Part 2 (2/2)

”You have it way too easy. The way your mom used to let you get away with everything! If I didn't do my ch.o.r.es, do you know what they would do to us? I was woken up from my sleep and I was beaten! Beaten! It was not a spanking, because there is a big difference. Then I would have to stay up and clean until it was spotless. And I still had to get up and go to school in the morning. So, you had better fix your face right now. Fix it!” His voice echoed off the kitchen walls.

I wiped my eyes as fast as I could and sucked in my cries.

Jack, the monster, continued, ”I didn't even have my own room. Did you know that? I had to share with Jonathan. I had to share everything with my brother. You should be thankful and stop being selfish. Help your mother out more around here.”

His words cut me deep inside. I didn't mean to be selfish. I didn't want to be selfish. Maybe I did deserve it.

”I'm sorry,” I said to him.

”Now, go to bed.” He pointed towards the hallway that led to my bedroom.

I started walking towards my room. When I got there, I let myself fall onto my bed. I lay there for a while, crouched up. I was useless. I hoped that I wouldn't make him angry like that anymore.

From then on, I stayed on top of my ch.o.r.es and tried my best to stay out of Jack's way when he was in monster mode.

As I tried to stay out of his way, I noticed that Nicholas was getting more in his way. Nick and I were always able to talk to each other, and I told Nick to stay out of Jack's way as much as possible. Nick told me that he would, because it scared him when I told him about the spanking. Truthfully, I wanted to scare Nicholas. It was better I scare him than Jack. This was my way of protecting him. Alison didn't seem to need protection. She was with Mom when Mom wasn't at work, and Jack didn't seem too interested in her, anyway. It was always Nick and I who were being yelled at.

Nonetheless, I wanted to protect both of them as much as I could. I would always hate myself for the day that I decided to hang out with my best friend Lexus and her parents one weekend. When I came home from Lexus's house, I realized I had arrived in the middle of a nightmare. When I entered my house, Alison ran to me with tears in her eyes. She was so afraid that she couldn't even speak clearly. Mom was on the couch, reading a magazine, when a loud scream came from the hallway that led to our bedrooms.

Mom stood up suddenly. ”What was that?” she asked Alison. ”Where's Nicholas?”

”Daddy...” Alison managed to get out from between her quivering lips. ”Daddy, he ” She started stuttering.

I hugged her as Mom walked up beside us.

”Alison, where's Nicholas?” I asked her.

”Daddy ripped the cord out of the TV.” She couldn't say any more. She fell into Mom's arms and cried harder.

I stormed toward Nicholas' bedroom. I heard the loud and torturing whacks of the cord going against his flesh. His screams sounded morbid. I grew afraid. I put my hands on the k.n.o.b to open the door, but it was jammed. I couldn't get in.

Nick screamed in what sounded like agony, ”Daddy, no! Please, Daddy, no!”

I started crying with him and Alison. Mom held on to Alison tightly. I ran for the telephone and started to dial 911. Mom rushed over, s.n.a.t.c.hed the phone out of my hand, and hung up the receiver. I looked at her, shocked.

”What are you doing, Mom? He's killing Nicholas! He's killing him!” I could hardly breathe. I was crying so hard.

”No, he's not trying to kill him. He doesn't mean it. You don't know what he has been through. I can handle this.”

”No! I'm calling the police this time!” I shouted.

That's when I felt her hand go across my face. She slapped me hard enough for me to see stars.

”I'm the adult here. You listen to me. You better not pick up the phone,” she threatened. She turned to Alison and said, ”Baby. It's going to be okay. Nick is okay.” Her voice softened as she leaned down to her youngest daughter.

Alison stood with her hands covering her ears. Tears rolled down her face. I watched Mom storm away towards Nicholas' room. I leaned down and grabbed Alison in my arms. I held her to comfort her, but her cries wouldn't stop.

I heard Mom burst through Nicholas' bedroom door.

”That's enough, Jack! That's enough! You are hurting him too much!”

I heard Jack say, ”What do you think I am doing?”

”I don't know, Jack. I don't even think you know what you are doing! Look at yourself! You are hitting him with a television cord!” Then her tone grew gentle. ”Honey, you can't do that.”

”You think I'm abusing him? I would never abuse my own child! What do you think I am?”

”I know, Jack. I know,” she calmly said to him. ”But I think he's got the point, now.”

I let Alison go, and made her sit down. I walked towards Nicholas' bedroom. When I got there, I saw Mom hugging Jack. The television cord was lying on the floor next to Nicholas, who was also on the floor.

What is going on? I thought.

I looked down at Nicholas, all alone and in pain. I wanted to go to him and hold him in my arms to stop his crying. Jack stared me down when I came to the door. His eyes held so much anger. It was as if he was daring me to go to Nicholas. I was afraid he was going to hurt me if I moved any closer.

Nicholas was crouched up with his knees pressed close to his chest. He was s.h.i.+vering. Mucus and tears drenched his face. He was bruised all over his back and his legs. I could see the whip marks, red and deep, on his skin. Some of his wounds were bleeding.

I couldn't stand still. I walked over to Nicholas and pulled him into my arms. I looked up at Mom as she held onto Jack and comforted him. Anger welled up inside of me. I felt my nostrils flare at her the way they did when I was very angry.

I helped Nicholas up and put a robe over him. Alison hadn't listened to me when I'd told her to stay put on the couch in the living room. She stood in the doorway, crying. Jack went over to her and hugged her.

”Why are you crying?” he had the nerve to ask her.

”Because Nick is hurting,” she cried.

”Nick only got a spanking,” Mom covered up. ”He's all right.”

I glared at Mom. Mom hugged Alison, and she and Jack took Alison to her bedroom to calm her down. I stayed with Nick. I looked at him as he took a deep breath and wiped his face with his hands.

”Nick,” I called out to him once we were alone. ”I told you to stay out of his way. I am sorry I wasn't here. What happened?”

”I didn't clean my room, and he...It's hard to stay out of his way, Kristen. He's always -” He stopped.

”He's always what?” I asked.

He didn't answer me. He just looked at me.

”Does Dad try to do things to you?” I asked him as low as I could so that no one else could hear me.

His eyes grew big in shock. ”What do you mean?”

”Listen to me, Nick. I want you to know that you can tell me anything. You can tell me absolutely anything you want to tell me. Does Dad ever try to touch you the bad way?”

Nick looked down and shook his head.

”No?” I had to make sure.

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