Lily's way out

Chapter 4:

I had heard the people coming into our house, they were not trying to be quiet. No you could say they were very loud actually, talking so loud that I could hear them with headphones on.

But it sounded like my parents were having a good time, and they really needed one. My mom lost her job a while back, when she started hanging out at bars all the time. So we were relying on my dad and his income. It was hard at times but we always made it through. My parents even had enough money to go on a holiday a few weeks back. I couldn't go with them though, I had some plans already. When they got back they were smiling and laughing again, like they were the first year I was here. I loved it all, but as quickly as it came it went away. And they were away from the house for hours.

But they were happy tonight, I heard my mom laughing and my dad was making jokes. I didn't get a look of who they were with but if everyone was this happy when they came over, they could come as many times as they wanted for my part.

And that is what happened. It was first once a week, but it quickly became two three times a week. Now these people almost came every night. I still got the question to go upstairs, so I have never seen these laughing people. But I was happy as long as everybody else was happy. So I kept to myself and I stayed in my room, I would turn the lights of. Because according to my dad people would otherwise walk in to the room thinking it was a bathroom or something. So my lights were off, and my door was locked. My dad really cared about my safety and I loved everything about it.

I didn't mind cleaning up after them so they could sleep a bit longer. I also didn't mind the washing and cooking I had to do. Everything was just so much better than what it was.

I did notice some physical changes in my parents they were looking skinnier, and were sleeping a lot less. They would party all night and leave the house very early. Mom was also having some mood swings, but she might just be a bit nervous about her job search.

My parents sat me down the other night, that's when I really noticed the changes in their appearance. They told me that there are bad people out there, they had noticed a car sitting outside of our house. They told me that they didn't recognise the car and that it wasn't save to go out by myself for a bit.

I never saw a car sitting outside of the house, but I trusted their judgement. So I stayed inside.