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Finn swallows nervously.
“I ASKED YOU A QUESTION!!!” Papa bellows, making us both flinch.
“It’s a jail!” Finn blurts.
“And who. Is. THAT.” His finger stabs the drawing as Finn shrinks.
“I—”
“Is it me?”
Finn pales. “I—it’s only a drawing, Papa—”
He shrieks as the back of our father’s hand smacks him across the face, sending him sprawling on the floor. I scream and jump to my feet. But our father whirls on me, snarling.
“SIT DOWN.”
He spins back to Finn, his mouth a thin line, his eyes filled with malice.
“Honor thy father, boy.”
“Papa! Please!” I scream. He ignores me.
He walks over to the corner of the room where Dr. Thompson keeps art supplies, kids’ books, and some toys for us. His hand clasps the thin, pink rubber jump rope I’ve gotten fairly good at. He pulls it from its hook , gripping both plastic handles in his fist and coiling the cable once around his hand.
“If you think I am the devil, my son,” he rasps, “then I will beat the devil from you.”
Finn scrambles to his feet and tries to run. But Papa is too fast. He grabs him by the back of his shirt, yanking him to the ground before slamming him into the wall. He raises his fist, and I scream as loudly as Finn as the pink rubber jump rope sings through the air and whips across Finn’s back.
“NO!”
No. Not this. Not to Finn, who’s so kind and sweet it hurts my heart. Before I realize it, I grab a pencil, rush my father, and don’t even blink as I stab the point into his shoulder. It stays lodged in there. Oh God, what have I done.
Papa roars, whirling with rage in his eyes. He hisses, letting go of Finn and reaching up and back to yank the pencil from his body. He tosses it away, his eyes slowly lifting to me as I stand there, petrified with fear.
Then he smiles.
“The will to be brutal. To kill or be killed.” His eyes flash. “Thereis my daughter.”
The smile evaporates from his face.
“Do you think I’m wrong for punishing your brother?”
I swallow. “Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s just a picture.”
He shakes his head. “Wrong. Because when you let them hurt and betray you in small ways, they will come back and do it two-fold the next time. Now, shall I continue correcting him?”
I shake my head. “No.”
“The punishment must come, Una. If it doesn’t come for Finn—”
“I’ll take it.”
Finn stares at me in horror.
