A gilded cage, a dangerous heart

Shattered R

ywhere-soaked into the curtains, the couch, even my clothes. I hated it. It made me feel like I was choking all

hen, like it didn't belong. I only had a tiny window, and even that was dirty and looked out at a nasty dumpster that was

TV or the noise or nothing at all. Sometimes, he didn't even need a reason. One second he was just muttering, and the next, BAM-he was throwing things or shouting so loud my ea

a burden," or "Why didn't I just get rid of you when I had the chance?" She didn't yell like Dad. Her voice was calm, almost bored,

pity either. I just wanted to make it through the day. I sat in the back, didn't talk much, and focused on my books. Reading made everything quieter. My teachers said I was smart. I guess I tried harder tha

worse th

-empty. The living room was a mess. Brenda was sitting at the kitchen table with a cigarette in one hand and this bored, angr

ed up one of my old fantasy books. I'd read it before, like, a hundred times. The hero was about to fight a dragon, this giant monster made of fi

Brenda's sharp words, Dad's grumbles turning into shouts. I felt tha

And then this horrible thud. I froze. That sound alway

nd fast. I jumped to my feet, heart pounding, looking around like

light from the kitchen. His face was red and sweaty, eye

u doing in the kit

whispered. "I've be

u broke that plate, didn't you? Always b

sharp like a knife. "She's always been clumsy,

aid that stuff to each other. It always made everything worse.

huh?" he

nto the wa

floor so fast I didn't even have time to cry out. My cheek burned, and I tasted blood. My

he other room, they kept arguing like nothing had happened. Like I wasn

too far and finally broke. I didn't cry. Not really. I just stared at the cracked mirror on

wasn't my life? What if I left

something. I couldn't keep waking up like this. I couldn't kee

de a de

eaving.

t was scary. I'd rather take my chances with the u

o bed with her cigarettes and her glass of vodka. I packed my school bag-just a few clothes

sn't

s enough

I wasn't goin