The Perfect Frame

1.

I never knew that one thing could spiral my life into another state. One problem, one that I knew about, that just shoved me into a foreign land.

It started out slow, something manageable. One drink. Two drinks. Maybe three. It was harmless. I didn't mind and neither did Carter, my brother. Something that happened time from time. It made time more fun. Something just a little less stressful.

It got a bit faster. Four. Five. Seven. Nothing too bad. Sometimes he would pass out. Sometimes he got so loopy, he wouldn't remember what he did the next day.

Then it got unmanageable. Stealing money to pay for his next beer. Becoming angry when we didn't have any alcohol home.

Then, one spark, ignited the whole thing. Carter and my father never got along but I never thought it would get that bad. That day, when I came home. Scarred into my mind forever I will see it.

My father, sobbing and bloody. A furious looking Carter. The police.

That conversation. Started with the "We need to talk,..." Something every kid fears.

You can't stay here.

Your father isn't well.

You and your brother will be moving for the summer.

Or until your father is sober.

I've never been away from my father more than a few days. He never did anything to me but love me, support me, and just give me what I want. Yeah, he spoilt me. Carter didn't mind. Carter loved spoiling me as well. I was the woman in the house. I was the baby. Of course they were going to love me most. It's something I've become accustomed to.

It's all going to change now. Carter and I are moving to my grandmother's house. From what I remember of her, she's my mother's mom. She's old and nice. I haven't seen her in... years. Along with my mother.

I didn't talk to them on the phone. And from what I heard Carter say, they were excited to have us. Carter was just looking for somewhere to take me. I knew he wouldn't leave me alone. Working on a horse farm isn't exactly enough money to care for two people either. They were our only option.

The sun was beaming bright. We are driving through the new town. It was large I size but the population was small. It all seemed either very up-scaled or poor. From what I remember of my mother, which isn't much, she wouldn't live in a less than perfect place.

Carter had this hatred towards my mother that I adopted. It's not everyday that a pregnant woman leaves her family. Twins to be exact. My father took her to court and they made the legal decision to split the twins. So, my twin lives with my mother. I wasn't sure what she looked like. Last time I saw her, I heard, I was only a few years old.

Carter told me things to just hate her even more. She didn't want any of us. She used my father. She is a gold digger.

Carter was driving the truck to our new "home" for the summer. We had all the animals with us, the two horses, the dog, and the cat. The cat, was the only pet Carter had. The spawn of Satan as I like to call her. Princess gets her name for a reason. She's sweet for two seconds before she bites you and runs away.

The rest are mine and my fathers. Cujo, the dog, is a German Shepherd. My dad brought him home after finding him on the streets with a big litter. The mother was no where to be found. So, I got to keep one. Carter helped me name him. Cujo's hard to understand. He's very protective, and doens't do well with strangers.

Then, there are the big babies. The two horses. Ebony was my father's. Shes was an old mare. My father won a lot of things on her. She was a good show horse until he retired her. Then, on accident, she foaled my big baby. My first horse, Jett.