Welcome to Creep's Cast. Stay by the fire, written by Satter-Dad.

My parents never fought.

They had disagreements, sure, but they weren't the kind of people to express it in an unpleasant way.

They were kind people, a little reserved, but in a Midwestern kind of way.

With that said, there was one time in my childhood when they did not hold back, and I wasn't supposed to hear it. It was almost 2 a.m. I was sick with the

flu and died to get up over and over to blow my nose. It was awful, but my mom got me a

turtle's comic book that I had been reading religiously. It's amazing how little it takes to turn

something awful into an adventure at that age.

I got up and headed for the bathroom after another bout of sneezing, when I heard loud

voices coming from the kitchen. It was unusual. I had never heard them talk like that before.

My dad just didn't get angry.

We can't pretend like nothing's going to happen, he said.

We can't send him out unprepared.

What, so you're suggesting that we drop this on him, here and now?

You think it's better to have him live his entire life in fear.

Well, I think it's better for him to have a goddamn life to begin with.

Dad was furious.

His eyes were red.

Had he been crying?

Mom sat at the dinner table covering her face with her hands.

She couldn't stop sobbing. I had seen her cry at the dinner table covering her face with her hands. She couldn't stop sobbing.

I had seen her cry at the movies a couple of times, but never like this.

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