Pushing myself up, my arms buckling slightly under me, my vision blurry. I didn’t cry. I wouldn’t give him that. He loomed over me, breathing heavily as if he’d just lifted a truck, and gripped my face in his hand. “You think this is a game, Screech?” He snarled. “You think you’re a big man now? You wanna talkback, raise your voice, throw your little insults? I’ll knock that attitude out of you one swing at a time.”
He raised his hand again. But this time, I moved. I ducked low, fast, and grabbed the first thing my fingers touched: a cracked mug from the drying rack. I swung it, wild and shaking, and it shattered against his arm. Danny roared, “You little shit!”
I didn’t wait. Pushing past him, I sprinted out of the kitchen, blood pounding in my ears like a war drum. Mum shouted something, maybe my name, but Danny’s rage swallowed it as he charged after me, smashing into furniture, knocking a chair clean over.
I hit the stairs two at a time, my feet thudding like gunfire. Behind me, the house shook, bursting into our room, slamming the door, and locking it. My chest heaved. My hands shaking. Squeeks sat up in bed, wide-eyed, clutching her ragged rabbit toy to her chest.
“Screech?” she whispered. “What’s happening?”
I dropped to my knees beside her, my face hot with pain and fury. “It’s alright,” pulling her close. “It’s just noise. Just noise.” But downstairs, Danny was howling. Kicking the walls and slamming his fists into the banister.
“I’ll fuckin’ kill you!” And I knew he meant it. I knew something had changed tonight, something that couldn’t be reversed.
CHAPTER 5
Ihadn’t slept; I just lay there all night on the floor beside the bed. My jaw was pounding, my eye swollen, and my ears tuned to every creak of the house. But nothing came after that storm. Just silence. That awful, mocking silence reminding you that you’re still here. Thanks, guess it’s another day in Satan’s arsehole for us.
My eye had puffed up so much that it hurt every time I blinked. It felt as if someone had buried hot gravel under my eyelid, heat radiating from it as I ran my fingers over the skin.
I couldn’t bring myself to look in the mirror, as I now sported a constant reminder of how much I hated Danny. My body ached as I sat up on the mattress, pained groans leaving me as I tucked my knees up towards my chest. My eyes drifted to Squeeks, sprouting a smile as she laid there catching flies. I needed to wake her soon, as another school day loomed, and I wasn’t about to let her fall into the same cracks I had. She would protest and tell me she didn’t feel great, but I never bought it.
I stood to my feet, rummaging through the pile of clothes that littered the floor, looking for something warmer to wear as my skin prickled. There was a chill this morning, matching the feeling that ran through this house daily, cold and uninviting.
Squeeks stirred as I was pulling on another hoodie over my head. She lay there for a moment, her eyes narrow as they adjusted to the light. She sleepily gripped the sheets as I grabbed them, fighting against her to pull them back.
“Come on sleepyhead, I gotta get you to school.”
“I don’t want to go to school, I don’t feel well.” I glared at her, listening to her whiny tone, waiting for her to stop.
“You done? You know it doesn’t work with me. Come on lazybones, shift.” She continued her usual protest, ranging from “I’m hungry” to “I have a temperature” and so on, as she mumbled, rubbing her eyes and sitting up in bed.
I crouched down to her.
“Squeeks, there’s nothing wrong with you. You do this every morning, and by the end of the day, you’ve had a great time. So, if you shift your butt, you might make it to breakfast club.” She blinked at me, eyes still cloudy with sleep. But then she saw my face, the bruises already deepening into purple storms, the split just under my eye. Her little hands reached out, touching my cheek before I could turn away.
“Did Danny do that?” I didn’t answer.
“Is Mummy okay?” Still nothing. I couldn’t lie anymore. But the truth, the actual truth, wasn’t something an eight-year-old should ever have to carry.
So, I just said, “She’s asleep.” I grabbed her hand before she could ask anything else.
We crept down the stairs like ghosts. The destruction of Danny's path lay bare across the house. An ashtray knocked over, and beer cans were scattered across the floor—A broken chair in the kitchen, and somehow, one of Danny’s trainers in the sink.
Mum was out cold on the sofa, tucked under her leopard print coat, mouth half open and mascara smudged down both cheeks, leaving black rivers on her skin.
The telly was chiming with some early morning kids’ program as I slipped inside, making sure Danny wasn’t awake. His head lolled back in the chair, one hand hanging down like a dead animal. We stepped out into the early morning. Cold bit at ourfingers as I shoved my sleeve down over her hand and wrapped mine around hers like always. We didn’t talk, just huddled trying to keep each other warm from the bitter wind that whipped around us. The streets were weirdly quiet for this time of day. Usually, the roads were full of SUVs, kids tumbling from the backseats as their backpacks bounced over their shoulders. But this morning it was oddly quiet.
Some bloke smoked outside the betting shop, waiting for it to open as he watched us like we were stray dogs. After a while, Squeeks pulled on my hand, grabbing my attention.
“I don’t want you to get hurt anymore.”
“I’m alright.” Reassuring her with a calm tone and a half smile.
“You’re not. I don’t want to leave you with him.”
I squeezed her hand, “Don’t worry about me; I’ll be fine.” I shifted my eyes down at her. “But remember, as long as I’m around, no one’s touching you. Understand?” She gave a gentle nod before resting her head against my arm.
We reached the school gates before the rest of the kids arrived; the smell of toast filled the air. I lowered myself in front of her, pulling the oversized rucksack higher on her shoulders.
