Every night. It's a fight for me.

     From that woman. She finds redemption in meth, weed, cocaine, ecstasy and herion...whenever she's on one of those...I need to stay away.

     This woman who gave birth to me. Hates me with every bone in her body. 

     If....I let her see....me....

     Just one time....she will stop at nothing in an attempt to kill me.

     Any typical person would laugh at my face and simply say that I'm exaggerating or that I'm a liar. If I were to tell them how many times she attempted to strangle me, or drown me while washing dishes, even when I sleep she holds a knife over my head, one time she nearly killed me by flinging me out of a moving car. At the time I couldn't call the police, my mother may not be all the way there but she can act like a love of God.

     I don't plan on living like this forever, I'm so close to turning eighteen, and I'll be able to find my own place and take Leo with me.

     As the door creaks open, I'm engulfed in nothing but darkness. The living room had to be on my right and the kitchen on my left...not that we have much furnished anyway. I mentally prepare myself for whatever intense pain I was about to endure.

     Quickly, I step inside the apartment, closing the door as quietly as possible.

      To my surprise I could hear distorted humming and feet dragging against the wooden floor. I couldn't see her but I know for a fact that she's here.

     My heart is now beating against my ribcage as my eyes darted left and right, slowly I try walking into the kitchen, praying to whatever God that was out there that she doesn't find me.

      Her shuffling comes to a stop. Thank God. I thought to myself.

      All of a sudden, something heavy falls loudly from behind me. I squeeze my eyes shut as I mutter a small prayer to myself. All of a sudden, I feel a warm pair of hands wrap around my neck causing my heart to nearly jump out of my chest.

      Mom found me.

      Suddenly the hands begun to squeeze giving me a burning sensation down my throat as my windpipes were slowly getting crushed. My legs give way from beneath me and begun to fold.

     Even though it's dark my vision starts to blur as I gasp for air. I start clawing my hands at mom's wrists giving me access to breathe.

      At the corner of my blurry peripheral I could see Leo standing in the hallway using his phone as some sort of flashlight, his eyes wide as saucers. He would've tried to help but he knew that I would be angry with him if he did, because mom would hurt him just as back if he interjects.

      I try to step away from mom but my heels folded beneath me causing me to fall onto the floor, me elbow connecting to the wood causing me to let out a loud yelp. I needed to get up and fast. I could feel mom's wet foamy saliva all over my face, whatever drug she had...it's starting to take effect.

     Mom kicks me hard in the stomach causing it to cramp, I cough out a bit of vomit as I roll onto my back. Mom sits on my stomach and digs her nimble fingers into my hair, gripping tightly as I struggled to fight back by clawing at her face. Mom moves her hands up, cauding my head slightly raise off the floor.

     Any rational person would say that's acting like she's possessed due to the growling and screaming. A tear trickles down my cheek as I close my eyes only for mom to slam my head against the ground...over and over again.

     As she repeatedly rammed my head against the wooden mohagony floor. My eyes slowly rolled to the back of my head...as the intense burning pain carried out through my skull.

     Then I finally black out.

---

      Leo's face was buried into my shoulder, the fabric of my shirt was now damp from his tears. According to him it had been hours since I had been laying there, and mom kept doing what she does best.

     Now I'm sitting on the edge of the toilet, Leo's body convulsing with each hushed sob. Our bathroom was so small that Leo's feet were practically against the door. We didn't even have a shower, only a sink that was next to us with a broken mirror.

     As my vision clears, I let a fake grin grow across my lips as my gaze shifted to Leo as he was quietly sobbing into my shirt while his hands were tightly wrapped around the back of my neck, I slowly lift my hands and slowly massaged my little brother's black curls.

      "Hey now. That's no way to start the morning." I chirped in a upbeat voice. My eyes quickly darted to the mirror, there was dried blood across my forehead. "Be the strong young man that you sought out to be." I remind him.

      "Lyric, look at you...you're covered in blood...and you're smiling..." Leo chokes out, breaking away from me, I could feel my smile slightly fade as I removed my hands from his hair. He's too sweet.

      Leo was taller than me, so he had to kneel to get to my height, in fact, Leo had been pretty well built, his shoulders were broad, his figure was pretty much lean. His eyes were a light hazel...which makes his entire face glow. His skin was the color of caramel and only consisted of several scars here and there. His black voluminous curls was down to his shoulders. His eyebrows were straight which made him look angry all the time.

       That wasn't even his name. His actual name was the same as our dad's, but I changed it....so my brother thinks that Leo is his actual name....when it's not.

      Well...Leo is rather smarter than his age, he's in eight grade but acts like a typical high school kid. Invested in his camera and draws pictures whenever it's just me and him.

     Lucky for Leo....he'll soon be drawing pictures more often.