Engaged to You

My nightmares go like this...

"What do you mean, we haven't got the money, John?!" She screamed, throwing her hands up, knocking her chair over as she stood from the dinner table, collecting her barely touched dinner and marching to the kitchen.

"Exactly what I said!" The man exploded, rising from his seat, ignoring his kids, who looked down, scared to get in the way. "It's not my fault you spend it on shit we don't need!"

"Don't need!" The woman rounded on him, her eyes flashing dangerously. "Don't need?! Do you want to have dinner at night, John? Do you want the kids to be fed?"

"That's not the point. I saw those boots you bought! How much were they, Wendy? $600? $1000?"

The woman ground her teeth together, her face red with anger. "Kids," She snapped, shooting he husband a dirty look. "Get out. Go to bed. Leigh, take them up stairs."

Her eldest son rolled his eyes, grabbing his little brother and sister by the arms and hauling them out of the room.

As they reached the stair case, the screaming match resumed in the kitchen. The girl yanked her arm from her older brothers, sitting her six-year-old body on the stairs, frowning.

"Get uo, you stupid girl!" Her odler brother hissed, grabbing at the back of her shirt.

She yelped as she was pulled backwards up the stairs. She struggled in his grip, twisting around. Leigh struggled to hold onto her, while balancing a sleeping, four-year-old Jack in his arms. "Stop it, Emma." He yelled at his sister, slapping her around the legs. "Move. Go to bed, now."

The girl whimpered, finally free, but instead ran back towards the kitchen. Her brother sighed, but did not follow. She will learn, he told himself as he left her there.

The stopped in the doorway, peeking around the opening at her parents. Her mother was on the floor, blood trickeling from the side of her mouth. She wiped it away, a cruel look on her face as she stood up.

"Get out, John. Get away from me." She snarled.

The man stood up from where he had been kneeling beside his wife, getting his coat from the back of his chair and spooning a little bit of cold potatos into his mouth.

"No one will believe you. Get out. Leave me, get away." She snarled again, throwing a cup at the door, where it shattered, glass spraying the little gilr hiding there.

She yelped, pulling the glass frantically from her locks.

Niether parent noticed.

"Wendy, seriously, we can comprimise on this. I'll stop going to the pub with the boys on Fridays and you-,"

The woman lept forward, slapping her husband across the face with shut force that his head snapped back, his eyes watering. "Get out!" She screamed, stamping her foot and curling her hands into fists. "GET OUT!"

Her husband stared at her, his eyes searching. "Who are you?" he asked, his voice just above a whisper. "Who are you?"

The woman threw another glass at him as he backed out of the room. The little girl followed him, trying to find the words to stop him leaving. But he just opened the door and walked out, getting into his car and driving away.

She stood on the pourch watching as he drove down the street, wondering if she'd ever seen him again. Thunder brewed over head and the girl turned to go back inside the house.

The door was locked. She was alone. In the dark.

Curling up into a ball, she lay there, shaking with fear as the lightning falshed and the sky opened up, raining falling down.