*Chapter 3*

"Get off the internet, Katie! I'm not telling you again!" Her mom yelled down the stairs. It had been three days since she sent the post, she was still receiving heartfelt replies, ones which kept her going.

"Okay!" She yelled back up, "I'm almost done!" She tried to say good-bye to all the people she had been talking to.

"Get off now." Her mom descended the stairs, glaring at her, making perfectly sure that her daughter obeyed. Katie shut the computer down and stood.

"Okay, it's off. It's not that big of a deal." She said, her voice drowning in agitation towards her mother. With one last glance, her mother went back up stairs. Katie clicked on the television and was flipping around when her mom returned.

"What are you watching?" She asked in a normal tone, sitting on the couch.

"Some movie. I just turned it here." Katie replied, eyes still glued to the set.

"No, don't watch that. It's no good."

"You don't even know what it is...!" Katie protested, annoyed at the constant nagging.

"I can tell you right now, it's garbage and I don't want you watching it."

"Ugh!" Katie groaned after turning the television off.

"I didn't say you couldn't watch..."

"What's the point in watching anything if you're going stand over me like I'm five?" Katie complained.

"Well, if I could trust you..." Her mom said as if Katie had deceived her many times.

"What have I ever done to make you not trust me? You know what, whatever...I'm sixteen years old. I don't need you telling me what I can watch." Katie said before going into her room. She didn't like causing strife, but it was ridiculous. There was no reason for her mother to do her that way. She turned her radio up so that if, and when, a fight started upstairs, she wouldn't know anything about it.

* * *

"You let her get away with everything!" Constance was complaining as Katie tried her best to ignore and write a post.

"We do not. You get away with just as much as Erin..." Mom was trying to remain calm.

"He is here every night! I haven't seen her without him attached to her in months!" Constance threw her hands up to get her point across.

"You won't even talk to her..."

"No, she probably doesn't notice that. She's to busy with her boyfriend to notice anything in my life." Bicker, bicker, bicker. Katie's head ached. There had been an argument every night this week, all of them about Erin and her boyfriend.

"She does notice."

"I'm sorry, but if they get married, don't expect me to go to their wedding."

"Constance, that is wrong. She is still your sister."

"No, she used to be my sister. Not any more." Why did she feel the need to go on endlessly about this? Was she jealous that her little sister had a good relationship and she didn't even have a boyfriend? Katie went up stairs to block out the hurtful words being spewed from Constance's mouth.

* * *

"Don't even open your mouth!" Dad's voice boomed in the living room. The whole family was there, an all-out war.

"You never listen to us!" Constance yelled back.

"We do to listen to you, all three of you." Mom retaliated.

"No, only Erin." Constance shot back.

"What is your problem?" Katie found herself sneering at Constance, the anger inside of her rolling out. "Why are you so jealous of her?"

"I'm not jealous of that. Who would want to be a whore..." Mom backhanded Constance across the mouth so fast, nobody breathed.

"I hate you! I'm leaving." She went into her room and proceeded with throwing things in a backpack.

"You're not going anywhere." Dad followed her. "Get back out here, we're having a discussion."

"It's over!" Constance shouted. Dad grabbed her arm, trying to pull her back into the living room. "Don't touch me!" She pulled away.

"So help me, if you don't do as I say!" He fumed as Katie and Erin sat in the living room, tears of fear falling from both of their eyes and mom standing with her hand over her face. Constance ignored him as she stormed out the door and into her car, speeding away.

"This is all your fault." Dad told his wife, accusingly.

"How is it my fault?" Mom asked.

"If you would just let me take care of it. You always have to go behind my back and tell them they can do what I just said they couldn't..."

"I do not do that!"

"Can we go?" Erin asked, a sour scowl on her face.

"No, I'm going." Dad replied.

"Dad, no..." Katie cried. Once again, opening her mouth was a mistake. She reached for his arm as he turned. He clenched his hand around her wrist so tightly it hurt.

"Let go of her!" Erin demanded, but was shut up by mom, who slapped her.

"If you hadn't ever met that stupid boy..." She growled as if possessed.

"None of this would have happened.

"No, it's your fault! You never took time for us." Erin said, seemingly fearless in the face of danger. Still, her dad held a firm grasp on Katie's wrist. God, please! Haven't I suffered enough! Katie prayed, Make it stop, please!

"I know, we're the worst parents ever!" Dad said sarcastically.

"You're hurting me..." Katie whimpered. It must have taken her father by surprise because at that very moment he swung his arm, throwing Katie toward the open front door.

"Katie! Run away!" Katie heard Erin yell, though it was faint in her mind as blood streamed down her face. That cost Erin another blow but Katie obeyed. She ran as fast as she could to who knows where as the sorrowful rain pounded her head and washed away the blood from the wound on her forehead.

The whole mess was about Erin and Constance that night. What about Katie? She was lost, alone and drenched in dirty rain water. She shivered with terror and cold as she ran. I wish I could run right into a fan fiction! What am I doing? I have to go back...I can't go back, now!

It wasn't long before Katie collapsed somewhere in the dark, wet night. She passed out, leaving every pain in reality while all she heard, saw, and felt was black, pure darkness.