chapter three

Mother seems to always catch me doing something I shouldn't be doing. I'm becoming more and more afraid of her. Whenever Father is at work, she makes my brothers and I search for something she has lost. After months and months, I was the only one sent on these searches. On a Sunday, while Father was at work, Mother came down stairs yelling. I knew it wasn't good. The closer she got to me, the stronger the scent of the booze on her breath got. She began punching me and my body swung back and forth. I put my arm out to stop her, but instead she grabbed it and lost her balance. I heard a loud pop and it hurt so bad! Mother didn't do anything about it. She simply sent me to bed, but told me to sleep on the top bunk. I didn't understand why because I had always slept on the bottom. Shortly after I fell asleep, Mother woke me up and told me I fell off the top bunk. She took me to the doctor and told him the same thing. This "accident" was no accident at all, but if i tell anyone I'll be in big trouble. Another day, after I ran home from school, Mother told me that she had seen me playing on the grass during my lunch. She wasn't happy about it... at all. She turned on the stove and made me take off my clothes. I was absolutely terrified. She held my arm in the flame and then ordered me to lay on top of the stove. I knew my brother would be home soon, so I stalled as long as possible. The door soon flew open and I grabbed my cothes and took off to the garage. I had won.