As I lay on the cold kitchen floor, the pain in my body dulled by approaching unconsciousness, a sliver of hope flickered within me. My brother, Jake, wouldn’t let me down. He was always my protector, our bond forged in childhood when our parents passed away. He’d been there for me through every hardship, and I knew he wouldn’t fail me now.
Time seemed to stretch endlessly as I drifted in and out of consciousness. Distantly, I heard Daniel’s parents’ cruel laughter, felt the sting of his blows. The world blurred, but I clung to the thought of Jake—a beacon of hope in an otherwise bleak existence.
Suddenly, amidst the haze, there was a loud, forceful banging at the front door. My heart leapt; Jake was here. And he wouldn’t be alone; his Marine buddies would be with him, a force to be reckoned with.
