AllFreeNovel
Share Us
From as far back as I could remember, I had a job.
At first, that job consisted of doing one thing: protecting my sister.
As the years passed by, my job became more complicated.
More babies arrived, the hits came harder, and my mother’s presence in my life grew fainter.
The light in her eyes slowly dimmed into the darkness.
I watched it happen.
Powerless, I witnessed her turning into a ghost.
It seemed to happen over a spell of years and then all at once.
By the age of twelve, she was gone.
By the age of twelve, so was I.
My broken bones healed, my scars faded, and my body grew.
Puberty hit and I found comfort in girls.
Except, I never really did.
Sex was something I took when it was offered.
It was the same with drugs.
Whatever I was offered, regardless of the consequences, if it was bad for me, I welcomed it with open arms.
During therapy, they tried to tell me this was a version of self-harm.
I said nothing.
They told me I had PTSD.
Again, I remained silent.
They promised that I wasn’t to blame for her death.
Nothing.
They assured me that I had a bright future ahead of me.
Empty.
At night, when the withdrawals still hit me deep, I curled up in the smallest ball I could and thought about her.
That was the only thing that kept me going.
Her face.
The only face.
Her picture in my pillowcase was the only thing I had from back home.
She was the only one I brought with me.
