Let's Put A Smile On That Face:

Jack watched as his father put down yet another beer. At age ten Jack had basically learned to take care of his mother and himself. He knew how to cook, clean...the works.

"JACK!!" bellowed his father.

"Yea..." Jack sighed walking into the living room after finishing the dishes.

"Get me another beer." his father demanded.

"Don't you think you've had enough-" Jack started. A sudden, sharp blow from his father sent Jack across the room. He hit the wall and crumpled to the floor. He swept a hand across his forehead and noticed he was bleeding slightly.

"I-KNOW-WHEN-I'VE-HAD-ENOUGH!" his father spat loudly. Jack stood up and walked into the kitchen to get his father another can of beer. Angry and defiant Jack shook the can then brought it to his father.

"Here." he snapped and walked to his room. He closed the door and put his ear to it to listen for his fathers reaction. Within minutes he heard an angry bellow and he bolted away from the door.

"DAMN IT BOY! GET OUT HERE!" Jack sat silently in his room...barely daring to even breath. He quietly opened his window and listened for the stomping he knew would follow. When the loud footsteps echoed through the hallway he quickly jumped out his window. He sat in the hedges listening to his father scream and bellow in his room.

"DON'T BOTHER COMING BACK YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he heard his father bellow and then he heard his door slam. He heard a smash in his room...he looked to see the picture of their family...when they used to be happy...laying shattered on his carpet. Hot, angry tears stung Jack's eyes and he ran off. He hid in his playhouse until close to midnight when he finally climbed back through his bedroom window. Curling up in a ball under the covers he slept well into the morning.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?!" his father's angry voice rattled down the hall into Jack's ears. He got up when he heard his mother begin to cry, and he bolted into the living room. He got there just in time to see his mother run into the kitchen and grab a knife for defence against her raging husband and Jack quickly jumped behind the couch. Laughing manically his father shoved his mother into a wall and grabbed the knife from her. Jack silently watched his father and mother argue, and suddenly he saw his father raise the knife up. He closed his eyes when the knife began its plummet. He heard his mother give a terrifyingly high scream and then all was silent again. He heard his father come into the living room. He opened his eyes to find his father standing in front of him. His father pulled him to his feet and he felt the blade shoved into his mouth.

"Why--So--Serious?" his father spat. He had a crazy look in his eyes, and Jack felt himself begin to tremble.

"Let's put a SMILE on that face!" his father finished and Jack felt the blade slit the corners of his mouth as quickly as they had been put there. Jack crumbled holding one side of his face, and snatching up the abandoned blade with his free hand. Staggering to his feet his chased his father down and slammed the knife into his back. His father fell and Jack leaned down by his ear and whispered;

"Why--So--Serious?" then he left his father to die on the kitchen floor.