"You're reading a newspaper."

Karen Morose glanced up at the one who always opted to state the obvious.

"Nice to see you too, Kyle," she stated blankly, not taking her eyes from the newspaper. She couldn't look at him; she had to hold out her strong side.

"Why are you reading a newspaper? I didn't even know we had them delivered to the house."

Karen swallowed, pushing away awful replays of the night before. Why hadn't Kyle been there? Why had he left? How could he?

"They don't deliver to the house," Karen said simply. She felt these were all the words she could muster before breaking into a fit of agonizing tears. Her face burned with anger and she could feel the red creeping down and around her neck, hugging and warming her skin like a tight scarf, strangling her thoughts and numbing her skin.

She heard Kyle's sneakers swish against the glossy tiled floor to the refrigerator. He pulled out some sort of beverage in a can, and she knew this because she heard the click as he opened it. She refused her eyes contact with Kyle.

He swished again across the floor to the glass dining table where Karen currently perched herself on a cushioned chair in front of a newspaper. He sat down in front of her.

"Where'd you get it and what are you doing with it?"

"I got it from Shop 'n Save and I'm reading it."

He stared at her. He continued to stare. He stared fully, and Karen could feel his wondering eyes bore into her. He was evaluating her, she knew, and he was searching her face for clues to her behavior, as he had done time and time
again over a period of seventeen years. She knew the flush of her face gave her away and when she could no longer stand the feel of his eyes, she finally looked up at him. He smiled effortlessly.

"Leave me alone." Her voice was slightly shaky, and they both caught it.

"Karen. Did he..." Kyle started, his voice trailing off. He was now draped in concern. She could see it on his face and hear it in his voice but the concern only brought about more unwanted emotions. Tears threatened to spill but she
wouldn't let them. Stay strong, she ordered herself.

Kyle was an expert at reading her. He read her like an open book, and he didn't even have to ask what had happened to cause Karen's discomfort; he knew.

"How bad?" he finally asked, his voice full and evident of worry. His green eyes were disgusted and he swallowed.

Karen put the newspaper down carelessly on the table, put her head in her hands and tried to push away the world.

"Answer me, Karen," he ordered. He was angry now, and he had no right to be. If he'd of only been there, the entire situation could have been prevented. She needed him to be there in the night. He knew that.

As much as Karen would have liked to see Kyle suffer, to make him fully regret not being there by not explaining the horrible details of the previous night, she couldn't. The need to talk to someone about her troubles were nagging at
her like nothing she'd ever felt before, and she couldn't hold her thoughts to herself any longer. Anger, disbelief, confusion, worry, and fright above all else plagued her emotions and she couldn't contain her feelings any more. Tears spilled down her cheeks and she glared at Kyle.
"He threw me down the stairs." She cried her words so softly that she wasn't sure he'd heard her right. Before she could say anything more, Kyle was at her side, a comforting arm on her shoulder, and she was weeping into him, pouring her soul out into her brother's shoulder, feeling protection she knew only he could provide. "God, you have to believe me! Hes going to kill me," she
said fitfully. "At the bottom of the stairs.... he kicked me.... hard. It's getting worse. Im so scared." She was crying uncontrollably and her whole body shook with devastated convulsions. Her chest heaved trying to pull in all the air around her, enough to stabalize her panic and rid her of the dizy and confusion. Kyle too was breathing
hard, seething with anger. For a split moment his appearance reminded Karen of a cartoon character. His face was furious and red as if he could blow smoke out his nose ears and mouth. However His eyes glazed over and a tear fell down the side of one cheek, crashing Karen's awkward visual of her brother.

"Oh God," Kyle muttered lightly, "That fucking bastard." His voice was low and angry. He let out a sort of grown to himself and turned his eyes to the ground. "I want to kill him. I just want to..." he clenched his fists and took a deep breath.

Karen sucked in her breath, trying to calm herself enough to continue.
"He.. he punched me a couple times and after all that...." her voice trailed off and she took on a look of disbelief and repulsion. She was embarassed and felt hopeless. "He spit on me," she choked out.

Kyle was utterly disgusted. Karen could see it on his face, so prominent.

He was breathless. "That son-of-a-bitch!" he yelled at once. Karen sniffed and glared at him. She was still angry, she couldn't help it. He could have prevented the entire scene, but he wasn't there.

Kyle stood up suddenly and slammed a fist hard into the glass table.
Karen watched in a weary daze as a long deep crack slipped down the table like a snake. Kyle swallowed again. Hard.

"I'm so sorry I wasn't here, Karen," he said, looking down at her then kneeling to her side. Karen fought hard the urge to cry again. "I'm so sorry," he breathed. He engulfed her in a hug, which took Karen by surprise, yet she welcomed his hug. It was a safe haven seperate from the world.

"Look at me," he said quietly. Karen meekly glared up at her older brother. "I promise I'll get you out of here."

Karen nodded feeling the anger cease and thankful for at least a brother who cared. Kyle always put up a tough side but he cared for Karen; he was the only one.