My Fear Had Completely Taken Over My Rational Mind. (39/73)

After what seemed like forever, a middle-aged woman answered the door. As she did, I immediately pushed passed her into her house and said to her please help me! He is trying to kill my mother and if he finds me, he will kill me too! A look of shock and confusion came across her face as she shut the door behind me. She told me her name was Bee and that I would be safe in her house. I was so scared that I frantically began moving around her living room closing the curtains so no one could see me. As I did, Bee grabbed a blanket from the back of the couch and wrapped it around my shoulders. She said ‘you must be cold, you are shaking’. However, I was not cold. I was terrified and that was why I was shaking.

The reality that I had run away was starting to set in and I was beginning to fear for my life. I knew once Jack realized that I was gone that he would be looking for me and once he found me, he would hurt me maybe even kill me. My mind started to race in all directions and my breathing became rapid as I tried to make sense of the last 20 minutes of my life. I was a ten-year old girl who had just ran from the pits of hell and I had no idea what to do next.

Bee asked me what had happened. I told her about the domestic abuse in my home and about what had happened that night. I told her that was why I ran away. In the moment, I wanted to tell her everything that Jack had done to me but I just could not get the words out of my mouth. I knew if I did that things would only get worse if I was forced to go back home. She asked if I wanted her to call my Mother. I begged her not to and asked her if I could just stay there with her for a while until I could call my Father. It was only five o’clock in the morning and I knew he would not be up yet. So I hoped she would let me stay there until I could call him to come save me.

I was exhausted from the escape, so Bee took me into her room lay down. After she helped me into her bed, she tried to leave the room. I begged her to stay with me. Not because I did not want to be alone but because I thought she would go tell my Mother and Jack that I was there. I tried to sleep but I kept seeing Bee getting up out of the bed. Ironically, she was not. I was hallucinating and seeing things by this point.  My fear had completely taken over my rational mind.