Even though Pidge and Finch could sleep well at night, I could not. There was yelling and screaming, then begging and pleading, and then crying and things breaking. I could her voice screaming, "No, no, please, I'll behave, I promise." As soon as I heard those words in her voice, I found myself running to Rei's room and, to my surprise, she was just frightened. Carrying me in her arms, she brought me back to my room, placed me in bed, and said, "Satsuki, stay here and be quiet." There was urgency and fear in her voice, something that left no room to argue, the fact I was called my real name made this clear.
Outside, a storm raged, just as it did inside. I wanted to cry out, really, I did, yet I found I could not. I pulled the blankets over my head and prayed for it all to go away, to take my sisters and I out of here or just kill us all. Like Mam and her dress, I wanted it all to burn. Outside of the door, in the hallway, I heard Rei say, "Please, don't punch me, its not my fault, I swears it!" From the sound of her screams and the fact that she had fallen against the door, I assumed he punched her. When she had fallen against the door a second time, I found myself scurrying to the closet and staying there for the rest of the night, for fear he would come after me, too.
Their screams grew as louder, as they vainly fought to protect themselves from his blows. Through their screams, I could hear my sisters' cries. I was helpless, unable to do anything. I was told to stay put and that was that. In the end, it served no good, as I found myself to be on the receiving end of his blows when I was snatched out of the closet and hurled into a wall early the next morning. To my relief, my baby sisters were unharmed, although never again could they sleep so peacefully.