There was a crash as a glass vase shattered against the brick walls. "Eugene!" The woman screams, "You get back here right now!"
Tommy sits quietly in the other room as he covers his little sister's ears. "It's okay Lila it was just thunder." He lies to her in order to reassure her, he doesn't want his sister to know that the type of storm that is going on outside of this room isn't due to bad weather.
"I don't like thunder." Says Lila.
Tommy hugs his sister closer. "I know Lila, I know." He tells her. Tommy hears a sniffle and looks down. Lila is crying. "It's okay Lila the storm will be over soon."
"Why does it storm so much, Tommy?"
"Because, Lila, the sky is angry."
The door opens revealing the woman. "Tommy, Get out here!" the woman says and roughly grabs on the boys arm yanking him out of the room away from his sister. "Your father would like to speak with you. He's in the office." She says and walks away towards the kitchen.
Tommy stands outside of his father's office staring at the door. He knocks opening the door a smidge. "You wanted to see me, sir?" He says.
The father looks over at his son with a blank expression. "Shut the door on your way in." he says.
"Yes, sir." Says Tommy.
"Son, do you have something to tell me?" inquires the father.
"No, sir."
"Are you sure? Think about it, son, I am going to ask you again. Is there something you want to tell me?"
"No, sir."
"Well, you had your chance. Your report card came in the mail today some of your teachers are concerned about you saying that you are too quiet. But you want to know what I see on that letter that concerns me, son? You have a B in science. Would you like to explain that to me?"
"No, sir." Tommy knows what is coming but he behaves knowing that if he doesn't his father may turn his attention to Lila. Tommy would do anything to make sure Lila doesn't know the anger of their father.
Later that night Tommy takes a flash light and removes the loose floor board under his bed. He counts the money adding the amount that he got today and puts it in the back pack that he has prepared with his and Lila's things along with two bus tickets.
Dressing quietly, Tommy grabs his bag and tip-toes over to Lila's room. He wakes her gently, "Lila wake up it's time to go get dressed." Tommy says and as an afterthought he adds, "Quietly though, Lila, we have to be quiet."
Lila gets dressed as soundlessly as she can and follows after her brother not making a sound.
Tommy leads them out of the house and after they have been walking for a long time Lila, feeling that it is safe now, asks "Where are we going, Tommy?"
Tommy doesn't answer her right away. Instead he leads them through the doors to the bus station. "We're going somewhere where no one can ever hurt us again, Lila, nobody will hurt us again." He says.
"No more thunder storms?" asks Lila.
"No more thunder storms." Says Tommy realizing that maybe his sister understood more than he gave her credit for.
Boarding the bus Lila takes Tommy's hand smiling and says, "No one will ever hurt us again."
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