A False Sense of Security

Chapter 11

When my mom was pregnant with me and my brother she was practically homeless. Her boyfriend kicked her out of their apartment and got with some blonde. She couldn't go back home, since her and my grandparents got into a huge fight about her boyfriend and she got herself kicked out. Now they don't talk anymore. Although, she had enough money to move into an apartment on the more ghetto side of the city.

She had to change jobs since she wasn't close to her old job anymore. Once she had us, after a month or so, she took in Koda. We barely saw her for most of our childhood because of how much she worked to save enough money just to keep the lights on. But when we did spend time with her it was the best memories I had as a child. She was kind, wacky, beautiful, and was very smart. I didn't know why she was a waitress. I bet she could run her own business if she really tried. She was so happy when she saved enough money so she could send my brothers and I to school.

When I was around 5 my mom got a boyfriend. His name was Frank. He was an alcoholic and a drug dealer. But he had a good amount of money. My mom thought if she could take his bullshit, Frank would be able to give us a better life by making sure we didn't have to search through the couch cushions for rent money. After a year or so he became abusive. He never hit us only our mom.

I used to stay up late at night reading. He would always come home late angry and drunk. I could hear the hitting from down the hall. I didn't understand what was happening until he happened a couple more times.

Once I gained up enough courage to go outside and try to atop him.

I could hear the hitting and cries of pain. I was the closest to the living room and my brothers rooms were pretty much sound proof, so I was really the only one who could hear what was going on.

I decided to go out and stop him from hurting my mom anymore then he already has.

I quietly opened my door and snuck to the entry way of the living room. I peaked around the corner and was horrified at the sight before me. He had my mom pinned down, screaming in her face, and was punching her. She had bruises and cuts on her face, arms, and I bet there was bruises on her stomach, too.

I started to walk towards them but my mom saw me before I got anywhere close.

She waved me off and gestured that I go back to my room. She mouthed the word please and kept shaking her head. He didn't see any of this. He was paying to much attention to giving her bruises.

Tears started to form in my eyes as I back away and went back to my room. I cried the rest of the night.

My mom came in later. She had fixed up her injuries.

"He's gone," My Mom said.

"For good?" I asked wiping my tears away as they fell. She had a sad expression her face, answering my question.

"Promise me never to go out there ever again when that is happening, okay?" She said worriedly.

I only nodded. She held me I her arms the rest of the night. She fell asleep, but I couldn't.

I snuck out to the living room and went directly to bay window. I looked out into the night sky. I don't know why but when I gaze up at the stars and the moon they would always calm me down. I fell asleep on the bench and slept there for the rest of the night.

One day my mom had to work late and my brothers were at their friends. I was grounded and so I had to stay home. My mom called a babysitter for me and she showed up. and left when my mom told her she'd be home. She had to be somewhere before my mom actually got home, though.

"Oh shoot! I have to go, I'll text your mom and say that I'll be leaving you alone for a few minutes until she gets back home. Your pretty well behaved kid, you'll be alright." She told me as she got up and left without left me there alone. I was only 7.

I heard the door unlock thinking it was my mom, but he stumbled in and looked pissed. He was screaming gibberish while walking towards me. He got close enough to where he could touch me and backhanded me. I fell off the couch.

"Get up!" Frank yelled. His breathe wreaking of alcohol. When I didn't, he did. He grabbed me by my hair and pulled me up he slammed me to the floor in the direction of my bedroom. I hit my head hard on the impact of the wood floor.

"Go to your room!" He yelled. I tried to get up but was too dizzy to even see straight.

When he saw I wasn't getting up he turned me so I was facing him on the floor and started to hit me all over my body.

I was losing consciousness. My eyesight was speckled. Then I heard the door open. It was my mom. She pushed him off me and he knocked his head into a table. He was now unconscious but still alive. My mom cradled me to her and called the police. He was arrested. We were safe.

Since my mom wasn't paying the bills for awhile she saved up a lot of money and we were in a good financial position.

When I was 12 my grandfather's brother Gale, who was like a second father to my mom and the only one of her family to stay in touch with her, got sick, he was diagnosed with lung cancer. My mom went back to Alabama and took care of him.

She met Bruce before this and they became close in a father/daughter kind of way. She asked him if he could take us in and he agreed. So we moved in with Bruce and everything was okay. Or at least I thought it was. That all changed the day I met Zander Hutch.