I lived with my mother and her awful boyfriend. I wasn't abused physically, but looking back, the mental abuse and neglect were very traumatic. I was already depressed and cutting myself and he just made things worst and my mother acted as if she didn't care.
I was 10 at the time and my mother didn't have any job to support me and my younger brother, Jayden and her boyfriend would spend all his time and money on drugs and gambling.
We didn't go to school because we couldn't afford the school fees and the uniforms so I spent most of my days playing football in the small field that wasn't too far from home. I usually played at night by myself without thinking about the dangers because we lived in a remote village where everyone knew each other and were good friends.
Our neighbour, Mr Johnson, a single man in his 50's who was always super, super nice to me, always gave me chills but I didn't suspect anything. His hair was straw-like, nearly fossilized it was so dry. He had sad, wayworn eyes and a distinctive beard.
Walking home from playing football in the middle in the night, and there was Mr Johnson, waving, as usual, rocking in his chair on his front porch. I waved back and continued walking. Then, I saw him gesturing for me to come.
I shuffled uncomfortably as I started to approach him. His eyes seemed to laser in on me as if I was his target for the day. Every footstep, I felt more scared and tired.
He told me in a soft tone as I walked up to his stairs "Come inside". Those two words were capable of making me shiver. Silently contemplating if I should run home or enter his house, I was interrupted where he said in a deeper tone, almost louder than a scream "Come inside!" Scared, I took 3 steps backwards and fell over hitting my head and everything went dark.
I woke up with my eyesight blurry and peculiar surroundings...