My Broken Bowl

Year Eleven

Years passed like they do.I still lived with my abuser and that never changed. I was eleven when my half brother was finally sent away. My new foster mom, Sheila, found out about the abuse. My half brother told on himself. I guess he was sick of not getting noticed. I always got in trouble for being mean to him because he made sure Sheila was around when I was about to break. She must have thought I was just a mean and crazy person.

He would be standing there all calm and cool and I would be screaming at him and crying. He was the only person I screamed at so you would think someone would know something was wrong but nope. I was just mean to him for no reason.

There was one time just before he left when I must have been eleven years old, he threatened me again after he hurt me again. I don't have this memory but it was told to me... It was the last time. To be honest, I blacked out. I don't remember doing anything. I opened my eyes and dipshit was bleeding out of his mouth. I had punched him and knocked a tooth out. I had a cut on my knuckle to prove it.

My foster mom, Sheila, who didn't know anything about the abuse, so don't judge her.... She grounded me for hitting him. I happily stayed in my room with a smile on my face. I didn't care that I was grounded for a whole week. A week in my room alone. I was fine with that because I knocked that bastard's tooth out.

In hindsight, my alter, Dusk broke out and punched dipshit in the face and knocked out the tooth. He absolutely hated him and didn't mind defending me. He stopped the abuse and protected me. Dusk is my protector so he was doing his job even before he had a name.

Even now, I chuckle. Dipshit had to be taken to an emergency dentist for his trouble. I slept so great that night. Sheila lectured me but I just couldn't seem to care. I did the right thing and I was proud for the first time in my life. I had control over something. I thought I did... Dusk did. He protected me even though I didn't know he existed. He's still great!

It was soon after that when my half brother told on himself. He told Sheila. "Cayden is so good at keeping my secrets." He told her.

Sheila told me about their conversation later. He left soon after that and I never saw him again. I was so grateful. That was the day my life finally began.

I remember a talk I had with Sheila just after she talked with him. She pulled me into her room and closed the door. I was terrified and sweating. I thought I was in trouble. When we were in trouble at Dad's house, we got a switch. (A very green thin stick from a nearby tree. It hurt so bad when it struck you. It would leave welts on my skin and if I cried I would get more smacks.)

Luckily, there was no switch. Sheila was kind to me.

"I had a talk with your brother." Sheila stated.

I had goosebumps and fear grew from my insides through my body. I stared at my feet. I knew I was in trouble.

"He told me." Sheila whispered it. "Is he hurting you?"

I couldn't talk and I almost couldn't see. I was about to black out. This happened to me sometimes when I was too stressed.

Sheila grabbed my hand and told me it was okay. She told me her story quickly. She was molested by an uncle that she trusted. Her and her two sisters. She wasn't hit though and that was different for her.

It helped actually. My black vision began to clear but I couldn't breathe. I was so scared that she was going to send me away and I was just getting comfortable. Kind of.

Sheila just held me for what seemed like hours. It was the best moment of my life and from that second on, my abuse stopped. The half brother was sent away for help and that all is his story which I wasn't a part of. Our lives were finally divided and I loved it. When he left the house, I felt relieved.

I hadn't realized that a lot of his abuse was psychological and put a lot of strain on the whole household. (I'm also not getting into that either.)