Authors Note: I realize a lot of the history I've been giving is all exposition and that makes for bad story telling. So I'm going to go back and write some of her stories as they actually happened. Enjoy!

Summary: The Cameron sisters are separated after their parents have a major fight. Thus starts the hatred and animosity between the twins. (Corresponds with Quack chapter 10 - Height Matters)

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A five year old Allison Cameron knelt squished behind her families tattered old sofa, her hands pressed vice-like to her ears. Her parents were having another argument: one of the worst her young mind could recall. Her twin sister, Kathryn, had managed to escape to the bedroom when their dad had begun throwing dishes and silverware at their mother. The clatter of plastic and aluminum hitting the walls and floor echoed around their tiny three room apartment.

As the scuffle grew nearer, Allison glanced up just in time to see her father pushing her mother towards her and the couch with such force the piece of furniture slid backwards into the wall. She had managed to crawl out from behind it before it hit the plywood with a sickening crack. She tried to stand up to run when suddenly a bolt of pain shot through her leg, causing her to cry out and crumple back to the floor. She rolled over as far as she could into the wall and glanced towards her feet. Her left ankle had been pinched between the leg of the sofa and the wall boards. Blood began to ooze from the compound fracture as she watched in horrified fascination; it wasn't the first bone to break in her malnourished frame.

Her father was still struggling on top of their mother, both screaming words she didn't understand but had grown accustomed to hearing. She kept herself as close to the wall as possible while she waited, the pain in her ankle numbing to the fear she let overtake her again. Soon her mother had kicked her father off and they both careened to the floor. Allison clenched her eyes and pulled as hard as she could, the sofa no longer weighed down and unmovable. With the little bit of leeway this offered her, she was able to drag her bloodied leg free. The bedroom was only a few feet away, but her parents were right next to her, her father on top trying to strangle his wife as she cursed at him.

Closing her eyes, she put pressure on her broken ankle in order to make a run for safety. She didn't get more than three steps before a leg had been tossed in her direction and she felt her body being swept to the floor. Waiting for it, Allison curled herself into as tight a ball as she could, sure that one of her parents had knocked her down on purpose with intention to drag her into the brawl. After a few breathless moments she heard the bodies moving away towards the kitchen again. She uncurled as quickly as she could and half crawled, half dragged herself into the bedroom.

Kathryn had been crying as she listened to the fighting in the other room. She didn't know why it was happening again; why her mother had attacked their father the moment he had walked into their home. Allison had been brushing her fingers through her hair, trying to get out some of the knots that were constantly forming and reforming. From her position between her sisters legs, she was able to scramble to her feet and run as the fight began. She had thought her sister was right behind her.

Allison held her terror in her throat until she scrambled onto the mattress and underneath the filthy blankets. She could feel Kathryn shaking as she sobbed and that was all the coaxing she needed before she let loose her own tears. The twins gripped onto each other with white knuckles, their nearly identical bodies pushed as close as they could get under the covers. Unfortunately their hideout remained a safe haven for only a few more minutes; their parents had carried their argument uncharacteristically into the bedroom.

The rush of cold air that hit their skin as the blanket was yanked away caused the hairs on the back of the girl's necks to stand up. Neither of them moved from their interlocking position, even as their father screamed at them to get up. Suddenly Allison felt tiny hands and arms pull away from her and she looked up to see her dad now holding Kathryn by her wrist. The hysterical girl swung helplessly, nearly two feet off the floor, her small hand being crushed in his grip. Her mother was screaming again, begging her husband to leave them out of it. Allison used her mothers torn clothing to help pull herself to her good foot; her other one too painful to put pressure on at all now.

Her mother immediately grabbed her into her arms and held her to her chest, her own feet now swinging off the floor. From her position and the way her father was now holding her sister over his shoulder, she was unable to see her sisters face. She cried her name over and over again and kicked and struggled in her mom's grasp, but the distraught woman held on. Kathryn was crying for her mother, unable to see anything but her fathers back. He had her pinned over his shoulder, her limbs thrashing wildly as she tried to escape.

Allison couldn't keep her fighting up and soon fell limp into her mothers arms. She was still crying, especially as she heard her father say that her sister was going to sleep with him in the other room from now on. He said he didn't want their mom to corrupt both of them. She didn't care what reason he gave, she just didn't want him to take Kathryn. She wanted him to take her. She hated both her parents but at least her father occasionally paid attention to them; buying them candy when in public or letting them sit in his lap while he watched tv.

Kathryn didn't want to go with her father. She was scared of him and wanted to stay with her sister and mother. Neither parent seemed to care that their girls were screaming, let alone cared what they were screaming about. As Allison watched her father carry her sister towards the door she clenched her gut and cried as loud as she could, wanting to know why he was taking Kathryn and not her. He had heard this and turned back to stare incredulously at her. What came out of his mouth in response would sink deep into her soul, making its home there, even decades later when she and Kathryn had become adults and her parents were out of her life completely. Her father had told her that she wasn't as good as her sister; that he loved her more than her. Of course this was what the five year old had thought he was saying. In actuality he had only said the first thing that had come to his mind, "Kathryn's taller."