Journey Through My World of Sleep

The Thief, the Runaway and the Beater

Fear was running through me starting at my legs which felt like lead, than to my stomach which made me feel like I could vomit, and finally my scalp was tingling. I knew the second I got in the house I was done. I was at least going to get hit, I knew it. I was inches from the front door handle when the door flew open. My dad grabbed me by my hair into the house, and threw me to floor. My heart was racing and eyes were tearing up. I had never seen my dad so mad at me. He kicked me in the stomach, hit me in the face, and pulled out chunks of my hair. By the time he quit I was unconscious but crying.

Later that night I woke up shivering on my floor with a full bladder. My room had been cleared of everything but a pillow and a sheet. I was in so much pain I couldn't help but cry. I got up slowly and headed to the bathroom. I looked in the mirror, I couldn't recognize myself. My eyes were almost swollen shut, my mouth had dry blood running from it and I was deaf in one ear. I hated my dad and wished bad things upon him. I went back to my room and started pacing. I thought of hurting my dad, but that was silly. All I could   think of other than hurting my dad was escape. The thought made my skin crawl and my heart clench tightly. I knew it had to be done I couldn't live with being beet anymore. It didn't take much time to decide when, where and how.

I paced in front of my window nervously. Finally, I pulled it open. I got into the window sill painfully wincing at the pain. I could see the bruises forming on my legs from the street light. I glared at my legs, and jumped down to the concrete below my window. I quietly shut my window. I saw the lamp from the hallway fill my room, and I quickly abandoned the half open window. I ran to the only spot I could think of, which was a wood pile in the field, next to my house. I knew he saw me make a left into the field. I could hear him yelling curse words. I held my mouth tightly shut, knowing I would sob if he got clothes or scream if I saw him. He came straight up to the wood pile looking over it in the field for a sign of me. He turned on his heels and left. As soon as he got back to the street, I crawled towards the street. I saw him get the porch and go inside. I stopped crawling for a second, I could feel my stomach turning and my mouth felt dry. I rolled onto my back and laid there waiting for my vomit to come up. What felt like forever finally came and the sickening feeling went. I decided it was time to go before my dad came looking for me. I crawled towards the street again and told myself I had to run as soon as I got there. Every bone in my body said no but my heart said yes. I got to street side and ran, ran like I had never before. Once I got to the end of the street I took a left. I was getting a cramp, I stopped and sunk into the shadows for a little bit. Knowing I couldn't stay long. I began to run again towards the middle school where I had once attended. There was a trail leading to the school, usually at night I would not walk or even run that trail but tonight I had no choice. I took once more a left, and up the dark trail to the school. I got to the football field and began to walk a cross it feeling a little more safe.

I was almost there when my dads van came speeding to a halt into the parking lot of the school. I could see his profile, the cherry of his cigarette, and one finger pointing at me.

"No!" I screamed fear and agony.

I turned right on the spot and ran. This time I would not stop and could not. I felt trapped, scared and sick again. I sprinted down the trail not know what to do or where to go. So I just kept going. I got to 12th and west street and took that street which was on the right. I finally knew where I was going, Braxton's house. I got to his window and tapped on it urgently, and started sobbing. He drowsily came to the window and open it.

"Let me in please" I asked frantically

"Whats wrong with you" He asked worriedly. I had forgotten my face was disfigured at the moment.

"I can't explain right here" I said quickly waving my hands.

I climbed in and explained about my dad beating me to a pulp.

"But why did your dad beet you?" He asked furiously.

"I already told you this" I said annoyed. "I took off from the camp they sent me too, I ran from the cops, and I stole a bunch of money from some random guy." I said again.

I was so exhausted that I told him I needed sleep. I slept til late in the after noon the next day. I thanked Braxton and told him I had to go.

I left still very nervous, tired and hungry. Every noise I heard made me look over my shoulder. I rubbed my eyes and felt pain immediately throb around my eye sockets.  I stopped for a second to let the pain pass. I finally began to walk again. By the middle school I knew of a place that was a huge rock where people camped. I figured it wasn't private property so I climbed the trail up the rock.

The sun was blazing hot it made my bruises ache with torment. I slowly made my way around a group of trees. That's when I walked right into a BBQ that my parents were hosting.

My parents' friends greeted my nicely, and begged me to stay. But they did not realize my injuries were from my dad.

My step mom smiled at me maliciously and said "Yeah, why don't you stay and eat?"







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The reason I wrote this is because while I was dreaming this I was crying. I was still half a sleep when I woke up and still continued to cry. This dream scared my deeply. It was fear I had never felt before in my sleep. This dream sat in my mind for a while before I got the courage to write it down. This one of the only dreams that made my skin crawl. I immediately told my mom about this dream. I will never forget this dream and the feelings I had in it.

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