Shhh

“Shhh, they’ll hear us.”

“What? Where?”

“Downstairs.. just heard the front door chime open.”

“What do we do?”

“Keep quiet and hope they’re distracted or tired and don’t come up here to check on me.”

“Why they here so soon? Thought they were at the McFinches party.”

“Don’t know. Maybe it got boring. Maybe there wasn’t enough booze.”

“Are they fighting? Your mom sounds scared.”

“Yeah, they do that a lot. Never good. Sounds like he caught her talking to someone she shouldn’t have been.”

“Huh?”

“Dad’s kinda possessive, especially when he gets drinking. He don’t like when she talks to other men.”

“He’s really giving her Hell. Should we do something?””

“Nah, it’ll blow over. I usually put on headphones to tune ‘em out.”

“Sounds like he’s throwing things around. She safe down there? Oof, he made contact with something.”

“What do you care? He ain’t up here. That’s all that matters.”

“Lanie, he sounds crazy.”

“Shhh. What else is new? Don’t your parents fight?”

“Yeah, but not like this. He’s really screaming at her – think he accused her of cheating. Sounds like he’s dragging her around the room down there. Can’t we do anything? ”

“Shhh. The last thing we need is to draw his attention up here. Just sit tight. It’ll be over soon.”

“Lanie, it sounds bad.What if he kills her?”

“Hasn’t done that so far. Look Scott, I live with this every damn day. Sometimes she eggs him on. It’s twisted.”

“He ever go after you like that?”

“Lanie.”

“Shhh. Put on my headphones.”

“No! How can you stand to listen to this?”

“I don’t got a choice. I used to try and help her. Never went well for me… or her.”

“Maybe it’d be better if I scoot out the window and make some kind of distraction - you know – so he stops hurting her.”

“Shhh. That’s a bad idea. If he catches you, we’re all done for.”

“Why doesn’t she leave him?”

“She’s too scared to do anything like that. Plus he has her tailed, so she knows better.”

“What? You father tails your mother?”

“It’s part of his job, you know.”

“Yeah, but you’re not supposed to spy on your own family members. Shit, did he hit her with something.”

“Probably. He likes to go at her with the fire poker sometimes. At least there isn’t a fire going right now.”

“We gotta get outta here. We gotta call the police. This isn’t right.”

“Shhh…”

“Lanie, he’s hurting her, like bad. We gotta do something. Shit, he is…?”

“He gets like this when he’s drinking. It’ll pass.”

“I’m climbing out the window… Maybe I can distract them. Or I can call for help”

“NO! If he finds you… trust me… you don’t want that.”

“But he’s hurting her. You’re okay with that?”

“Better her than me.”

“What are you saying?”

“Shhh.”

“Lanie, he ever hurt you?”

“Shhh.”

“Lanie, answer me. You okay? You’re shaking like a leaf.”

“Shhh.”

“Someone’s coming up the stairs. It’s her. She’s trying to get away from him.”

“Get in the closet.”

“No, what if he…”

“Shhh.”

“Oh God.”