It looked, for all intents and purposes, like an ordinary house. In truth, it was anything but. The neighbors, who lived quite a distance away, thought the Kincaides were a nice family. David and Emily, along with two daughters, five and four. It was hard to tell which was which sometimes.

Grace, the four year old, ran out of the house and into her tree. Cassidy wouldn't find her there. She never did when they played hide and seek. Grace had convinced herself it was because she was such a good hider, who else could think of hiding on top of the shed, but usually, Cass just gave up and went inside.

Cassidy, age five, darted out of the house a moment later to look. All the obvious places, under the table and the like, were easy to check. And this time she was going to find Grace!

Tension started in the house as soon as the girls left it.

The little girl giggled to herself as Cassidy came outside. No, after Cassidy gave up, Grace would hop down, but she was prepared to sit up there for a while.

Cassidy ran around, easily visible because of her red hair. "I'm going to find you!" She yelled.

Emily Kincaide slammed her hands against the kitchen counter. "Get the fuck away from me, David."

Grace grinned. She won't find me.

"You *did* marry me."

"You raped me."

He shrugged. "Details. You never had to marry me."

Cassidy sighed, still looking.

"You got me drunk and dragged me to a chapel in Vegas. I didn't know what I was doing." Emily pointed out.

"I decided to do right by your eight month pregnant self."

Grace let her feet dangle from the tree as she rested against the branches. She was gonna be there for a while.

Suddenly it struck Cassidy and she looked up. "I see you! I see your feet!" She squealed.

Grace hopped down. "I thought I was gonna be up there for hours!"

Cassidy smiled. "I found you."

"Once."

Cassidy was still smiling.

Grace grinned. "Your turn."

"My turn," Cassidy agreed, then took off to hide in the shed.

"Do right my ass, you didn't want your child being raised by someone else."

"Children," David said. "And you sure as hell don't know what the fuck you're doing."

"I know more than you. And why the hell do you talk about Grace like she's your daughter when you know she isn't?"

He stopped dead. "What did you just say?"

Grace counted to fifty and started looking for her sister.

"Grace isn't yours." Emily repeated. "Like I would keep any other child spawned by your disgusting self."

Cassidy had squished herself into the space under the workbench in the shed.

David grabbed her shoulders. "You bitch." He shook her firmly. "Who the hell's her father?!?" He demanded.

"Cassidy!!!" Grace called into the bushes behind the shed when she heard something inside move. She opened the door to the shed and looked in. "Cassidy?"

Cassidy bit her lip to keep from saying anything. Her hair gave her away all the time anyway.

"Let go of me," was Emily's reply, trying to wrench herself out of his hurtful grip.

"You tell me who the hell her father is and maybe I will!"

Grace searched the nearby table for a flashlight and flicked it on. She shone the light over the entire shed. "Found you."

Cassidy climbed out from underneath. "Yup."

"You wanna know? It's our boss, sweetheart." Emily said bitterly. "He's a better fuck than you are, I'll tell you that."

David did let her go; he threw her to the floor as hard as he could manage. "Fucking whore."

Grace grinned. "You have bright hair."

Cassidy groaned. "Maybe we should play inside. It's gonna be dark soon."

Emily stood up. "If I'm a fucking whore, it's only because you forced me to keep a child I didn't want."

"She's still your kid," David said, his fury evident. It was clear he'd come home drunk tonight.

"Yeah." Grace agreed. "Wonder if dinner is ready yet."

"Unfortunately."

"C'mon." Cassidy reached out for her little sister's hand.

"Get rid of the bastard's kid, or I will," David warned, slamming the door behind him and getting into his car.

"Wait." Grace said as they heard the screeching of tires coming from the front. "Is daddy drunk again?"

Emily returned to making dinner.

Cassidy peeked around the corner. "He's leaving."

"Okay. He scares me when he's drunk." Grace said to her big sister.

"Girls! Come and eat!" Emily called into the yard. She had set plates out for the two of them and lit herself a cigarette.

"It's okay," Cassidy assured Grace, cautiously pushing open the door. Daddy was scary when he was drunk, but Mommy was scary all the time.

"Girls!" Emily yelled sharply.

Cassidy entered the house first, followed closely by her sister.

"Eat." Emily instructed her daughters. "Cassidy, were you in the shed again?"

"We were playing, ma'am," Cassidy said quietly.

"What have I told you about going in the shed?" She demanded.

"I'm not supposed to."

"And why did you?"

"We were playing..." Cassidy trailed off, her lip trembling slightly.

"Eat your dinner." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am." Cassidy scuttled to the table to eat.

"But mommy, we were playing hide and seek..." Grace interjected.

"Shut up." Emily said.

"Okay." Grace said timidly.

After the girls had finished their dinner, Emily put their plates away. "Grace, go to your room."

Cassidy whimpered.

"Cassidy. What goes through your head when I'm talking to you, because obviously you don't listen." She hissed at her daughter, slapping her across the face.

"I'm sorry... I won't..."

Emily hit her daughter across the face again, causing her nose to bleed. "You seem to like this don't you?"

"N-no..."

"Then why don't you listen to me when I tell you to do something?" She yanked the girl's hair.

"I didn't mean to..." Cassidy started to cry.

"Don't fucking cry." Emily said.

Cassidy bit down on her lip, trying to stop.

Emily slapped her again. "I TOLD you to stop crying!"

"I'm sorry, Mommy, I'm sorry..."

"Go to your room. I can't stand the sight of you." Emily threw her to the ground. "GO!"

Cassidy scrambled to her feet and ran upstairs.

Emily let out a frustrated sigh and returned to smoking her cigarette.

Cass hurried into the bathroom.

Grace went into the bathroom a few seconds later. "Cass?"

Cassidy finished washing her face and opened the door.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah... I tripped."

Grace looked at her sister. "Okay. Let's get into bed before daddy comes home."

Cassidy nodded and followed Grace into the room they shared.

As if on cue, a car screeched in the driveway and a door slammed shut. A bottle could be heard breaking and the side door slammed open.

Emily put out her cigarette and waited.

He looked at her, seemingly sizing her up. He glanced at the blood on the kitchen floor. "You hit my girl again?" He asked, slurring.

"And you're drunk again." Emily stated.

"What's it to you, whore?"

"It's nothing. Do I ever give a fuck when you’re drunk? You could pass out on the floor and choke on your own vomit for all I care."

"You'll care," David said leeringly.

"I really won't. And get your filthy hands off of me."

He seemed to change his mind and slapped her instead.

Emily punched him in the nose. "Going to beat me since I won't let you fuck me?"

He grabbed her and slammed her against the wall. "I'll fuck you if I damn well please."

Upstairs, Cassidy faced the wall and listened to the yelling from downstairs.

She kneed him between the legs. "Not tonight, you won't."

"What, you rather one of the girls gets it?"

"You wouldn't touch them."

"I dunno." He sneered. "I'm pretty drunk."

"You wouldn't even make it up the stairs." She said to him. She reached to the counter and grabbed a knife. "Get off me unless you want this in your neck."

He laughed.

"What the hell's so funny?"

He pulled the knife away from her expertly. "You don't wanna fight dirty."

"It's the only way you do." She retorted.

He kissed her forcefully. "Night, beautiful." And with that he headed for the master bedroom.

Emily followed a few seconds later, but instead of going into the master bedroom, she turned into another bedroom.

Cassidy listened to the silence and looked over to see if Grace was asleep.

Grace looked up with wide, scared eyes.

Cassidy got up out of her bed and went to curl up next to Grace. "It's okay," she whispered.

Grace wiped her eyes. "What...what if daddy comes and hurts us?"

"He probably already passed out."

"Good."

"I won't let him hurt you."

Grace clung to her sister.

Next Chapter