The Rules

Dear Little Brother,

If you ever want to make it out of this house, you'll need to know 'The Rules'.

Do your chores perfectly. They'll still yell at you, but you might not get hit.

Stay out of sight when they drink!

Never talk back. That almost always means The Belt.

Never, EVER, try to tell anyone about the beatings! That'll only make them worse!

You might wonder why we follow these rules, the answer's simple:
We love Mom and Dad, and for them to love us back, we have to earn it.

Love, and good luck,
Your Big Sister

Drabble published March 12, 2014 21:10

Jason Mott about 10 years ago

Thanks to Bryan Thomas for mentioning Francine's request for abuse-related drabbles for Child Abuse Awareness Month. I may not have been aware otherwise.
Peter Muscutt about 10 years ago

Hear, hear. Loved this one - very sad that kids who suffer abuse feel it is 'the norm'.
Michael Cook about 10 years ago

For those writing to support NCAPM, leave a comment on your drabbles and I'll make sure to add a #NCAPM hashtag to each tweet.
Frenchie about 10 years ago

@jason, thank you very much. I will post it on my Facebook page. It is called Raising Awareness & Healing through writing. Everyone is welcome to post there. It is for child abuse and any abuse in general. I do appreciate.
Jason Mott about 10 years ago

@Francine, my pleasure. I was on the receiving end of abuse when I was a child, so it was really a no-brainer for me to contribute.
'The Belt' and me go WAY back.
Bryan Thomas about 10 years ago

You're welcome, Jason. Thought-provoking drabble.