD LET THEIR FATHER SLAP THEM JUST BECAUSE THEY ARE ANGRY, KEEP IT DOWN BEFORE I DO SOMETHING MORE UNPLEASANT!"  Marcella shouted. Ash could imagine how scary her sister must be looking. The way she looks when she abuse her parents. The expression of strong hatred for everything.

"Leave her be Joseph please stop this all!" Her mother requested sounding rather desperate.
It was the same desperation that Ash has heard everytime Marcella comes home. Same desperation to put an end to everything. The same desperation to live like a normal family for once. The desperation that runs inside Ash as well.

She fell back to bed, spreading her arms wide at either side and stared at the dark ceiling which was illuminated by a neon painting of her and her friends. Which was a birthday present that she asked from Tiberius. She had asked him to paint it for her so that when she's in the dark their smiling faces would help her think that everything isn't that bad in her life. The desperation to do anything for them, to protect them helped her get by.

Thud.

"Stare at your foolish friends all you want, bitch. I will still make sure that you don't survive long!" Marcella shouted from outside the room, while kicking her door as hard as she can.

Ash ignored her sister as usual. It was very much normal for her to take it all out of mom and dad upon Ash. Although Ash was very glad that she leave their little brother alone. Ash loved her little brother with every breath that she took not because he was her brother but because he was the only pure person existing inside this cursed house.

                         ********

"Okay , I think you got some explaining to do Ryan don't you ?" Joy asked while walking fast. It was more like between running and walking.

"Well, yes I do need to explain but just a little further and I'll tell you everything that is happening and that is going to happen, Miss Joy !" Ryan replied, trying to keep up with Joy's pace.