Stronger

Chapter 1

It all started that night I heard yelling and something shatter against the linoleum in the kitchen. I quickly slid out of my bed and drifted quietly to the door.

I cracked my door open only to have it start creaking loudly. I suddenly stopped and listened to see if it was heard. It wasn't. I opened the door fully and stepped out. I tiptoed to the end of the hall and peered down through the slits of the bars in the staircase. There, in the kitchen, stood my parents. They were standing across from each other, being separated by the island. I stayed silent and tried to listen in.

"I can't believe you! How long have you been screwing this son of a bitch? Huh? When I have been at home, watching our daughter, you're out, doing god only knows what" my dad yelled to my mom. She continued to sob quietly, shudders wracking through her small, petite body.

"I didn't mean for you find out this way!" my mom wailed.

"That's rich", my dad said, "How long did you think you could get away with it? I caught you with him, right in our own fucking bed" Dad then took the vase of flowers off from the granite top and chucked it into the wall a few feet from the stairs. A few pieces of glass flew past my 7 year old body.

I fought hard to keep a scream from ripping itself out of my lungs.

I saw my mom cringe away from the loud noise and she tried to run to the telephone.

"I don't think so, you bitch" my dad says. I then saw my dad raise his hand to strike my mother. I heard the sound of skin hitting skin and watched as mom fell to the ground, on the way, hitting her head on the corner of the counter. I gasped silently, trying not to be heard.

"Get up" I heard my dad say. "Get the fuck off the floor lily!"

"Jesus Christ, quit playing and get up! Lily?" Dad kneeled down to the floor by my mom.

"Lily, wake up" dad started shaking mom by her shoulders. "Lily! Lily please"

I watched as dad started to cry while holding onto moms body, as blood began to puddle by her head.

"Dad, dad? Is mom okay?" I whispered.

Dads head flew up and his eyes connected with mine. His eyes clouded with anger and pain, mine filled with confusion. He stood up and started to turn me around from the kitchen.

"Yes honey, mamas okay. Why don't you go on upstairs and go to bed?"

"But she's bleeding daddy, why is she bleeding?"

"Just get upstairs Amber, everything is going to be ok" dad said trying to be reassuring.

I nodded and turned to go up the stairs. I was stopped by blue and red flashing lights outside. My dad saw them too then turned to me.

"Honey, I need you to go upstairs and go back to sleep. Just remember that I love you. Got it? Dad loves you so much" I nodded and walked up the stairs slowly.

As soon as I was out of sight from my dad I crouched down and peaked around the corner. I watched as dad slowly opened the door to a man with a uniform on. A loud static noise coming from a small black thing on his shoulder.

I strained to hear what was being said, but couldn't. I just watched. I could tell that what dad had said made to man even more cautious. He stepped inside and looked around. He saw mom laying in the kitchen with the puddle of her blood around her.

He quickly called for help and rushed to my dad. I watched as he pushed dad into the wall across from the door and began to take him outside.

I then stood up and ran down the stairs as fast as my little body could. "Dad! Wait please, don't leave me!" I screamed. Tears rapidly pored down my face as the man continued to walk away with dad.

I tried to run to him, and stop the man from taking my dad, but a woman in the same style uniform stopped me. I fought as hard as I could to get out of her tight grasp.

"Sweetie, I know your scarred right now, but every thing is going to be alright. We are just taking your dad to talk to him. Do you understand? Everything is ok" the lady continued to talk but her voice faded out as I watched my dad get put into the back of a car and drive away.

That's the last thing I remember when my vision went black.