• I let out a cry as you shove me into the wall. I slid down to a sitting position. My eyes blurred by tears. But you don’t seem to care. You grab my arm and yank me back up. You keep yelling at me on how my school work goes.

    “You try to be smart but your not!” You scream at me, “Your failing everything! If your so smart, why are you a failure!?”

    You push me back into the wall and storm out of the room. Leaving me crying in the dark. I hear you break things in the other room.

    The next day I go to school. Staying at the side. With a long sweater and jeans to hide all the new scars and bruises from the night before.

    A girl rams me into the locker. The locks clatter from impact. I keep my eyes on the floor and try to hide my emotion.

    In all my classes, I stay in my corner. The corner that’s in the far left corner. A place where I feel safe. Safe from pain.

    At home, I stay in my room. Behind locked doors. Relying on thin wood to stay between me in the outside world. Keeping me in my own.

    I hear you climbing the stairs. I lean against the door and listen to your steps. You stop at my door. You knock.

    “Hey, you in there?” You ask.

    I stay quiet. I don’t want to see you. I know you’ll just hurt me. But you don’t leave.

    “Look, I know your in there!” You scream, “Come out and let me talk to you!”

    Even though you can’t see me, I shake my head. You start to pace in front of my door. Probably figuring out how to get me.

    The next thing I know, you push the door. To quick for me to realize what happened. You grab my collar and yank me to my feet. I close my eyes and wait for it. But you stop. You throw me to the ground. I sit there, to shocked to do anything. Why didn’t you hit me? What held you back?

    You shake your head and walk away. Leaving me confused in the dark. I listen to your footsteps run down the stairs and slam the door. I stand up and walk over to the window and watch. I see you kick the mailbox and storm off.

    I wake up the next morning. My body aching. I look down to see new scars. You abused me when I was asleep. The only time I let my guard down.

    I make a plan to get away from this place. I was to leave at school. No one would notice. I am only a shadow. That no one sees.

    After school, I run. I run from the pain. I run from the sadness. I run from the fear. I run from the abuse.