In which a bedroom is small

Xia's words hung in the air. She looked up to where her Pa was staring at her.

"Please, living on the streets would be better than this heck hole we call home"

Pa had tears in his eyes. He broke their gaze, "your mother just.." he trailed off

"Just what Pa"

"She has done things for us you can never understand"

"I'm good at understanding things"

Pa gripped the bridge of his nose.

"Pack your stuff" he commanded, voice suddenly stern. "We are getting out of here"

I ran to my room- if you could call it that. It was little more than a broom cupboard with the thinnest mattress imaginable in the corner. She had two sets of clothes, one of which she was wearing now. She had a case to glasses she needed but Ma had broken and insisted it was "to expensive" to get new ones.

I owned a small backpack with a battery torch for when the electricity went out, which was often.

I threw my black leggings and once-white t shirt into the bag along with string I could use as a hair tye.

I closed the door To my room just as Pa came out of his.

"Ready to go?"

I just nodded

"please... let's get out of here"