Abused

Nine years old. Hearing his mother being beaten every night. Poor little Tommy was defenseless to help her. Every night, he would come home drunk and every night, he would hit his mom. Tommy wanted to help her, but what could he do? He was only nine. He wasn't strong and he wasn't big.

His real dad died when he was just a baby and then his mom married him. Tommy hated Dan. Dan wanted control over everything. Including him. Each night after he finished with is mom, Dan would come for Tommy. He was relentless and mean.

Tommy spent most of his days wishing that he could find some way to help his mom. He often stayed up at night and cried for her. When Dan was finished with both of them, he would leave and not come back until the next night. After he left, Tommy often went to sit with his mom and cry with her.

She always had cuts and bruises on her face and arms. He would watch her cover them up in the morning and start the day as if nothing had happened. He had cuts and bruises too. The teacher stared, but never asked. The kids in his class were the same way. Tommy wanted to tell the teacher what was happening beyond the walls of his home, but he was afraid that Dan would hurt him some more. Or worse, kill him.

So night after night, he took the beating and went to school the next day and pretended like he was just like everyone else. Like he had a normal family that went to the park on weekends or had dinner together every night. Every time Tommy asked his mom why she stayed with Dan, she would say something like, "He's not that bad honey, he says he's sorry and he won't do it again."

But Tommy learned after a while that Dan wasn't sorry and he would continue to do it until he got bored or killed them. Nobody knew about Dan. In front of people, he was a perfect angel. No one suspected anything. He and his mom were forced to fake smiles and laughs just to please Dan and hope he wouldn't come after then again.

Right now, Tommy was in school staring down at a blank piece of paper. His assignment was to write a few sentences about his parents. Good or bad. He couldn't write the truth. He knew what would happen. He would be taken away from his mom and put into a foster home. He didn't;t want that. All he wanted was a normal family with his mom.

He often wished terrible things on Dan. Like maybe on his way home to beat them, he would get run over by a car or fall through a sewer hole in the street. But nothing like that ever happened to Dan. He was perfect as far as everyone else was concerned. Sometimes, Tommy thought even his mom thought he was perfect.

As long as Tommy knew the truth, he would find a way to get him and his mom away from Dan soon. He hoped. For now, he was stuck being abused and surreptitiously wishing Dan would disappear forever. Tommy glanced at his blank page and gritted his teeth together. He had to write something, otherwise he would receive a zero. That would be incentive enough for Dan to bring on another round of abuse.

My mommy is the strongets and bravest person I know. She takes care of me even though Daddy died a long time ago. He wrote. He tore the page from his notebook and took it to the teacher. He knew he should probably write something about Dan, but he didn't want to put on a show for people. He wanted everyone to see Dan for the misogynistic nefarious jerk he was.

The bell rang, sending everyone scrambling to the buses. Except Tommy. He walked to and from school. His mom was at work this time of day and Dan wouldn't bother anyway. Nine years old and he walked to school by himself. Other than his mom, he really had no one else. He packed up his science book and dictionary. Since Tommy had no friends, he read. Mostly he read the dictionary.

He'd always liked to write and he hoped someday he would get to be an author. If he ever made it that far. He hoped and prayed that Dan wouldn't kill him before he wrote his first book. Tommy walked slowly form the school and watched as the other kids laughed with each other and boarded the buses with smiles on their faces. Why couldn't he be like that? Had he done something wrong? Is that why he had to go home to Dan every night?

Once he was a good distance from the school and nobody was around, Tommy let a single tear fall down his face. He hated to cry. It was a sign of weakness and defeat. But he couldn't help it. His life was just so horrible. Other kids got to go home to loving families whose biggest punishment was no T.V. for a week. Tommy didn't even get to watch T.V.

After a while, Tommy could see his house come into view. He hated that house. Though the brick walls and shiny windows might seem inviting to others, they were nothing but a malevolent reminder of horror and pain to Tommy. With a sigh, he pushed through the clean white front door. No one was home. As usual. He went straight to his room and closed the door.

He set his backpack on his bed and plopped down on the floor. At first glance, his room might also look like a normal and wonderful place for a little bot to sleep and play. But to Tommy, it was merely a sanctuary or hiding place. Dan usually beat him in the front room and then throw him into his room. That was usually when he started crying.

He looked around at his light blue walls and Transformer sheets. They were the only good thing about this house. But he would trade it all if that meant he could get him and his mom away from Dan. He must have sat there for hours because he heard a car pull into the driveway and boots on the porch. Dan and Mom were home.

Almost instantaneously, there was screaming and shouting coming from the front room. "You're a worthless peice of white trash!" Dan shouted at his mom. She whimpered and cried "I'm sorry's" again and again. He continued to yell and scream for a while and she continued with her pleading and apologizing.

Tommy didn't understand how a man could hit a woman. Women were so much smaller than men, making them powerless against them. The thought of Dan beating his mom made him sick. Each night, Tommy built up anger and aggression for Dan, promising himself that he would never be like him. He harbored so much anger that he wanted to kill Dan. Not just kill, but viciously torture him until he wished he was dead.

Tommy knew it wasn't right to think like that, but how could he not? This man went around abusing his mother and then coming for him, afterward, pretending like nothing had happened. What kind of person wouldn't want him dead? Breaking through the sound of Dan's screaming was the distinct sound of his fist coming down on his mom. She cried out in pain, but Dan just kept hitting her.

This time, Tommy wasn't going to listen to this. He was going to end this once and for all, even if he died trying. Death would be better than this anyway. In fact, he hoped Dan killed him. Maybe that would be enough to get through to his mom and make her leave him.

Tommy stood, squared his shoulders and marched out to the front room. Dan didn't even see him come in. He was too busy drunkenly beating on his mom. She was crying and whimpering and bleeding. The sight was heartbreaking for any son to have to watch. With one more blow, Dan sent his mom crashing to the floor.

His mom looked up and met Tommy's horror struck eyes. "Get out of her Tommy!" She pleaded. Dan looked at Tommy then with a terse expression. "You better go to your room, or your next." Dan threatened darkly. He didn't fool Tommy. He knew that even if he complied and went to his room, he would be next anyway. So Tommy looked Dan square in the eyes and said, "No." in the best strong voice he could get out of his throat.

Dan blinked in surprise. "What did you just say to me?" He demanded. Without hesitation, Tommy said, "I said no!" This time with more conviction. Tommy's mom looked panic stricken. She knew what would come next and she feared for her son. He was everything to her.

Dan staled toward Tommy with a fist raised, ready for a fight. Tommy ran toward the kitchen. Dan followed like the drunken idiot that he was. Tommy went straight to the draw that held silver wear. He grabbed a steak knife and turned toward Dan.

"Don't come any closer." Tommy warned him. He had every intention of killing Dan. "Or what? You'll stab me?" Dan laughed mockingly. He obviously wasn't taking Tommy seriously. "Yes." Tommy answered simply. This caused Dan to laugh harder. This mad Tommy mad. He just watched this man beat his mother and he was standing here laughing.

Tommy took a deliberate step forward with his knife held in front of him. Dan looked at it and smiled. "You don't have the guts." He challenged. The smirk on his face set Tommy off. He launched himself at Dan and caught him in the arm with the knife. Dan cried out in pain and took a step back.

There was a long gash on Dan's arm that was gushing blood. Dan didn't even seem to notice. He took a swing at Tommy, catching him in the jaw. Tommy stumbled, but didn't fall. The adrenaline and anger was pulsing through his veins. All he cared about at that moment was saving his mom from this monster.

There was a noise that came from the front room. Dan turned to see Tommy's mom reaching for the phone. Dan turned away from Tommy and started stalking toward her. "Don't you dare you..." His words were cut off. Tommy had plunged the knife into his back. Dan fell, but was still conscious. Tommy jumped on top of him and stabbed the knife into Dan's body over and over again until he fell lifeless.

By the time it was over, Tommy was crying with relief. It was over. His mom crawled over to Tommy and picked him up. She set him on her lap and said, "You were so brave , baby, thank you. It's okay now. The police are on their way." Tommy nodded and kept crying. Both of them were covered in blood and Tommy was still clutching the knife in his hand.

There was a loud pound on the door. "Police! Open up!" They yelled through the door. Tommy's mom lifted both of them from the ground and went to answer the door. The police officer took one look at the two of them and grimaced. He'd seen this happen at least a dozen times before. "Is he dead?" The police officer asked. Tommy nodded and handed him the knife. The police officer took it with a sympathetic look and motioned for them to go to the ambulance that was sitting at the curb.

They did as they were told while the stretcher was brought in. Tommy was still crying and his mom was still trying to soothe him. He was more than traumatized. The police officer came over and kneeled in front of Tommy. "Did you kill him?" He asked gently. "Yes officer." Tommy responded. "How old are you?" He asked. "Nine." Tommy responded.

"Okay, well we're going to get you and your mom cleaned up and taken care of." He told Tommy. "Am I going to jail?" Tommy asked nervously. The police officer shook his head. "No, from what I understand, it was self defense." The officer told him. Tommy nodded and hugged himself close to his mom.

"It's over Mommy, we won't get abused anymore." Tommy promised his mom as they watched the paramedics bring out Dan's body bag.