Curtains Close; Take a bow. I think we fooled all of them now.

Hanley's POV

Daddy was never okay after that day. He would shout at her in the evenings. Tell her she'd done a bad thing to herself. And he would tell me that she kept secrets. And mommy started to get sick after that. Sick and fat. She must have been getting fat because of all the time she spent in bed.

I was playing in the kitchen with my toy car. I was sat on the counter, and I was running it along the windowsill. But I heard a car park outside. I jumped down to see who was there. A tall, young and slender man approached the back door. I stood in front of the glass and watched him. He spotted me, and tapped on the door to get my attention.

"Hey. Look at you. You've grown up. Last time I saw you, well... you were a little baby. Is your uncle home?" His voice had a funny accent.

"Daddy says I shouldn't talk to people I don't know." I replied, swallowing hard. I was scarred of him.

"But we've met before, little man. Tell your uncle I dropped by." He turned on his heel and walked back to his car.

I wasn't sure where everyone was. They were probably upstairs. Daddy didn't ever let mommy leave her bedroom. Not while she was sick. And it makes me feel lonely sometimes. Without her to play with. But she is getting better. That's what they tell me.

"Hanley!" Dad's muffled voice shouted from mommys bedroom. "It's past your bedtime!"

I put my car on the side and ran up the stairs, stomping lightly on the carpet. I jumped into my bed and kicked the covers up over me.

Daddy walked in. "Come on, buddy. Goodnight." He whispered. It was a cold whisper. I knew that something had changed in him when mommy got sick. He got darker, and sadder.

"Oliver!" Mommy cried from the other room. "Please!" She screamed. "Let me out!" She screamed loudly, and slammed herself against the door. I was frightened, and hid underneath the sheets. I didn't like it when they were like this.

Daddy shot up from his bed. He grabbed the door and pushed her back into her bed, pinning her down and slamming the door behind him. I was left in the quiet and muffled sounds of him telling her to stop. I didn't understand why he kept her locked up in there. He would tell her she was crazy and that she would hurt herself. And she said she was frightened of what could happen and she didn't want it. But what didn't she want? I just hoped that she would get better soon.

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