~~~~ 4 Years Later~~~~

These past few years have been pretty normal, well if you count Raoul locking himself in the basement downing drink after drink normal then it was normal.

Christine says that he does this whenever he is stressed, I guess that he is really stressed because I haven't seen him since that day when he found me at the Opera Populaire.

I had been really scared of Raoul lately. I would hear him hollering and screaming from the basement.

I am afraid that he would get mad at me one day, and strike me, like he would often do to mother.

"Mother, was father always like this", I asked mother one day while helping her in the kitchen.

After asking my question, I noticed mother visibly shudder and sigh. I saw that she had tears form in her eyes. Her tired, weary eyes, that I bet once glowed with excitement and curiosity.

After what seemed like an eternity, she finally responded, "No. No he wasn't always a drunk. When we were younger, he was a kind, gentle, compassionate man. I have no idea how he became like this."

I was so wrapped up in what she was saying, that I didn't even notice Raoul standing behind me.

"Always like what?", he asked. I saw mother jump slightly and I began to smell something really fowl. I didn't know what it was, but I knew that it wasn't the right time to ask.

"Nothing, honey. Rosie just asked me a question about father. Is all." I knew mother was lying, but I didn't know why. Was she afraid of father? Would he hit her if she told him the truth?

What would he do if he found out she was lying? I guess Raoul was satisfied with her answer and didn't suspect anything, so he left. Mother let out a small sigh of relief after he left.

"Mother, are you afraid of father?," I asked. Mother looked at me, fear in her eyes. She never answered my question, but I could tell what the answer was. She was afraid.

That night at dinner, we all sat at the long table eating in silence.

Every few minutes mother would glance up at father. I was confused at what was going on. Why was mother and father acting so weird?

After dinner was over father called our servant, Anita, to come into the room while the rest cleaned up.

"Anita, will you please head up to the bathroom and get a bath going," said father. "And Rosie, I want you to get a bath and then right to bed, do you understand me?" I silently nodded and followed Anita upstairs to the bathroom.

~~~~12:00 midnight~~~~

I didn't know what time it was, but I was awoken when I heard loud screaming and banging against the wall.

Saying I was scared was an understatement. I quickly got up out of bed to get mother and father, but as I walked down the hall towards their room, the screaming and banging got louder and louder.

When I arrived at their door, I could tell that the screaming was coming from their room, and mother was the one screaming. With a shaky hand, I opened their bedroom door only to be confronted with a horrible sight. "Mother? Father?"