My head swiftly shot up from its warm pillow as the alarm rung loudly throughout the room, my hands gripping the bed sheets in a frightful frenzy before snatching my phone off of the bedside draw.
The alarm went quiet at the touch.
My brothers groaned as they too heard the alarm sound, Vylad (being still a mere child) dug further into the covers, sealing himself within the warmth of his cotton blankets.
Zane made no attempt to either hide or get out of bed but simply layed there, as if waiting for me to spit orders amongst them.
However, it was Monday, a fresh start at a new school, I must look presentable!
I stepped out of bed, harbouring my phone as I quietly walked to the bathroom.
Being extra quiet when passing my fathers room I could hear my mothers gentle breaths of utter carelessness from the hall...God it disgusted me.
I quickly took a shower, rinsing my body of soap before getting out.
It was no more than 20 minutes I'd say to be completely done, but that's not including ensuring my brothers were awake...which put us drastically behind schedule.
I tried to limit my brothers contact with their father as much as possible, especially in the mornings.
I'd take them out to the park, go get ice cream...the basic things children would like.
Vylad had no problem with that but Zane, oh that's another story.
He's stubborn, arrogant and impulsive, not the best mixture for a brotherly experience I can assure you.
However he does come out... eventually.
I just don't...I don't want them to pick up on Garte's traits like I did...they don't need to know violence or pain at such a young age... children like them should be out playing with friends not witnessing what a heartless man does to his children.
...But, yet again we have a problem.
Due to my beatings and scars teachers at many other schools before here began to notice the bruising, and before I knew it we was off packing again to the next closest town!
I prepared both mine and my brothers lunches for school and made two bowls of cereal from the flakes we had left over from yesterday.
I wasn't hungry anyway.
As I began sorting my bag out Vylad came bouncing down the stairs, smiling widely with his new, hand-me-down uniform on.
Smiling he beckoned good morning and began having his breakfast, giggling sweetly and swinging his legs off the side of the chair.
"Where's your brother?"
I questioned as I zipped up my bag, fixing my hair up slightly.
He didn't say a word, which I should have know better to question...but I had to at least acknowledge him.
"Oh you know who I'm talking about Vylad, that big, grouchy, mean brother of ours"
I smiled in response, squeezing his nose softly as he let up a very quiet chuckle.
"...jeez, good to know you love me"
Zane's high pitch voice growled, making me chuckle at him.
He hadn't hit puberty yet which I believe he was rather jealous of me about.
Either way he took his cereal and ate it gradually next to Vylad, not seeming to bother complaining about how fussy his little brother was being.
Vylad only pouted, not wanting anymore food throughout my pleas.
"He doesn't want anymore Garroth...jeez don't force feed him"
Zane growled, our eyes meeting for a mere second.
"Hm...alright, go get your bag ready"
I ordered, sending him off.
Yet again...both mine and my brothers eyes met.
His eyes were as cold as ice freezing on a cliff side, sharp, pointy and ready to slice through me willingly.
Well...the eye he had left anyway.
Sighing, I looked away, leaving him to smug up a victorious grin as I searched for the house keys in which would allow us exit from this hell hole.
However, i couldn't find them throughout the living room nor the kitchen and hesitated to venture upstairs.
I recall dad leaving last night for a game of snooker down at the local bar...he must still have the keys.
We only had one set...afterall he didn't like mother sneaking out the house when he was busy at work and only let her have access to the keys when shopping was necessary.
"H-Hm"
I shuddered at the thought of going into my fathers room, i could already smell the alcohol boiling in my lungs.
But, either way we had to get to school...so I went up, gently tapping on his door.
No answer.
I did it several more times before opening the door as quiet as a dead mouse's cry.
All I saw was two lumps beneath the bedsheets, clothes sprawled across the floor and shattered (if not chipped) whiskey bottles at the bottom corners of the bed.
And, as expected, my throat inhaled the deadly toxin as a series of light coughs escaped my mouth.
I sucked up all my courage and scurried through into the room, crouching down to the carpet where I fiddled through the pockets of my father's clothes.
Although it felt like hours of silence the wave of relief washed over me as a set of rattling steel trinkets bounced within a hollow pile of clothes I had tossed to the side.
A smile crept on my face as I retrieved them, my fingers fiddling through to find an accurate key to fit our front door.
However, time was cut short as a harsh grip sealed itself on my hair, chipped fingertips growing nails to perce my scalp.
"Can't you do anything quietly?"
A deep, hoarse voice growled from above the bed, a set of manly feet pressing by both sides of my shoulders.
I looked up against the inner thighs of my father, staring momentarily before locking eyes with him.
The eyes i stared at had dark bags beneath to match his sinister glare as I merely stuttered.
"I-I was just looking for the keys f-father"
Gulping, he looked to my open palm sweating with the keys then back to my eyes.
"I see..."
He stated, my mother behind him letting out a soft, gentle moan and cuddling into the sheets away from us.
He sneered slightly.
"Unlock the door, lock it behind you and post the damn keys through the letterbox...I'm sure you can handle that"
As he released his grip I immediately got to my feet, wasting no time before leaving the room silently.
"...creep"
I murmured, galloping down the stairs where I scooped up my rucksack.
With the keys now in hand I gathered my brothers and ushered them out the house, being sure to lock the door behind me and safely post the key through the mailbox.
Today was a new beginning, I can't possibly ruin it before it's even started!

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Worth continuing?
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