Hi readers! (^.^)/
This is a disclaimer because the ensuing chapter will  include the protagonist being physically abused by her step father. I apologize if this causes any distress. I'm the kind of person that likes to add some real life circumstances to my works as I believe it makes it more real and relatable. I
apologize again if anyone feels uncomfortable about the scenes that are about to unfold.

Thanks and Happy Reading. :)

***

I don't go to school for the rest of the week. It's Wednesday now and I'm still home. I'm keeping an eye on my mother well mostly the bruises. Her right eye is still swollen shut and her top lip is so swollen it's a bright red. She's lying on the couch because she can't bother to climb the stairs to get to her room and she won't let me help her.

So, I do what I can for her while she lies on the couch. I've cleaned her face as best as I could then cleaned her up. She cried silently and I bit my lip to keep my emotions in check, which were mostly anger. Anger at her for allowing this to happen over and over again, and whenever I mention that she report it to the police, she pretty much tells me to shut up.

Her boyfriend of five months, Samual has been abusing her for the last three months. We were both fooled the first two months because he seemed nice and caring and treated my mom like a queen, but after that, we finally saw the halo fall away and his horns rising deep from his skull. I thought she would have left him then but after three months and multiple visits to the hospital, she still has him around. I can't understand why and she won't talk to the police about it. It really pisses me off.

My phone vibrates and I check the screen. Mine missed calls from Reed and some messages, I place it on the counter face down. I can't talk to anyone right now.

My mom phone rings and I move to see who's calling. It's her workplace. when I asnwer it's about why she's missed work for more than five days. I try my best to explain to them that she has some contagious flu but I really want to scream help and tell them that my mom has been transformed into a punching bag, but I force myself not to. Her boss, a kind man tells me that she should at least call to give them a heads up and I agree, I tell him it won't happen again and hang up. By it, I mean he won't have to call to know whether or not if she's coming in, I know if my mom keeps this loser around she'll be missing a lot more of work until they won't have any other choice but to fire her.

"Mom," I sit beside her and she grimaces and holds her head. She manages to open her good eye and blink at me. "Mr. Anderson called." She closes her eyes and takes a long deep breath. "You've missed work for five days now."

She says nothing and I honestly didn't expect her to. Her job doesn't seem to be a priority anymore and I'm beginning to worry especially since she's racking up doctor and medication bills that need to be paid.

With a deep heavy sigh, I get up and decide to clean. First the kitchen, living room/dining area, my room and hers, then both adjoining bathrooms. I do the laundry next and decide I need to go to the grocery store, but before I can Samual is at the door, drunk and a filthy. I move quickly to it, tossing it open and pushing up in his face.

"Leave!" I bark but he pushes me aside and steps in anyways. I go around him, blocking him from my mother.

"I won't let you hurt her anymore. I said to leave!" He looks at me and his eyes warn me to back off but I don't. I look to my mom and her eye is wide open, filled with terror.

He moves to the stairs and begins climbing, but I'm on his heels shouting at him that he should leave, after all, it's not his house and he doesn't live here.

Just when he's on the landing, I grab his arm and he spins on me. His hand finds my throat squeezing hard as he lifts up up off the floor. He lets me go and I drop to floor in a coughing fit. He turns to leave and I get up and grab his shoulder, he spins grabs my hand and shoved me hard. I go crashing down the stairs and all I can hear is my mother's screams, but it's nothing compared to the pain that has settled in my bones.

I feel my warm hands on me and when I look up, she's staring down at me. Tears running down her cheeks. I want to tell her it's okay but darkness is consuming my mind and it's hard to focus, and the pain is excruciating. I recognize the sound of my phone ringing but there's nothing I can do about that since I can't even move. My head starts to get dizzy and I am finding it difficult to keep my eyes open. Soon my body goes limp and I go numb in her arms.