I sat silently huddled behind the couch with the sound of fists embracing flesh in the background. I was frightened and little compared to the beast waiting on the other side. I crushed my teddy closer to my trembling body as I tried to drown out the terrifying noise of my father’s hateful words and mama’s strangled pleas for mercy. Again and again I heard the back of his hand hit her delicate cheek, or his hard steel toed boot connect with her fragile ribs. I held in the sobs that were rising up, I knew that if I cried he would turn on me and I couldn’t take another beating. I knew when he was finished with mama he would come looking for me. This very thought sent fear pulsing through my body. I was trembling and terrified…I drew my legs up to my chest and tried to calm myself by thinking of happy things… I remembered mama’s soft, sweet voice singing to me and her happy laugh when my father wasn’t around. I thought about how much fun we had together when my father was gone somewhere.
The sudden silence that filled the room stopped my thoughts in an instant. I cautiously peered around the edge and saw mama’s fearful expression and my father’s rigid back, he held something in his hand, but I couldn’t see what it was. He silently raised the object to mama’s head, a single tear slid down her cheek, and with a loud bang that came from the object in his hand; mama went limp on the floor. He slowly raised the object to his own head and with another bang he dropped to the floor beside mama. I moved quickly back behind the couch and hugged teddy. I sat there in silence for what seemed like ages. I knew something was terribly wrong… My father was too quiet, he wasn’t yelling and hitting anymore, he was too still. Thinking that maybe he was sleeping, I came out of my hiding place and went to mama. I touched her bloody face and whispered “Mama, wake up mama. He’s sleeping, we can go hide now. Come on mama, wake up,” but she was so still, she didn’t wake up or open her eyes. Tears flooded down my pale cheeks. I crawled into mama’s lap and pulled her arms around me. As I finally let the sobs come, I drifted to sleep in mama’s lifeless arms.
I woke with a start as I heard a car in the driveway. I looked up at mama and laid a hand on her cheek; it was cold and pale. I unwrapped her arms from around me and went to the window. A cop car was parked in the driveway and the police officer was standing at the door. As he knocked I ran for teddy and hid behind the couch once again. I heard the door creak open and peered around the corner. The young cop looked at my father and mama and turned away; he walked slowly towards the couch, my presence still secret. I shuffled back to make sure I was out of view, but as I did I bumped a side table sending the lamp on top raddling. The officer’s gaze fell on me and a look of surprise filled his eyes.
“Hello there. You can come out, I won’t hurt you. I’m here to help you.” He slowly extended his hand, startling me and sent me backing away quickly.
“Are these your parents?” He said gently as he withdrew his hand. “It’s alright, I won’t hurt you.” I looked at mama and silent tears ran down my cheeks.
“M-mama w-won’t move,” I whispered. The man looked at me sadly and reached for me, I didn’t move away this time. He lifted me into his arms and walked out the door to his car. “I’m going to take you somewhere you can be safe. No one will hurt you.” He said as his eyes rested on the bruise above my eye. He sat me down in the back seat of his car and went to talk on the radio in front.
As we drove away I looked out of the window at my house. It looked pretty and nice on the outside, with the flowers mama planted poking out all around the windows. No one could know of the pain and darkness that lay inside. No one but me.