Just move.
Mum struggles beneath him, but then her hand slips from his arm and falls limply to the floor.
“No!” I scream.
The sound bursts from me as I launch myself at father.
His head snaps in my direction, his brows furrow the moment he sees me.
He lets go of mum and rises to his feet.
I start hitting him, punching him and doing anything I can. But he catches me by the hair and throws me away from him.
“Mum!” I scream. “Mommy!”
My eyes dart back to her, she’s not moving.
Not moving at all.
I look up at father.
“Why isn’t she moving?” I ask.
“She’s dead,” he says simply.
“Dead?” I stare at him. “Why would she be dead?”
The horror crawls over me as I look from him to mum.
“You... you killed my mommy?”
“She tried to take you away from me.”
He doesn’t get to say anything else.
I scream and throw myself at him again, hitting whatever I can reach.
“Enough!” he roars before shoving me away so hard I crash onto the floor.
“You should have stayed in your room where you belong. I don’t know how you got out, but now that you’re here, listen carefully. You will keep your mouth shut, because if you ever open it and tell anyone what happened here, you’ll end up exactly like her.”
His eyes flick towards mum.
My chest tightens until it hurts.
“I’ll kill you,” I say, my voice shaking. “I’ll grow up and I’ll kill you. I hate you.”
I launch myself at him again, but this time he punches me.
Pain explodes through my face and I taste blood.
The force sends me sprawling back onto the marble.
“I’ll tell the police,” I spit out.
His foot slams into my stomach, knocking the air from my lungs and folding me in half.
“You’ll do no such thing.”
