Abused: Before it Happened

Chapter 1

Eleven Years Before

My eyes flicker open to the sound of my parents yelling. I clutch on to my Teddy, grabbing my blanket closer to me for comfort. The sound of my mom crying and screaming gets louder as I can hear her stumble up the stairs behind my dad. Something glass falls over. 

"I can't do this anymore Janice." My daddy says sternly. 

"Shshshush. You'll wake Macy.." My mommy slurs. I can hear drawers opening and closing, followed by a zipper. "W-Where are you going?"

"This is the last straw. I've told you time and time again that you can't keep coming home in the middle of the night like this. You never even think about how your actions affect Macy. We can't do this anymore, we're staying with my sister until I figure things out." Another zipper closes and I hear footsteps approaching my room.

 I squeeze Teddy tighter and shut my eyes as tight as I could, hoping to go back to sleep. The door creaks open slowly as my daddy tries not to wake me, but then my mommy rushes in and crashes into my door, loudly. A small sob escapes my lips and my daddy immediately tries to comfort me. He gently picks me up into his arms and kisses me on the top of my head before he starts his descent down the stairwell. 

"No, no no no. Macy, come here, baby. Come to mommy." My mother reached to take me from my dads arms but I grab on to my dad tighter. She grabs Teddy from my arms as my dad takes me out to the car. He puts me in the back seat with my favorite blanket and shuts the door softly. My arms reach out for my teddy, but mommy just cries and screams at the car.

"You'll see her again when you can stay sober. You're scaring her!" He points at the car, where I sit, looking through the window at the disheveled mess that is my mother. My eyes wide with wonder, and shock, that just hours ago, a beautiful woman dressed for a night out with her friends came back looking like she just had the worst night of her life. Again. The nights when she doesn't go out, she comes in my room in the middle of the night and wakes me to play with her. She starts crying about my grandpa dying, she reminds me over and over again how hurt she is. I'm five years old.

Now 

I roll over and rub the sleep from my eyes as I try to shake the bad memories that keep recurring in my dreams. Its been over five years since I last spoke to my mother. Every time I saw her after that night it was somewhere public, and I could smell alcohol on her breath. When i was little I always wondered why my dad couldn't just take me to my mom's place and let me play. The older I got the less she scared me and the more I just wanted a mom. But now I understand why having her would've been bad for me, and misery for my dad. 

Now my dad and I are in a better place, he has an amazing job that makes him happy, and I have amazing friends. Not to mention, my dad's girlfriend Rachel. Rachel's really sweet and she's been around for about 3 years. My dad was really awkward about introducing us, but since then, she's moved in and really became part of the family.

I finally work up the energy to throw my legs over the edge of the bed and get up, and make my way to the bathroom. After brushing my teeth and washing away the grime from my face, I go to decide on what to throw on for my first day of my junior year in high school. I settled on jeans and a purple shirt to go with my new purple vans, and make my way to the kitchen. Leaving my room, I smell the unmistakable aroma of pancakes, sausage, and bacon. There's on a pancake and bacon combo when someone has good news to share...

Once my feet get me down the stairs and into the kitchen, I see Rachel setting out our breakfast as my dad sets the table.

"Good morning!" I sing out enthusiastically, awaiting the surprise.