ALPHA LAMAR: ABANDONED TO THE STREETS

As I filled the basin up with warm water to wipe the dried blood from my lip and clean the wound on my cheek, I caught a glimpse of the moon. “Goddess, why me,” I thought to myself. 6 years ago, I was found wandering on a cold and dark road in the middle of the night. I was taken to the hospital and the police came to talk to me. They asked about everything but the only thing I could remember was my name, Danielle. The doctor advised the officers that I was suffering from memory loss due to trauma. I was sent to a group home and within a few weeks I was adopted. My parents. I was so enthusiastic about having a home. My dad, Grayson King, and my mom, Maryland King, are both distinguished in the community. Who would imagine when they brought me to their fancy home that I would be treated like a slave, especially by my sister, Kelly. She has literally hated me since I was brought here. In fact, today’s handy work was done by Kelly and her 2 best friends. I call them slug, turtle, and sloth because all three of them are slow. No intelligence at all. It’s pointless to tell mom and dad because they join in on the abuse as well. I finished patching myself up, looked at myself in the broken mirror on my wall, and reminded myself that I only had 3 days left until my 18th birthday. I don’t have much, but the little I have, I already have it in a suitcase to disappear the same night. “Hey weirdo, the next time I won’t be so nice,” Kelly said grimacingly at my door. I guess she thinks I am bothered by her antics, but I am not because my countdown has begun. Today at school, Kelly was mad that I told our Physics teacher that she stole my essay for my finals. When she was questioned about the details of what was written in the paper, Kelly couldn’t give an answer. Because dad invests in the school, she was given a slap on the wrist by just being told to redo the assignment. Mom was enraged when she got the call to come down. Ever since mom found out I was allergic to silver, my abuse has become worse. On the way home from school, she pulled on the side of the road and asked me to get out of her car. When I stepped out, she walked up to me with her newly acquired sterling silver knuckle rings. Before I could say anything, BAM, she had punched me in my mouth. Blood spurred everywhere. I felt a surge of energy, but before I could do anything, she slapped me. I fell to my knees. Mom walked back to the driver’s side and got back in the car. She spun off and left me there on the side of the road with tears filling my eyes. However, I refused to give them the satisfaction of letting them fall. Mom stopped a few yards away. Silly of me for thinking she was letting me back in the car. “Here’s your s**t, b***h,” Kelly yelled happily with the most irritating laugh before throwing my bag out. My papers from school went flying everywhere. I walked 3 miles to get home. Just three more days, I kept repeating to myself until I drifted off into the darkness.