It was 8:00 PM. All of the kids were coming in from their nightly chores. Jade, Percy and Judy Belle walked in together. Percy could barely stand, Will made Michael, Bill, Bernie, and Percy chop a huge pile of wood. Michael of course made his 3 younger brothers do all the work. Bill and Bernie were trying trying to catch grasshoppers. So, Percy was left to chop almost all of the wood. That's a lot for a small 8 year old boy. The girls, had to sweep the porch, and scrub the house. The chores they all had that night were actually pretty easy compared to the other chores they were usually left to do. Percy staggered into the house sweating(it was in the middle of a sweltering July) Jade grabbed on to him. He breathed heavily into her shoulder. "Come on." She said quietly. Jon and Luke were in the living room, already fast asleep. Judy Belle darted out of the living room, fearing her mother was there. Victoria was in the living room, drinking. Jade sighed. This was the usual sight she came home to. Their mother had been drinking ever since the birth of Luke. Will stopped Judy Belle as she ran through the kitchen. "JUDY BELLE! ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO RUN IN THE HOUSE?! "No father" She responded quavering. Jade cringed. She knew Judy Belle might get a turn on the "stump". A big tree stump. When you got in trouble with father, he would make you take your shirt off, then he would get not a belt, but a cattle whip. And whip you till you bled and you were screaming for the lord to save you. "I catch you again you gonna get your turn on the stump! You hear?" Judy Belle gulped. "Yes father." "Now get on up to your room, you two too." Will said sharply. He was probably too tired to whip that night anyway. As the 3 went up to bed, they started to get very afraid of what would come that night.