Monday, February 5th 3:30 PM
"Goddammit Miriam!" Helga could here her dad yelling at her mom. She laid in bed, headphones at full volume, looking at the ceiling while she wrote in her diary. The day had been, normal to start. She had enjoyed seeing Arnold in the hallway at that morning. He was more than her escape, she had her writing for that. He became the best part of her day. Three months into their relationship she felt as if the fantasy of the relationship would never end. She smiled as she thought about him, trying to drown out the ruckus a floor below.
Helga was snapped out of her thoughts when she heard glass breaking. She sat up in alarm on her bed and took out one of her earphones. She heard the crash of another piece of glass along with the drunken shriek of her mother calling out "Bob!" Helga jumped from her bed, and bolted down the stairs to check on her mom. The scene in front of her jarred her. Her mother on the floor bleeding from her nose. Bob towering above her like a prized fighter who knocked down his opponent. "You see Miriam? I ask you for one goddamn thing. ONE goddamn thing. I don't need to hear your excuses or your back talk! If I ask for something you hop to it. You're gonna start acting like a wife or so help me…" Bob trailed off. "Mom!" Helga screamed upon setting foot in the kitchen. Glass plateware and cups had been thrown around the room. The field of broken glass did not stop Helga from running towards her mother. "Mom! Are you alright? Mom!" Helga yelled seeing her mother not responding. "What the hell is wrong with you? Are you fucking insane?" Helga screamed to her father cradling her mother, trying to back her away from the situation and trying for a response.
"Mind your own damn business, Olga!" Bob yelled back as he began approaching the pair again. Helga's fight or flight flared, causing her to jump and set herself in front of her mother, still prone on the ground. Seeing her father come closer with the look of intending her harm, she shoved him back. He stumbled back. "Back up, Bob! You've done enough. Why don't you pick on someone who'll fight back?" She yelled at her father. She stood her ground as Bob regained his footing and puffed his chest. "You're making the wrong choice here girly. Don't get in between your me and your mother's problems!" Bob barked at her. "The only problem here is you! You're gonna leave her alone! Enough of this blowhard Bob bullshit!" Helga yelled back. "Helga?" Helga heard a meek voice behind her. Her mother had started to stir. She looked around groggily, trying to get her bearings. Helga went over to her mom and helped her stand. "Come on mom, let's get you cleaned up," Helga said helping her mother to her feet. Helga helped her mom towards the stairs. "Don't you walk away from me!" Bob could be heard yelling behind her.
Helga turned her head as her mother started to climb the stairs. Her father came barreling towards her with menace in his eyes. Helga's adrenaline took over as her father charged towards her like a bull. Helga set her feet in an even stance. She straightened her back, and slide her right foot towards the back keeping her left foot in front over her. Her father coming closer and closer, reached out as if to grab a hold of Helga. Helga instinctively balled her right fist in anticipation. The moment Bob got within arms reach he grabbed onto her left arm. However he did not realize her right arm was in position. In a flash she twisted her body, adding torque to her body, and adding power with her back foot. She extended her arm in a savage right cross, just as Arnold had taught her. Bob, in the perfect position, was hit full force hit by Helga's rocket like arm between his jaw and cheekbone. Helga had positioned the hit and executed perfectly consistent with a professional fighter. Bob, was completely off guard, not expected such force to come from his daughter. The full power of the hit was realized when Bob staggered back, collapsing on the floor. "Ahhh!" he screamed holding his jaw and rolling on the floor. "You little bitch!" He screamed as he continued to hold his jaw in agony.
"Yeah, I'm the bitch. I didn't go down like a sack of flour," Helga yelled at her father on the floor. Helga turned her head again seeing her mother wordlessly witnessing the scene. "Come on mom," Helga said, as she started to climb the stairs behind her mother. She lead her mother to the top of the stairs. "Helga! My god, what happened?" Miriam said to Helga. "He hit you mom, he might have broken your nose, let me see," Helga said as she stepped closer to her mother. She started to inspect the damage on the woman who's eyes she shared. "Jesus, I think he broke it mom," Helga sad. Helga continued inspecting. Suddenly she felt herself being pulled away from her mother. Bob, now at the top of the stairs from the floor down below grabbed Helga's shoulder and shirt throwing her against the wall. Helga's head hit first, dazing her. "What the fuck…" Helga said out loud. Suddenly she was pulled one more time. Bob spun her around so as to face him. "You little cunt!" he yelled into her face. Helga was not able to register what he had said, as she only saw stars in front of her. She was suddenly up ended and began feeling gravity pull her down the stairs. She tumbled hitting most of the wooden stairs as she fell. Her head hitting at least a few of them.
"Bob! What have you…" were the words she could make out in her disorienting, forceful trip down the stairs. She crashed at the bottom, slamming her head against the drywall. She heard an auditory scramble of shouting and running as her world started to become darker. Her head spun, as her vision got blurry. Unable to move she saw the room become darker and darker. Her eyes closed as she was unable to keep her consciousness.