Dinner

As the door swung open and the light from inside the house shown in the garage, the growling stopped. Jodie ran to her Mother's arms crying.

"Jodie? Honey, what's the matter?" Susan asks confused.

"There's a monster in there, Mommy." Jodie said drying up her tears.

"You probably imagined it sweety." Susan said, waving off Jodie's concerns. "You know adults imagin things too, it's ok."

Later, during dinner, Philip couldn't take his eyes off of Jodie. When he wasn't staring straight at her, he looked at her peripherally.

Finally, breaking the silence, he spoke. "I got a call from your School Principal today, he said that you pushed a classmate down, and he got hurt."

"No, I didn't." Jodie said raking two peas around her plate with her fork.

"Speak up when you talk to me!" Commanded Philip.

"At least I didn't try to kill him! Jodie shouted, referring to Philip's last day of his baseball career where he almost choked out his replacement.

"You little bastard. DAMN YOU, BITCH!!" Roared Philip in a rage.

"PHILIP! Jodie, go to your room!" Shouted Susan.

"You better run! You b--" The small light fixture hanging above the table starts to swing, then crash on the table sending broken pieces of glass scattering in all directions across the table top.

In bed under the covers, Jodie could hear her Parents fight. After crying for a few minutes, Jodie could feel the covers slowly being pulled away, then growling. Jodie grew cold at the familiar sound. The covers were forcefully pulled off the bed along with Jodie