Slamming her back against the bath tub, he knocks the bloodied bandage out of her hand and growls, "Git yer skinny ass outta here." My mother looks at me through a flood of tears before crawling across the rough tile floor and escaping out the door.

Laughing maniacally, he grabs the front of my shirt and yanks me upright. "Yer can clean yerself up, pansy boy."

His breath reeks of booze and spittle shoots out of the gaps in his teeth. "Son, yer ain't never gonna win goin' up against me. I ain't lost a single fight in my life and ain't never gointa."

After cleaning myself up, I head to Zap Zone to work the evening shift. Returning home late, I find my mother sitting in the kitchen crying. "Thank God you're home, Mikey. Something awful's happened. Your dad assaulted a police officer and I need you to give me some of your savings so I can post bail."

I feel hope rising in my chest. "Not a chance, Ma." She grabs my hand, "This is no time to be funny, Mikey. He's in serious trouble." I smile and say, "Yeah, looks like the bastard finally lost a fight."