The kitchen was narrow, and Father was pushed back as Mother kept attacking.
In my scramble to avoid the violence, her fist hit the same spot—everything went blurry, and I couldn’t hear or see.
Classical music—delusion—filled the darkness.
Dim light filtered through my abused corneas—half the field of vision was black, and in the other half, I clawed blindly at Mother’s face and neck with bloody nails.
I clutched at her shirt.
She screamed something I couldn’t hear.
Her fist caught my mouth, and my blood sprayed across Mother’s scratched face as I held on for dear life, desperate to stop them from getting to Charlie.
Just keep them occupied. They’ll get tired, then go for an opening.
“Let me in, Alexis—let me in NOW!” Nyx’s voice hiss-screamed from outside. She must have returned from her hunt and heard the commotion.
She can help me protect Charlie.
I lunged for the door to let her in, but Father lunged with me. He dragged me back into the kitchen (hell) and threw me toward Mother (a demon from said place).
Her punishing blow caught the side of my head—everythingburned. I clawed at her as she grappled.
“Kid, let me in right now!”The trailer rocked as Nyx slammed against it.
Mother’s fist once again caught my left eye, and lights exploded. Black ringed my vision.
Blood was everywhere.
She screamed in my face—I screamed back.Oh, look, we’re harmonizing. Mozart would have loved this.
Another blow slammed against the side of my head, and my fingers loosened as everything spun faster.
Stay focused. You’re losing it, Alexis. Concentrate.
Panic welled, sharp and hot, like I’d been stabbed straight through the heart.Charlie’s in danger. Don’t you dare pass out.
CRASH!
The world exploded—the window next to us shattered into a million pieces.
Glass rained.Oh, look, it’s a crescendo.
I staggered backward, slipping on blood and glass as I struggled to catch my bearings.
Shards were everywhere.
The trailer was painted in streaks of red becausesomethinghad come through the window from the outside.
Father pointed at me, then he was pointing at Mother, and they were screaming at each other. I pointed at the sink and screamed.
They shrieked and jumped back, pushing at each other to get away from the imaginary sink monster. Their pushing turned into shoving, then a fist was thrown. They fought each other.
That diversion was more successful than expected.
Chest pain randomly skewered my sternum.
Great, I’m having a heart attack at eleven. Any other day, and I would have welcomed a cardiac embolism with open arms. But not now. Not when Charlie was depending on me.
