Running

She was running as fast as she could, to the only place that she could think of where she would be save at that moment. Her boyfriends parents house.

On her way the things that happened the last hours passed in her mind.
It started after school she had a fight with her mother. When her father came home, her father straight away told her to shut up and not to talk to her mother that way. He didn't even was interested in why she was so angry. The words from her mother still echoed in her head. In their disagreement her mother told her that she wish she would be dead. How could a mother say that to a child.

Her father had sent her to her room till diner. When she were having dinner she was still very angry at her mother and father. Soon the conversation was about her school and that her parents were not pleased with her performance.

Her father decided that he would help her with her Dutch writing by giving her a dictation, and every word she wrote
wrong she had to write another ten times. An hour passed than she had enough of it. She stood up from the table and told her father that she would not do it anymore. Her father tried to force her with his look. This time she decided to stay with her decision. She heard her mother ask her to please listen to her father to turn around. She looked straight to her mother and said: “Why should I, you don’t care because the only thing you wish is that I would be dead”. Her mother was shocked.

Before her mother could give her an answer she heard the heavy voice from her father: “ Your mother did not mean that, when you are angry you say things you don’t mean” She turned around to face her father. And saw his angry face. This was not what she had expected from him. “ So even now you will stand by your wife?” she asked him.

At that moment her father became furious and before she had a change to run she felt the first hit,and fell on the floor. While she was trying to get away, her father was coming at her. Her experience had learned her that she really had to get away right now! She felt another hit on her jaw, that was hurting very much, and she could not move her jaw anymore. The moment she stood she started to run, when she looked back she saw her mother, brother and sister hang on to her father to stop him from hitting her again before she left the house.While she still was running and all of this played again in her head tears were dripping down her cheek.

When she came at her boyfriend she tried to talk. But she could not move her jaw at all. It appeared her jaw was from the bowl. The father of her boyfriend pushed it back and put ice on it.

After a while she was able to tell what happened. The parent of her boyfriend told her she had to call the police and report the abuse. Her response was, you know who my father is. Because of his reputation in this village he will get away with it. They did not believe that, but she did, so she decided to leave it with that.

Later in the evening she went home, because she could not stay with her boyfriend, and all her things were at her parents place. Her father was still awake.

Immediately she walked up to him and told him: “ If you ever hit me again I will go to the police, I will take everything you worked so hard for away from you. And I will make sure everybody knows who you really are.” For the first time in her life she looked to her father and stood up against him. In his eyes she saw that he knew she meant it. That was the last time her father hit her.

A few months later her boyfriend got his own place, and when her parent were away for the weekend she moved in with him at the age of sixteen. Just to be away from her parent.

After a year her boyfriend started to hit her as well. Now she had the feeling to be all alone. Who could she turn to? Till one time he was sitting on her and hitting her. She snapped and got the strength to get away. Ran again but this time she ran away from everything she knew all here live, to start over.

Luckily after a while she got her live in order. Found a good place and found good people around her. Despite this story has a "happy" ending she knows a lot of stories do not end that well. This story is based on an true story.

She wants to call out to all the people who are abused. Get out! There is never a reason why you deserve this! And if you don't know how, trust someone and tell your story. Maybe other people can help you.They certainly can not help you if they do not know anything.

It is not alright to abuse people! In this case it is physical abuse but of course this also applies to mental abuse. And if you are the one who is abused, know you are not alone!

Thank you for reading!