The child sits alone!

She sits silently by her window looking out longing for her parents
to fall asleep. At age 10 she has grown up much faster than she should
have. In the other room she hears the roars of her father as he bellows
out his words at her mother.

The sharp sound of his hand coming in contact with her face sends the
girl out her door. And in the middle of the dispute. "Don't daddy
don't" cries the girl. In hopes that he will stop.

But his arm begins to pull back and the large hand falls piercingly
upon her own face. Tears fall down her face as she pulls her mother
into her room. "Mom wait here I have to go get my little brother," the
girl says.

The girl opens the door and then shuts it and runs to get her brother.
She reaches him sound asleep in his bed. She uses all her might to pick
him up and carry him to her room.

Just then dad walks in and starts to yell. She knows he is about to
start with the abuse again. She quickly wakes her brother and sends him
to her room. She stays to divert her fathers attention.

His hand wide open and full of strength comes down across her back and
then her legs. She turns to run and gets it one more time across her
face.

She reaches her room and locks the door. Now she feels safe. Her father
leaves the house slamming the door behind him.

As her drunken mother and brother lay sleeping on her bed she looks out
her window and thinks to herself. Why do they have to drink, and do
drugs? Why did they have children? What did we do so wrong to deserve
this? And why the hell isn't anyone protecting us?