Behind The Church

IX

Christina

As I walk through the lonely streets of LA beneath the darkening sky, this night of February colder than it is usually, I only have one thing on my mind, and that is I have to make sure my siblings are okay.

I wish I could take them with me, but my dad would kill them when he sees them next. I don't doubt his misdirected and unnecessary anger for a second. My siblings are constantly at risk and I cannot sleep knowing that I didn't even try to help them. So here I am, trying.

To my demise, it's only a nine minute, thirty four and a half seconds, nine-hundred and forty-two step, walk to get to my home. If one could even call it that.

I don't feel at home at all here. Kate is my home.

I let myself in through the front door. Being careful to not alert my dad, I quietly tread through the house and to the stairs. Luckily, I was able to get past this time. Normally, he caches me.

I find Esther in our shared room. It was myself, Esther, Audrey, Quinn and Olivia in this room.

"Tina!" she whispers when she sees me.

"Hey, I came to check up on you. Is everything okay? Where's Olivia?" I ask my fourteen year old sister.

"Mom is bathing her. You have to go soon though, dad will find out you're here." she worries.

"Not happening, I'm gonna check up on everyone and then I'll go. Okay?"

"Okay." she nods.

I go to leave the room but I feel a hand take mine, Esther following me to the boys' room.

"Christina!" Malachai, my twin brother exclaims quite loud as runs to hug me.

"Mali, you have to be quiet." I whisper as I pull away from him.

Psalm, Esther's twin brother, is quick to hug me next. Followed by Elijah, Luke and finally Obediah. I catch up with them all as quietly as we can, talking with hushed tones and not moving around too much.

It all goes fine until we hear glass smashing downstairs. Followed by loud and slurred curses.

"Someone! Get down here, now!" he bellows.

"I'll go." I say.

"No, Tina. Not again." Elijah tries, but I'm already out of the room, closing the door before I tip toe down the stairs.

I can his frustrated grunts and broken glass moving around against the kitchen floor.

Once I reach the kitchen, I see a glass has been shattered and my dad getting another one, just to smash it in the floor again.

"What's the matter?" I ask softly. I try not to be too aggressive with him or I could end up hurting not only myself, but everyone else.

He turns around to me quickly, his face contorting into an expression of anger.

"Where have you been?" he spits, not an ounce of love in his voice.

"Why is there glass all over the floor?" I ask.

"Answer me, bitch. And while you do, you can clean up your mess. It only happened because I was too pissed off with you."

I nod, grabbing the dust pan and brush to sweep up the glass. I still don't answer his question.

"Aren't you going to answer me, whore? Or do I have to force it out of you?"

He grabs my hair and brings my head back, getting uncomfortably close to my face. I start to squirm, something I know I shouldn't do but I can't stop it. My body has a mind of its own.