prologue

"We have to leave! before Raymond gets it"

"He won't! Trust me. we'll be careful"

"you don't think I want that? to stay? but my heart will break if we are too attached! I-i can't do that Chris!

"so what we abandoned him?"

"I don't know what we do but if he's sick-"

"then we find treatments"

"you heard the doctors, they don't know what it is,how can they help?!"

"we can't give up!"

"Jason come on. we shouldn't be spying" my brother's voice whispers in my ear, pulling me away from my parents conversation.

"There, thinking about leaving" I whisper back.

"It's ok as long as we're together" he smiles at me, and pulls me towards his room.

~One Week Later~

"Raymond do you have your things in the car?" my brother nods. "Then you can get in the car" he nods again, he rushes towards me pulling me with him. My mother screams for him to let me go. Startled he does. She pulls him away from me and out the door. I run after them only to be pulled back by my father.

"No you're not going."

" w-why-y" my stutters has been getting worse as the days go by.

" your mother doesn't want you!" the aggressions in his voice makes me flinch.

My mother runs in the house and looks at my father.

"Come with us" she pleads

"And leave Jason? No!"

"You know he's a goner"

" you don't know for sure!" he grabs my shoulder pulling him closer to his body.

"That stutter of his, is a sign, the screaming in the night. That too! He only has four more years, Chris." my Mother looks broken. My father shakes his head.

"No! I don't believe it!"

"Please come! I won't ask again. It's me and Ramond, or that thing!" she looks at me like a desease

"Mommy don't leave please" I pull away from my father and open my arms to her. She hisses and pushes me to the floor.

"GET go! No I CAN'T " she walks out leaving my crying on the floor.

~Another Week Later~

The house smells like alcohol, and all the happiness has been drained from this colorful place. My clothes are filthy and so is my body. My clothes were taken with my brother's things because he thought I was going with him. His crying from that day haunts my dreams. I drag myself to my father's room with my head down. The door is slightly ajar, and the smell of beer and other liquors spill from the cracks.

"Daddy?"

He's laying in bed with a bottle in his hand, staring off into nothingness. His head turns as he hears my voice. Anger fills his bloodshot eyes.

"What do you want! I told you not to bother me!" I shrink back and apologise.

"I-it's just-t I-i hav-ven't e-eaten. A-and i'm hung-gry." my voice is a whisper. He looked at me for a moment and called me over with his hands. I walk over to the bedside. He pats it, wanting me to come up. I do and snuggle close to him. He holds my chin up with his fingers so I'm looking at him, and rubs his thumb across my lips.

"You have your mother's lips," he says. He covers up my one blue eye so he can see my green one. "And her eye" tears poured down his face. He blinks and pulls my face closer to his. He locks our lips and a whimper escapes my mouth. He goes on, deepening it, while I struggle against him. He pins me under him with his body not allowing me to move. His hands travel up my dirty shirt. Tracing the outline of my body. Tears spill from my eyes as this unfamiliar person latches on to me.