Hiatus - next month

Liam lay sprawled on the thin mattress in his cramped room, the faint morning light seeping through the cracks in the worn curtains.

His steady breathing was the only sound that broke the stillness. Then, suddenly, the door slammed open with a force that rattled the hinges.

"Wake up, you thwart!" a rough voice barked.

Liam stirred but didn't fully wake. His uncle, a burly man with a permanent scowl etched onto his face, stomped into the room and delivered a sharp kick to Liam's feet.

"Get up, boy! Go help your aunt in the kitchen," the man growled.

Groggy from only a few hours of sleep after working late into the night, Liam jolted upright.

His heart raced, his ears ringing from the sudden rush of movement and fear. He mumbled a hoarse, "Yes, Uncle," and scrambled out of bed.

As he hurried past the narrow corridor, Robbie, his cousin, stuck out a leg in an attempt to trip him.