I wanted to live in my Barbie dream house.
It was pink and had a swimming pool, plus she had Ken and he was a hottie. It was my favourite toy. Barbie, her friends, Ken and her horses. It was the five year olds fantasy life, simple. Happy.
That was until my father came home from work one day. He was an electrician and things didn't run too smoothly for him on this particular Tuesday.
I knew whenever he had a bad day because he would tunnel towards the fridge and pop open a beer. Stomping around the house heavy-footed, slamming the kitchen cabinets closed but worst of all, his temper ran short.
"Barbie you look so pretty in your dress!" Ken told her.
"Why thank you Ken, I picked it out especially for you."
"Millie, would you shut the fuck up you little brat!" My dad yelled, making my spine run cold.
"Don't talk to her like that." My mom defended me.
"Then shut the little bitch up, I've been working all day. I don't want to come home and listen to her shitty mutterings."
"She's only playing Jed, if you don't want to listen to her play then maybe you should go back to the bedroom, you spend all of your time there anyway."
He stood up, towering over my mom. She held herself tall, trying to remain strong but I could see the fear in her eyes.
My dad grabbed her hair and pulled her head close to his mouth, she cowered down and he whispered something.
Her eyes met with mine, "Millie, go upstairs." She warned but I didn't move.
My father came over to my Barbie dream house and he stomped his foot down, smashing it all to pieces.
"Jed!" Mom yelled. "Millie go upstairs!"
I didn't.
I watched.
I watched my father bang my moms head off the kitchen counter. I watched her cry and beg and bleed. I watched him crush her fingers, squeezing them tightly until the bones cracked.
I watched until I couldn't see it anymore because my eyelids shot open and I brought in a gasp of air, checking Everly was still sleeping peacefully next to me.
Go to bed, I'll sort it.
He said, but as if I could.
I had climbed into bed beside my daughter, getting her settled in a strange bedroom in a strange house but the thought of willingly closing my eyes and drifting off to sleep was absolutely not going to happen for me, no matter how luxurious the mattress felt.
I guess I dozed, but then I'd wake myself because my subconscious couldn't settle, always clamouring with bad thoughts.
Light snoring fell from Everly, her breathing even and calm. Slowly, I eased myself out of bed and crept across the room not wanting to disturb her. Though I doubt I would, it was actually admirable at how she could sleep through anything.
I just wanted some news on Hendrix, I wanted to be in the know on how River planned to 'sort' that situation, or better still, I wanted to know that he had already sorted it.
I made my way towards the kitchen. His house was silent and dark, he didn't have normal light switches and I didn't know how to work the stupid high-tech system so I just plodded along, feeling my way through the shadows of his house.
The skyline outside the window looked amazing at nightfall, building upon buildings lit up like stars. We were miles above the earth, locked up in his little tower of fancy but the view was actually something I couldn't complain about.
