A Broken Home

The cracking and the cries made the young girl tremble, her dark gray eyes squeezed shut as she heard her brother once again getting hit for something. She was shaking, squeezing her hands over her ears. Once things got quiet, she slowly pulled her hands away and wandered to the bathroom. "Jeremy.." she sniffled softly and looked at the blood. "Wait.. You're bleeding.." she whispered and grabbed a rag and went to go to him to try and stop the bleeding.

Jeremy looked back at his younger sister, tears in his eyes. "I'm sorry..." He whispered. "I didn't meant to wake you or him." He told her, wincing as she touched his wounds. "Use...use whats left of my shirt." He told her, before opening the medicine cabinate, and getting the tape. They had lots of it. "Use this...to hold it in place...so I don't get blood on the carpet, or he'll really kill me."

"No.. no that's dirty.. I'll wash these in the sink tomorrow." she turned, grabbing the bandages from him and started to carefully clean the wounds. "Shh.. don't' squirm." Her fingers were gentle, and she was used to doing this for him as she was sure he was used to doing it for her too.

He shut his eyes, hearing his father once again start raping their no doubt passed out mother. He didn't care at all about them. Jeremy just hoped to anyone who would listen, that one day he would be able to make Gelert suffer. Any way possible.

She cleaned him carefully and tried to block out the sound of sound of her father's grunting and the bed squeaking. "We should.. move to our room.." she whispered softly and carefully taped the bandage down.

He nodded, taking her hand tenderly, and pulling her gently into their room. "Remember..if he comes in, or we hear him coming to the room, hide in the closet." He whispered. He didn't know why he did, but he always told her to hide in the closet. He didn't want their father to touch her.

She nodded a bit and sat down on the bed, carefully cleaning him up and then went to put the rags in a bucket of water so the blood wouldn't dry and she threw away the trashed shirt. She rinsed her hands in the bucket of water and went to her brother, moving into his bed and hugged to him carefully so she wouldn't hurt him.

He hugged her back softly, keeping her close, always keeping an ear open in case she fell asleep, as she usually did, and Gelert decided it was time for another lesson, which happened occasionally. He stroked his sister's hair lightly, not wanting her to ever be hurt. That's why he seemed to always take the beatings handed out. Even the ones that were meant for her.

She was young, easily worn out and did fall asleep in his arms once she was next to him. She breathed deeply and slowly as she clung to him in her sleep.

He fell asleep imself only after the creaking stopped and he heard snores coming from the next room. Even then his sleep was light, as if he was waiting for the creaks of his father's bed meaning he was up and on his way to their room.

Once the sun started to come up the small girl woke up and slid carefully out of her brother's arms and grabbed the rag to wash it out, cleaning up any blood as well. She sighed and wiped her head, making sure room was clean. She then went out to kitchen and opened the fridge, her stomach growling. She sighed.. there was a bunch of alcohol but hardly any food as usual. She went instead to the cabinet, pulling out an old cup of noodle and added hot water and let it sit in the water.. the microwave was busted last week when their father had yelled at their mother for dinner not being hot enough when he had gotten home four hours late from work.

Jeremy was hungry as well, and when he walked out, seeing nothing else to eat, he knew that it was okay. He smiled at her lightly, knowing he'd probably sneak some food from a few other students. Or maybe even steal something from the convinence store on his way home he knew it was a risk. He father almost put him in the hospital a couple months back when Jeremy had been caught  shoplifting a couple chocolate bars.

She was sitting down in the back yard, the cup of noodle on a black as she sighed and dusted the hair from her eyes again. She needed a hair cut, and for her hair to be brushed but it wasn't like their mother was ever sober enough to do it. But this was the time of day she liked best.. in the early morning her parents slept, which meant she got to have a little peace and quiet. No tv or course or it might wake them but at least she could play outside if she was quiet.

He walked out quietly, sitting down to keep an eye on her. He didn't want to lose her...she was the reason he didn't just run away. He knew that if he did, she would be their new target.

She smiled as he walked up. "Good morning.. is.. your back okay?" she asked softly, a little worried about her brother. Her father didn't usually break skin but last night he was pretty hammered.

He smiled a little. "I've had worse sis...it could have been like a couple months ago...when he almost put me in the hospital." He said softly. He smiled lightly, hugging her. He walked in to the house and came out with her noodles. "They're ready sis...you go ahead. I'll get something on the way to school."

She picked it up and opened it, it wasn't great food but at least it was something to stop her stomach from growling. "I can't eat the whole thing.." she whispered. "It's too much.. have some too."

He smiled lightly. "I'll be okay...I ate yesterday. You eat now. " He told her quietly. It was a lie, and he knew it. The two of them had barely eaten at all the last few days. He was starving, but his little sister came first. "If it gets bad enough...I'll get something on the way either to or from school."