Silenced

                                                        Chapter 1: Aiden

I wake to the smell of wet dog and cigarette smoke. As I inhale deeply, and stretch my arms, the smell burns though my nostrils. I wince and roll off the tiny, dirty mattress that is my bed. I glance across the room I share with my siblings. I see Luca, sound asleep and snoring softly. Lying on his side, his hands tucked under his pillow, his breath makes the sheet move. Up. Down. Up. Down.

I let my eyes wander to the other side of the room, I see Jess, sleeping like an angle, her golden blond hair creating a halo around her face. She is completely still and silent. Looking at Addie, it's the exact opposite. She's sprawled out on her bed, tangled in her sheets, her normally smooth, wavy hair matted around her head.

The room is small and dirty, but we do have a desk, bought cheap at a yard sale, it's previous owners names etched in it with a knife. We got that desk three years ago when Jess and Addie were five. Addie wanted to know, "why it had drawing in it". She learned quickly not to question our parents.

I sigh, and pull the covers over my head, cherishing the last moments of peace I have this morning. Two minutes late pandemonium breaks out.

"Beep...Beep....Beep" screams the alarm clock. Milo runs in, barking so loud you could hear him in Alaska, and jumps on Luca.

"AAAHHHHHHH"! Luca screams, waking Jess. She jumps out of bed and throws the alarm at the wall. It stops beeping. I groan as I get up, the cold air biting my bare skin. I pull on a shirt and shorts.

"Okay troops" I say, "up and at em, we've got another fun day at school"

"Fun day at school"? Jess grumbles, her face stuffed in her pillow. " Never heard of it".

Luca runs out the door, no doubt heading for the kitchen. Addie is still asleep, and I decide to leave her that way.

As I shuffle into the kitchen, the linoleum cold on my bare feet, Luca is there shoveling cold scrambled eggs in his mouth like there's no tomorrow.

"Where's Jess"? I say.

" In the bathroom" He replies, only his mouth is full of scrambled eggs, so it comes out as "Ugh efaftherum" I grab some bread and start spreading peanut butter on it for our lunches. As I sit down, I hear my father come in to the kitchen. I can tell immediately that he's drunk, by the way he sways and grabs the table, as if to steady himself.

" What's going on here", he slurs.

"Nmuch" Luca sais, his mouth still stuffed with eggs. Somehow, through his delirium my father notices that only three out of his four children are in the kitchen.

" Where's Addie" he growls? Jess skips to the table, donning pink leggings a polka-dot skirt and a shirt that reads " I'm not short, I'm fun size!"

" Asleep" she sais, oblivious. His eyes harden.

" I'll go wake her up", I say quickly. I stand up, almost knocking my chair over.

"No", my father sais, "I'll deal with this". He stalks towards our room. I hear the door slam, and muffled yelling, then a loud crash. I wince, and realize I've been spreading peanut butter on the table. Jess looks at me, her green eyes wide with worry. I give her a look that I hope says, Addie-is-fine-and-will-be-out-for-breakfast-soon, and not, I-wonder-what-he-threw-at-her-and-how-bad-she's-hurt.