I sigh, singing to a song.
"What is this?!"
My mom groans. "Jacob, it's yours! I haven't had any other guy over since before I even met you!"
I look out the window built into my door. My dads punching and kicking my mom. I slide down the door and cry. Then I can hear my dads footsteps coming into my room. "Nic'Kayla!" He fiddles with the door handle and I rush to hide under my bed. He opens the door. "Nic'Kayla, are you in here?!" I sneak farther back. He starts flipping my furniture, then he kneels down to look under my bed. "Come out of there, Nic." I shake my head. "Get out of there!" He kicks me. My mom rushes in. "Jacob, stop!" He then turns to her, punching her chin. She grits her teeth and punches him back. He then takes a gun out of his pocket. "You can hurt me all you want, but don't hurt Nic." I watch, petrified as my dad shoots my mom. I watch her fall back onto the hardwood floor. I burst into tears. I see her move slightly. He shoots her again. I go even farther back under my bed. She completely stops moving, and I lose it. "Now come here, Nic." My lip starts trembling. He moves my bed. "You can't escape, Nic!" He starts kicking and punching me, and I just cry. He stops and picks me up. "Now that you have nobody to help you, you can do whatever you want. Just don't go far." I nod. He sets me down, heading to his car, most likely to go to the bar. I rush into my room, packing a backpack and watching until he's out of sight. I put my backpack on and rush out the front door, running along the streets. Living on the streets is better than living in that house. I don't care that my mom grew up around here, I want to be as far away from my dad as I can be. I doubt he'll even realize I'm gone. I take a break a couple miles down and sit on a bench, crying. I watch as a woman approaches me. "Why are you crying?" She asks. I shrug, taking deep breaths. She kneels down and looks at me. "What's really wrong?" I look down. "I just watched my dad, h-he shot my mom twice, I think shes dead." I burst into tears. "How old are you?" She asks. I sigh. "7. My dad has been beating my mom ever since I was born." She nods. "Would it be fine if I took care of you for a while?" I nod. She takes my hand and leads me into her car. "I have to paperwork, but then I'll be your guardian." I raise an eyebrow. "But my dad still is!" She shakes her head. "I'll deal with it, trust me." I nod.
