Fade to Black

Brooke Cains

His heavy fist slams into my jaw, the pain spreading over my face. Another punch hits me in the ribs sending my off balance. I hit the floor hard, making my ears ring. An aroma of damp carpet and blood fill my head. "Dad, please!" I shout. He hurls his whiskey bottle at the wall behind me, the shattered glass bounces off my head, whiskey dripping down my face. "Get out of my fucking sight boy!" His words slurring as he shouts, the smell of whiskey wafting from his mouth. I drag myself down the dimly lit hallway to my room clutching my ribs. I turn to see Kira hugging the door frame, her big eyes full of tears. I crouch down to her level and pull her into my chest. "Ty?" she says, her voice trembling.

"Yeah?" I ask

"Did daddy hurt you?" she sniffs

"Shhh, its okay now" I say, trying to calm her. "Where's Cameile?" I ask

"She's asleep" Kira sniffs

"okay you should sleep too, night" she nods and slowly walks back in to her room. As I lay my head on my bed, the foam moulding to my body shape, my head begins to throb with pain. I close my eyes but the throbbing keeps me awake until finally I drift off.

I awake the next morning to the sun just coming over the horizon, A subtle breeze blowing on the blinds. I get up and the throbbing in my head starts again, it feels like someone hammering just behind my eyes. I look at my reflection in the bathroom, a large purple-green bruise decorates my dark skin. I pick up a baggy hoodies off the floor and pull it over my shoulders as I walk down the hallway to Cameile and Kira's room. With the curtains drawn the room is dark but I can still make out the silhouettes of the two girls top and tailing on a small mattress in the middle of the floor. I open the curtains and light floods the room.

"Ty?" Cameile says rubbing her eyes.

"It's time to get dressed," I say "get Kira up."

I tip-toe into the kitchen cautions not to wake my father. I take out the bread and make two peanut butter sandwiches, one for Cameile and one for Kira. My stomach tightens at the sight of food, I am severely hungry but we don't have enough to feed me as well, my sisters must come first. We go outside to wait for the bus, the sun just beginning to illuminate the sky. I watch the people on the streets, ratty houses, garbage all over the place, walls and fences covered in graffiti. The hiss of the breaks from the bus snaps me out of my trance.

There are a lot of people on the bus, they all watch as we get on. I hand a few small coins to the driver, he nods at me so I gesture my sisters to sit at a free seat while I stand next to them. The people on this bus could be all sorts of crazy I won't take any chances. My body jerks forward slightly when the bus takes off.

We get off at a busier part of town but just as dirty. I hold the girls on either side of me holding their hands tightly. "Aunty!" Cameile and Kira shout simultaneously. She throws her arms open embracing them. "Hey Tyrese," Aunty Smiles, she looks just like my mother did; dark skin, long black hair and the most welcoming smile. "What happened to your face?" she says twisting my chin to look at my bruise, I winch at the pain. "Nothing," I say too defensively. I look at Kira holding her hand and Cameile standing next to her. If anyone found out what my father was doing, my sisters might get taken away and I couldn't bear losing them, not after I lost my mum. "I...I have to go," I say. "I'll be back to pick them up around six."

"Alright," she nods, "see you then sweetie." I turn and start towards the convenience store I work at.

I accidently knock someone's shoulder as I walk through a crowd of people, "Dude?" the man mumbles as he walks past. When I walk into the store the clock reads 8:36, oh no I'm late I think to myself. "You're late!" my boss says walking up to me, "your shift starts at 8:30," he says in a gruff voice. "I know I'm sorry Sir I just... He put his hand up to shush me.