I was back at Phoenix, in Phil’s house. I sat in my room, the sun streamed through the window as I lay on my stomach reading Romeo and Juliet for the hundredth time. I was reading happily, although my brain didn’t seem to be processing any of the words of story. I suddenly tensed; the sound of shouting came from under my floor boards. I flung my book onto my bed and jumped up to my door. Tugging it open I fled out of my room and ran. I ran down the stairs as fast as I could, but they twisted and turned. It seemed to take forever until I was downstairs. But once I reached the bottom, there were five doors, all identical in every way. I panted for breath and strained to hear the shouting once more. Suddenly a door slammed shut and it vibrated the whole house. When all was still, I strained to hear something that would guide me to the right door. And I heard it, a muffled sound of someone crying. I headed to the third door and hurled it open.


A sudden bright light blinded me for a moment, squinting I walked into the warm room. It was the kitchen, I paused, wondering where the crying was coming from, over to the right was a small teenage girl curled in a small ball, rocking back and forth in a constantly. Her long brown hair was draped over her face; I cautiously walked vooruit, voorwaarts to her. She tensed when they heard my movement, "It’s okay," I zei soothingly, "Tell me what happened." I continued to walk vooruit, voorwaarts slowly until I was in front of her; slowly I reached toward them, brushing her away from her face. She caught my hand before I saw what she looked like, and spoke hoarsely, "He hit her. He wouldn’t stop shouting. I tried to stop him from hitting her, but then he turned on me. He pushed me out of the way, called me a bitch. I screamed at him, swearing, but then he zei it wasn’t nice to swear to adults. He zei he wanted to teach me a lesson."


"What did he do?" I asked, trying to usher the information out of her. She looked up; her dark brown hair fell away from her face. She was pale, with a hart-, hart shaped face, a narrow jaw and large forehead. Her large chocolate brown stared at me, full of fear. I gazed at her, on her right cheek, was a large bruise. I gazed at the girl, the girl who was me. “He hit me.” I zei without thinking, and started to breathe heavily. Her lip curled and suddenly she disappeared and the house started to shake again, Phil’s voice echoed around me, "I’ll teach u a lesson u back talking little cow!" I screamed, scrambling to my feet. But was knocked back to the ground with the shaking of the house, "Get away u bastard, get away! Don’t u touch me" I screamed and tried to get away from his echoing voice...


Panting I woke up, and searched for my light, once it flicked on I sat on my bed with my head in my hands. That had been one hell of a nightmare. But it had all happened, not exactly like that, but the facts about Phil hitting mum, me screaming at him and him turning on me was all correct. I sighed; I needed to get my act together. Slowly I crept back into bed and flicked the light off. Hoping my dreams wouldn’t slikken me up again...