Emily

James and I had a rough childhood. Dad was always away on business and Mom dealt with it by drinking away the lonely nights. At least she wasn't screwing the mailman... Anyways when Dad was home he would treat me like a princess and James like a soldier who refused to stay in line. Sometimes I'd catch him plotting out escape routes from the house, figuring out whose house he could stay at on what night. There would be weeks at a time where he would just go straight up to his room if Dad were home. That is until James turned 15, that’s when he hit back. Dad flipped, he and James went upstairs and I heard it start the usual way. Dad found something out of place and immediately would blame James; the shouting started and then stops with a thud. Not this time though, the shouting stopped but the thud sounded deeper, heavier almost. That’s when I heard the walls break and mirrors shatter, and then it was over for a moment. James had knocked out Dad and was standing over him his back to the stairs. Then he just turned around came downstairs and started eating dinner again. Dad left after that, I only saw him a couple times over the next few years, James never did.