“Don’t you ever tell me what to do—you can’t control me. I am the boss around here.” Victor kicked Ruth on the floor the third time sending pain through her spine.

Joan who had run into hiding when her father started acting wildly came out from her hiding and stood by the door as she watched her mother lying helplessly on the floor.

She could count the number of assaults on her mother by her father but she knew she could do nothing about it. 

Her father was such a bully and always never wants anyone’s opinion on any issue in the family. She saw the tears and anguishes in her mother’s eyes. The tears all shootings fears into her tender heart.

How long will she take this?

This is what she knew she got no answer to at the moment.

She felt like doing something, something like what?

She stood afar off in fear. She managed a scream but it was caught up in her throat at the sight of a gun.

Is he going to use it?

What is he going to do?

He knew his father was drunk and could do anything stupid. The sight of her Mom still on the floor got her feet unmovable, but never got her thoughts burning into flames.

Suddenly, Victor sensing her eyes behind his back turned in her direction and watched her nine-year-old daughter gazing angrily at him. He wondered what she got in her little mind but was careless as he shouted.

“Get lost little girl and don’t stand there and watch me do this. Both of you are no good—like mother, like daughter. Run or I use this on you too.”

Ruth on hearing Victor’s threat struggled to roll over but the pain still hurts. She lifted her head and spoke out in grieve, “Joan, run.”

Joan moved but somehow discovered she was still rooted to that spot. She has been standing for minutes watching, watching everything. 

When she noticed his father approach. And the weak voice of her mother, Ruth calling out again. This time piercing through the air, she withdrew and shut the door behind her and then leans on it defeated.

She knows Victor can’t get her now but what about mother?

What if he uses the gun?

What if the first shot shatters her brain?

Only if she could help her now, her thought ran wild again—figuring how to help Ruth out of the hell she is going through.

Minutes later, when she heard the bang on the door, her heart skipped. And then started pounding against her chest. 

Is Victor coming for me?

Is Ruth dead?

But I didn’t hear any gunshot.

But what if he strangulates her to death?

Suddenly, her thoughts dropped as she leans frozen behind the closed door. But by the time her thoughts resurrected again. It suddenly did when she thought she heard a gunshot. Then her thoughts crawled for a while but another gunshot came again. She knew it wasn’t but another furious bang on the door.