A Night To Remember

The fighting and arguing seemed to get worse and worse. I dreaded each time my step-dad came home because I knew that meant there would be fighting.

There is one night that  stands out more than all the rest. I couldn’t tell you what time it was, but my sisters and I had not yet gone to bed. We were playing in the bedroom when the fight started.  I remember hearing a loud thud and then a scream from my mom. I was terrified, but I tried to show no fear for my sisters. I did not want them to be scared so I tried to stay calm, and keep them playing and happy. The screaming kept getting louder and my mom was yelling so I had to see what was going on. I quietly walked to my bedroom door and slowly opened it. What I saw when I looked out the door took away a  little piece of my innocence that night.

When I opened that door I saw my mom standing a few feet away from me holding a shining silver knife. There was blood on her arm and hand. I had no idea where the blood was coming from, but it scared me. I told my sisters to stay in the room, and I ran out the door, slamming it behind me. As soon as my mom saw me, she grabbed my arm and pulled me toward the phone. She told me to call the cops. The whole time she was yelling at my step-dad who was standing across the living room by the front door. He also had blood on him. I was so scared I did not even know what to say to the cops. I quickly dialed 911, and waited to hear a  voice on the other end.

As soon as the operator picked up the phone I started crying and telling her to come help. It was all very confusing to me. She kept asking me questions that I did not have answers for. I just wanted her to jump through that phone and rescue me. I  kept telling her to come help me. I remember telling her there was blood and that my mom had a knife. She wanted to know who was bleeding, and if anyone was hurt. It seemed like time stood still while I stayed on that phone with her waiting for the sound of sirens. Finally, after what felt like hours I heard the sweet sound of sirens, and she told me the police where there. As soon as I hung up the phone my mom grabbed my arm and pulled me next to her. I had never been more scared of my mom than I was in the very moment.  I was terrified by the look in her eyes, and the giant knife in her hands. I wanted to get as far away from her as possible.

I looked toward the front door where my stepdad was standing,  and saw flashing colorful lights. My stepdad was telling me to come to him. He kept telling me that he would make sure I was safe if I would just come to him. I wanted to go to him more than I wanted to take my next breath of air. I just wanted to get as far away from this person who looked like my mom, but wasn’t acting like my mom. My mom kept telling me not to move. She told me that she was my mom, and I had to listen to her. She said not to be scared, but I couldn’t help it. I was  confused and didn’t what to do. I wanted so badly to go to the front door, but I did not want to leave my sisters, and I did not want my mom to be upset with me.

The next thing I knew the front door flew open and several men in black uniforms holding guns came storming through the door. Everything that happened after that seemed to go in super speed. One of the men came and picked me up. He carried me to the front door telling me the whole time that he was there to help, and everything would be ok. He said I was going to get to sit in his police car and hang out while he finished helping everyone in the house. I remember feeling a moment of relief, and then fear came rushing back to me. I had left my sisters in there, and I wasn’t there to protect them. I had just left them in the room, and they were probably so scared. I felt like I had let them down, and I started crying. I told him to please go help my sisters. He assured me that they were fine and would be joining me soon.

When we walked out of the front door the scene outside looked liked something I had seen in a movie. There were more men in black suits with guns standing around my house. They all had their guns pointed toward the house. I remember feeling so scared and confused. I did not understand why they had guns, and why they were pointing them at my house. I did not know if they were going to shoot my mom or stepdad, and I was terrified. I couldn’t stop crying no matter how hard I tried.

The officer put me in the back of his car and told me that I was going to wait there while he made sure everyone was safe. I don’t know what happened in my house after that, but finally my sisters came out carried by the same officer. He put them in the car with me. We sat in the back of that car for awhile and watched the scene unfold almost like we were watching a live movie. It was a very surreal feeling, and a night I will never forget. I would soon learn this night was the beginning of a new way of life for me. Stay tuned to find out how this night changed the course of my life.