My blue eyes are especially bright tonight as I stare at them through the streaky mirror in the bathroom.

Then again it could have something to do with the various angry red veins striking my iris.

Being a red-head I blush naturally quite brightly and quite regularly and while I wish I could say that this is the reddest I've seen my face, I and many others know that it's a lie.

Both cheeks are painted crimson from Axels hits, the broken capillaries are stark against my pale complexion. From afar some could assume that I've gone too heavy on the blush but upon closer inspection you begin to see the individual finger marks spreading across to my ears.

As I stare at my cheeks, the sound starts echoing in my ears.

The sound of flesh hitting flesh, the sound of two emotions exploding upon impact.

Anger and pain.

The sound of two people fighting, the sound of utter hatred and anguish...
It could be a friend against foe, an enemy against enemy, stranger and unlucky victim or in my past my Dad against my Mum.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"How fucking dare you?!"
Mum screams while I sink lower into my chair at the table.

I stare hotly and intensely at the peas rolling around my plate.
Each time something is thrown a pea darts off in a different direction.

I pretend I'm Matilda and that I'm controlling the gross vegetable with my mind.
Willing it to fly off the table and hopefully roll out of sight.

"It's not my fault that you're here you crazy bitch! You told me that you wouldn't be home until seven!"
Dad thunders back as he avoids another plate as it sails through the air and smashes into the cream painted wall behind him.

Thankfully it's plastic and only lets out a hollow cry before hitting the floor. We changed all the kitchen items to plastic, the clean up was getting too messy.

"Katherine felt sick and couldn't go to karate tonight. You promised that you'd limit this to when we were staying somewhere else overnight!" Mum replies quickly and I risk a glance up, breaking my mental connection with the pea and stare worriedly at her shoulders rising and falling too quickly.

The doctors say that she shouldn't get worked up, it's not good for her.

"You haven't been away for months! We both agreed to this Miranda, yet every time we go through the same arguments."

"I agreed only when I wouldn't come face to face with whatever slut you chose next."

It's incredible how quickly a scene can change, tonight Mum and I were getting along really well.

Mum picked me up early from school because I felt sick.
I then got to pick what to have for dinner, besides the whole peas thing.
That was definitely Mums idea.
Then as we were settling down to have our roast chicken meal Dad walked in with a pretty girl.

Mum and Dad call it an 'open relationship.'
I don't think they're doing it right though.

I've checked the doors at night before and they're still locked tight like usual, nothing is left open so I don't get it. Also Mum never brings girls over, Mum has just been crying a lot.

"What did I say about swearing in front of Katherine?!" Dad screams and I jump, startled at my name being brought up.
I'm not usually the girl they focus on during their arguments.

"She's ten Mike. She isn't a baby anymore. But this is disgusting, your actions are fouler than my words. Look at your Dad now Katherine! Look at this sleazy, no good ass-"
Now the objects are being forgotten, now Dad lunges at Mum and I watch all the anger fade from her eyes.

Now it's the part I hate the most.

"Don't. You. Ever. Turn. My. Child. Against. Me. Again."
Each word that is ground out by Dad is followed with a harsh slap.
I whimper in my seat and it isn't until I notice Mums nose begin to bleed that I quickly push my chair back and run over to my parents.

"Stop! Stop it Dad!" I scream as I try to wedge myself between the both of them.
Mum is practically being held up by Dad yet she still tries to swat me away.

At this moment I wish that the girl Dad brought didn't flee the moment she saw Mum.
I wish she was still here to help me, I can't protect my Mum alone and the realisation causes me to start sobbing.

"Now what about you Katherine? Why didn't you go to karate?"
Dad questions and I begin to shake as Dad releases Mum who quickly crumbles and he latches onto my arms, bringing his red splotchy face down to mine.

"Sh-She was sick Mike. Leave her alone!" Mum wheezes out and I glance worriedly at her shaking form, tears making my eyesight go blurry.

I don't trust myself to speak so the only sounds that can be heard is my Mums whistling lungs and my guttural sobbing.

"You have to go to these classes Katherine. You don't want to be as weak as your Mum do you?!" I remain silent, clenching my eyes tighter when Dads grip grows tighter on my thin arms.

"DO YOU?!" He suddenly screams in my face and wanting nothing more than to flee the room I quickly shake my head.

I can feel Mums gaze burning hotly into mine but I don't want to see her hurt gaze so instead I drop my gaze to the floor.

"Next week you're starting a new martial arts and I expect you to be at every lesson. Do you understand?" Nodding my head frantically I let out a breath of relief as his hands unlatch from my arms.

Feeling lightheaded from anxiety I allow Dad to usher me out of the room and I bound up the stairs in a daze before closing my door gently.
I can hear the screaming beginning again but this time I don't interfere.

This time I huddle against the door, my body tightly held in a foetal position and I remain stiff like that until sleep whisks me away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I tried to continue martial arts, I really did.
But every time I could hear flesh hitting flesh I'd fall to the ground in hysterics.

Dad wanted me to learn to fight to be stronger than Mum.
Mum wanted me to learn to fight off Dad one day but I couldn't do it.

I never wanted to hurt anyone.

Once I finally got it through to my parents that I was incapable of fighting the dynamic of the house changed once again.

Mum and Dad fought with each other less and instead applied their focus onto me.

Dad started hitting me at thirteen, only a year before he was taken away.
He started buying Mum more cigarettes and Mum got too sick to shoo me away.

Dad bruised me where others couldn't see and for that I was both grateful and pained to have to keep up the charade of a happy family.

I was glad that I could protect Mum, I was glad that my body was being hurt instead of her sick one.

Dad hit a person while drink-driving when I was fourteen and was locked away for ten years.

With Dad no longer supplying the cigarettes and Mum not being able to afford them I was given the opportunity to coax my Mum back to better health.
Most of the damage had been done to her body but her mind was able to clear as Dads stifling presence was lifted.

Nobody in my family know about the abuse.
Mum isn't able to handle that kind of attention especially with her weakened state and if I reveal Dads abuse then people would question my Mum and her lack of protection of me and I'd forgiven my Mum long ago.

We were both healing silently and that's the way we wanted it to be.

But now I need to draw on my strength and draw on the very limited training that I received as a child.
Now I need to protect my cousin and fight for her like my Mum should have fought for me.

I splash some cold water over my face, causing my curls to stick to my cheeks and glare at my reflection.
Our chance to escape is going to be tomorrow, I can feel it in my heart that it's our best shot.

I can't let Dana down like my Mum let me down.

I use our towel from earlier to dry my face and finally walk out into the hallway where Axel is leaning against the wall and waiting.
He surprisingly gave me a lot of time but I'm certain that it's because he's still trying to sort through what happened earlier.

Dana's Fathers words still ring in my own ears as I silently follow Axel back to the bedroom.

His image while grainy still showed his disheveled appearance, he had a beard growing out which even I hadn't seen before and there were dark circles beneath his eyes.
He looked lost and terrified.
My Mum was nowhere to be seen.

"Please, whoever has my Daughter and Niece please hear me out if you are listening. I am the head of the police force, I have many years of experience and I will ensure that every officer within my force follows every lead that we have. We will find you, this won't be kept quiet and you will be stopped."

That's all that Uncle Adam could say before the story was dropped and replaced with a story about petrol prices rising drastically.

The sinking feeling in my chest grows stronger as I selfishly take a moment to worry about my car.
I hope someone is caring for my baby.

Dana is clenching my shirt, pulling it down and revealing some cleavage accidentally.
I'm quick to grab a pillow and hold it over my chest before glancing over at the men.
Thankfully neither are looking our way and are instead sharing worried glances.

Their phone suddenly rings and they both breathe deeply before Axel takes out the cheap phone.

"I answered them last time."
He grumbles before tossing the phone to Rosik who catches it reluctantly and slowly lifts it to his ear.

I can't hear what is being said on the other end due to Dana's sobbing but I know it's about the revelation of Dana's Dad being a chief police-man.

"I know. No we didn't know- We can't do anything now, just let me speak!" There is a moment of silence as Rosik listens attentively to whatever is being said on the other end.

Axel looks, nervous and I'm filled with unease.
Nerves frazzle people and I won't be able to handle these two if they become even more unhinged.

Suddenly Rosiks eyes fly up to meet mine and I freeze, busted.

Instead of looking angry Rosik looks desperate and I'm taken aback by the sudden raw emotion.
Axel tries to catch his attention, demanding to be filled in but Rosik ignores him and keeps his gaze on me.

"No. That is not an option. Everything is fine here, no slip ups. They are coming to Russia. Now let me talk to мой отец." I glance at Axel to find that he is staring at the scene with just as much confusion as I am.

Rosik turns away from both of us and leaves the house, murmuring in Russian and it isn't until the door slams shut that Axel lets his frustration show.

Clenching his fists and shaking his head I hear him mutter "ass-wipe." Before turning and facing Dana and I.

"Right. Looks like it's past one of your bedtimes." He dryly comments as he cringes at Dana's shaking form and I glare hotly at him.

Just wait until I figure out his weakness.
I can't wait to make him cry.

However I can't help but agree that Dana needs some rest so I make no comment when I rise and lead Dana into the bedroom before heading off to the bathroom to try and wipe away the incoming headache that I can feel blossoming.

Today has been downright draining.

I have a feeling that tomorrow is going to be much of the same.

Maybe even worse.