Like Before

She wakes up in a cold sweat, gasping for air as her mind returns back to reality. Realizing it was just a dream she sighs in relief only to discover her parents are once again, fighting. She hides her ears with her feather tear stained pillow. Every night there has been a graphic and agonizing fight for the past couple of weeks. One tear, two tears, here comes tear number three. Then they all start flowing from her hazel eyes as if it was all just something that happens naturally. Screams, shouts, and profanity continuously fill the house with such vain. She's so tired of all their ignorance when it comes to her feelings, so tired of the arrogance among themselves, so tired of feeling like she is the only one suffering from emotional pain. She wants it all to stop and be like it was, like it looks like and what they were living in the family photographs, when the fights were only small debates over civil and individual opinions and the arguments were only those of not knowing what they wanted for dinner. With the tear stained pillow she covers her mouth and screams to release her frustration, to release her emotions, to just scream.
She momentarily stops to discover that her beloved parents have not stopped. To discover they didn't hear her or possibly they didn't care. The water works return, one tear, two tears, here comes tear number three. One after another the tears resume flowing as if it is something that happens naturally. Screams, shouts, and profanity remain in the house, muffling the sad child's screams. She throws the blanket over top her head and shuts her eyes tight. She covers her ears and rocks back and forth and whispers to herself for things to go back to normal and for everything to work out and be alright. She then notices the abnormal silence and realizes that her parents have stopped the tormenting argument. She hears footsteps and soft murmurs and quickly lays her head on her pillow and closes her eyes. The door quietly opens and here her parents step inside. They kiss her forehead and tuck her in tight. They end the evening casually and she awaits the following day for another sleepless night.