That sentence… repeated in so many homes… is where the real problem begins.
“Please… the baby…” I begged. Not just for myself, but for the fragile life trapped in that hostile place.
Ethan raised the stick again. There was no doubt in his eyes. Only certainty, built from years of getting away with everything.
That’s when I saw it.
My phone.
A few feet away. A final chance in the chaos.
I lunged for it, ignoring the pain, ignoring the risk. Because sometimes survival isn’t rational. It’s instinct.
“Catch her!” Daniel shouted, proving this wasn’t just one person. It was all of them.
My fingers hit the screen. I opened the chat with my brother, Jake. The only person who could break this cycle.
I typed two words.
“Help. Please.”
The message sent.
Seconds later, Ethan smashed the phone.
But it was too late.
He grabbed my hair, whispering threats, convinced no one was coming. That I was completely alone.
He was wrong.
And that mistake… would change everything.
The world faded to black, but before I lost consciousness, I knew something had shifted.
Minutes later, a new sound broke through the house.
A crash.
Like a door being forced open.
Jake didn’t wait. Didn’t ask questions. Didn’t hesitate.