• Kieran sat at the top of the stairs, listening to his parents shouting.
    A series of curse words and screams, followed by the crash of a plate sent Kieran into shivers. He wanted to go down and to tell them to stop. That it would be ok, but the last time that happend his father greeted him with an unaproving whack to the face. He rubbed his cheek where the bruise had once been. Just a memory now.
    He stood up and walked to the bathroom and locked the door. He turned on the tap to drain out the noise and then the shower. He curled up next to the counter and toilet. The smell of urine plasted his nostrils but it was better than hearing the argument. A tear trickled down his eye and he prayed that the fighting would stop- but Kieran knew God had left this world a long time ago.
    "Kieran!?" Came the booming voice of his father, his scottish twang only made him sound more agrier. "Open the door!" He banged.
    Kieran squeezed himself even tighter into his hiding place.
    "Open the god damn ******** door!" This time his father made an almight punch to the door and the handle rattled.
    "Leave him alone." Came the voice of his mother.
    "You stay the ******** out of this, that boy needs to be a man!"
    "H's 10 years old Steve."
    "Go away, get to bed!"
    "I'm your wife not your child." His mother raised her voice.
    There was movement and a small muffling sound. Kieran had guessed his mother had gone to the bedroom.
    "Open this door Kieran, if you don't do it right now so help me!"
    Another tear ran down kierans eye. He wiped it off with his hand.
    "No!" He croaked. Dread swarmed his heart like black flies on a carcus.
    There was a crash and the door burst open.
    His father stood there looking at his small figure. A wild fury painted his dads eyes like a wild man.
    After that, Kieran only remeberd what must have been fifty hits to his body. That night he slept in the bath.

    (midnight)
    Kieran woke up shivering, the wet botom of the bath had drenched his clothes. He crept out of the room, his body cold from the damp. He snuck into his tiny bedroom- once designed for a closet. He opened a breaking cardboard box on the floor and took out a t-shirt and jeans. He changed quickly and picked up his school bag filling it with a blanket. Quietly walking down the hallway he walked into his parents room, he made sure he wasnt loud and kissed his mothers forhead. He looked at his father- snoring loudly. He walked out of the room and downstairs. He filled his bag with some bread and a bottle of water. He looked at his fathers wallet on the table. he opened it- a family photo, taken when Kieran was much younger. He ripped his father from the picture and shoved it in his pocket. He took out a ten pound note and put that in his bag. He didn't need anything else now. He walked to the front door. Open it and leave or jsut go back upstairs. He had dreamt of leaving for so long but now he was here it was harder. He twisted the shiny doorknob and opened the door. A blast of cold air blew his hair. He walked outside into the nights cold and shut the door behind him.
    He was the runaway boy.