“-and you wonder why I cant stand you anymore! How about you fu-” my mother paused. She was on constant high alert ever since my father hit her and this time was no different. Despite my best efforts to slowly open the door, right before that one spot which makes that god awful noise, somehow she heard me. The all to common feeling of sorrow, terror, and oddly embarrassment, begin to set in as she gets closer to turning the corner.

The real life nightmare I experienced just a month ago intrudes on my thoughts. My mother black and blue with her nose bashed in. Swollen so much from the impacts of his fists she could barely breathe. All I could think to do was call the police for help. I had to take control because my mother was completely incapacitated, or at least she was all except for the one action she could still manage. She grabbed my phone and told me no. To this day I still dont think I fully understand why she didn’t want the cops to come. Why would she want to protect HIM.

“Your late” she says as she comes into view. It seems she has only taken half of the beating from the month before. As her eyes lock with mine her stern stare floods with tears.

“Just go to your room!” She says hysterically

“Mom I-”

“You’re done hanging out with your little friends! I need you here!” The truth is I’ve become more of a loner each time this sort of thing happens. Im only late the times I can hear them fighting from the street. Ill turn my music to 11 and check if the yelling has stopped in between songs. Today I sat in there for an hour before I built the curage to go in.

“You dont tell mah son wat tuh doo.” My dad stumbles in holding a bottle of his favorite whiskey. “He’s man enough to make his - decisions.”

“This is it dad.” I said

“Are you talkin back tuh me?”

“No Im telling you. Its over” I lunge at him

“What are you doing boy!”

After that I never heard his drunken voice again. I can confidently say that what I did was wrong. What I did was far from the best outcome, but I dont regret it for a second. I know we are safe.