Phoenix

Welcome To Hell

Some days are bad, some days are worse, some days are absolute hell. Today is one of the latter, my life has never been easy. Called a freak a misfit, a monster since my 8th birthday I think. Thrown out of my house the same day and made homeless, I was taken into a foster home, beaten black and blue for being different. It never got easier, the beating got stronger and worse as I got older. Being at school for unpopular kids is bad, being me. I like walking into a fight with your legs and arms pinned together. Always a day of hell when your me.

"Smith. Are you paying attention?" The English teacher Miss Jackson calls. I snap my head from my desk pulling my hoodie to cover my black eye. I just about mumble a yes before she continues to talk about Robin Hood, by Howard Pyle. It is my favourite book that I have read every day since I can remember, I don't need a teacher to destroy my enjoyment of the book. The safety I felt reading it, on the roof of the foster home in any weather made me feel safe and alive. I needed a hero to walk into my life and save me the same way. Not stealing money and giving it to the poor, but stealing me and giving me a new life. I dreamed about the day I would leave Jefferson Texas. I had nothing to help me leave, no money, no place to go, no family and no friends. Every time I managed to get enough money for a bus or train ticket. It was stolen from me either at the foster home, at school or anywhere. The only things I had were; My book, my hoodie, my battered trainers and Me. I could run and I had taught myself how to fight but in Jefferson, everyone knew me, I wouldn't be able to take on the small town on my own.

This is my final class of the day, in my final year. Then I can leave this small town I have tried to run away from countless times.

Watching the clock on the wall as the final few seconds pass by before the bell rings and as the final second reaches 3 pm the bell rings and I fly out of my seat and to the door, to avoid everyone my head down with my red dirty hoody still covering my face. Weaving through everyone to get out the doors as soon as possible, just as I'm about to push them open my bag is grabbed from my back and I'm launched to the floor away from the door. Great...

"Where you going freak. Didn't want to say 'Hey to all your friend." Jake Andrews, captain of the football and basketball team laughs as he signals to all his friends surrounding him. This happens every day, I know that it's worse if I speak. As he leans over me he rips off my hood to uncover the black eye he gave me yesterday. With a kick to my stomach, I gave up fighting back. 2 years ago after I broke his jaw. They made me regret that the day it happened, and I had a constant reminder as I changed my shirt.

After that, his friends tied me up in the gym stripped me down and cut up my skin. They carved names in my back. The same ones they spat at me and called me every day for the last 4 years.

Freak
Monster
Frankenstein
Abomination
Devil

I was in torment when the principal found me the morning after. He cut me down and sent me to hospital, and suspended me for breaking Jakes jaw. Never asked me what happened or who did this to me. Everywhere in this town I stepped I was hated, no one cared about me.  The hospital didn't even put me in a bed, I was alone isolated, broken and I was re-living a nightmare every day.

The kicks were now pummeling at my back, and stomach and head. "Freak" "Frankenstein" "devil" "worthless" "monster" Jakes group and him spat the words with every kick, I was now starting to lose my vision the pain in my body radiating like it was on fire. They finally stopped, unable to move my body. Jake knelt to my head and grabbed my collar and whispered to my ear. "See you tomorrow Abomination" He dropped me to the floor and punched my face just like yesterday but hit my opposite eyes so now they matched. They walked out of the school as if nothing had happened. The silence around me now suffocates me. I heard footsteps from behind me, I couldn't move I now have broken ribs, probably a concussion and who knows what other injuries.

A man dressed in black pulled me up from the floor and carried me out of the school. I have never seen him before, he never said a word I couldn't speak. Silent tears formed in my eyes. I blinked away as I saw the mystery mans face. Fairly short black hair, a tidy beard that matched him well, he was strong and was wearing body armour. I didn't know him, he isn't from Jefferson. This could be my new beginning. The dream I have been living for.