Platinum bars

House Outage

The house that we lived in is deathly quiet. No one speaks, not even me as I fumble my way through the dark to my "room". The silence isn't a surprise, once it's dark outside, we're supposed to be quiet so Reggie can sleep.
He doesn't really care what we do as long as he isn't disturbed in the process. That's why I only creep to the dirty supply closet that sits in for my bedroom at 12:00am. I don't know what my sisters do while I read upstairs, but They certainly don't sleep.
I bite down on my lip when the old floorboards screech under my weight. I flinch when I see Reggie emerge from the dark dungeon that is his room.

" Hello, father...," I gulp. I shouldn't have waken him up, I could've just slept on the top floor where I read.

" Mary Grace, Why are you up?," His deep voice comes out in a strict tone.

" I...uh, I..."

He cuts me off ", You shouldn't be awake, go to bed". I know what he means, but I continue down the cold corridor to my closet anyway.

" Mary Grace Skylar, where do you think you're going...?," He grabs my shoulder pulling me back towards him and the even darker bedroom. I don't make any effort to stay in place despite the fact that internally, I'm screaming at the prospect.

" Please... please, I-I didn't realize!". The wind whistles shakily. He doesn't even stop for a moment before he drags me in. My stomach lurches forward, and Before I realize, I'm on the ground.
          The click of the lock echoes down the hall of our two-technically, three- story building. He retrieves a wooden spoon and whacks me across the butt. The spot burns as it looses contact with me.
        Somehow, I manage to keep a cry from escaping my lips, but Hot tears, no matter how hard I try not to cry, fall down my face. I doubt he can see, or even if he can, I doubt he cares, but He stares at me.

             " Go to sleep!". I pull the hem of my sweater down, wiping my eyes with the back of my wrist, and I roll onto my knees.

       " Where are you going?," He inclines his head, but doesn't move. He's already in bed, and I get the feeling that he's not going to get up again.
             Nope, I'm way to tired for this. He glares at me in the blackness, though.

        " I-I thought, you...," I begin shaky, and I can already tell I'm not going to end this sentence better ", s-s-should I go back?". This is a strange, new development to the plot. He usually sends us back to our rooms after he punishes us.
                 Reggie scoffs, half asleep already. His words come out mangled ", Just stay in here, why bother..". At least his floor has carpet I curl up beside the door. I don't think I'll sleep tonight.
       I turn away from him, and I focus on little squeak of the floorboards all across the house. After countless minutes, He wakes up from his shallow sleep, cursing under his breath.
            I pretend to be asleep even when he slips out of his now unlocked door, but I can't when he locks it behind him with me inside.

      " Reg-Father!! Can I get out...?," I slam against the door, but He's already outside, which is confirmed with his car's engine running. We aren't rich, but He certainly gets by, and In doing so, claims to have no money for us.

" La-nney!!," I bang my arm against the door, knowing that Lauren will be out much like our father. She might even be drinking like him. I don't know why she even still lives here. She's 19, she should move.
Laney doesn't waste time, but I do realize that she's coming from the opposite side than her bedroom. Her feet pad against the floor all too quick, and Bile raises in my throat.

" Gracie?," She calls, eyes flicking into the dark shadows. The familiar squeak of my "bedroom" door sounds as she checks inside.

                " No, no! Laney, I'm in here!!". She knocks against the door, probably seeing if Reggie's home.

            " Grace? How did you get in there?," She places her hand across from mine. I take a ragged breath before trying to explain.
                " Gracie?," She squeaks.

    " I-I was going to bed..., but H-he caught me be-cause I was.... making noise....". She paws the other side of the door, but It's locked. She tries to shake the other side in hope, but nothing.

          " Where is Lauren?". My voice is muffled by the large oak door. Laney stops doing whatever it was she was doing.

" Lauren?". Why wouldn't Laney know. That couldn't be good. I make some noise along the lines of mm-hmm, but She doesn't answer, she won't.

" Laney?!". If she leaves me in here, I won't get out until tomorrow when dad comes back. Nothing comes from the other side. I'm push back a couple tears, but I can't hold them all.

" Gracie, are you crying?," Her voice breaks in the other side ", Lauren went out even before dad left. I'll get you out of here". Some awful screech follows her words, and something clinks to the ground.

" Is she out drinking again...?," I wipe my nose, terrified that if I don't keep talking to her, I may freak out. She grunts, and pants on the other side.

" She-she... uh, went to some bar, with Cameron"

"Gracie, I'm going to need to take this door down, Ok..? Stand back..," Another awful screech.

" Laney, You can't. He'll kill you for something like this...," I dry the last of my tears with the sleeve, but stand back anyways. Once Laney starts something, There is no stopping it.

" He won't know, Gracie. I'm just taking it off the hinges, I'll put it right back... Did he lock you in there on purpose?". The door shudders while Laney works in the last hinge. I can tell that she's starting to get tired.

" I don't think so....," I gulp ", He thought I snuck out already...-I think". I tack on at the end. You can't ever be too sure in this house. The last hinge hits the ground and the door starts leaning toward me, but Me and Laney shove it against the wall.
Laney is still in her PJ's; a lavender crop top and sweat pants. I must've woken her up. I pause for a moment, biting my lip, before she wraps me into a hug.

" I didn't mean to wake you, Laney...". I feel so small compared to her, though she's only seven months older than me. She's only a couple inches taller than me, and She has the same light blonde hair as me.

" God, Gracie, he really got you good, didn't he...?," She turns my chin to her. I have no idea what she's talking about. She touches my lip, and I flinch at a scar I didn't know I had.

     " Oh, That...? No, I fell down the stairs again, I didn't know it was bleeding," I wipe my palm across my lip. Scarlett blood comes off in my hand. Laney almost laughs.

        " Of course you did, You little klutz...," I swat her hand away from the group of bruises that also came from the fall. My sense of humor has been dampened from the incident.
                   Our whole house is dark. It's shady what goes on here. Our neighbors don't talk to us. The gate is locked. We have no outside lights. Our father is always gone.

                     "Gracie!". Laney links her arm with me. "Why are you trembling? It's ok. I'll be 18 soon; let's just forget about it"