Chapter 1

My dad was gone before I was born. My mom always told me he never left us but rather he was lost at sea. Not dead, just lost.

To me all it meant was I would never see him. It would just be me and my mom. And it was, until the day when I was five when my mother married monster of a man named Gabe Ugliano. Or as I preferred to call him Smelly Gabe.

He turned my life into hell, which only got worse as the years went on. Sometimes I like to think that if my mom had never married the jerk I could have had a normal life.

As much as I'd like to dream that was true I'll never get to find out. Gabe wasn't horrible for the entire time I knew him.

He actually bathed and seemed like a nice guy when they got married but after a few months I got to see how he really was.

For a while I was kept oblivious, ignorance is bliss right? Though sometimes I would see my mom red faced and crying and when I asked her what was wrong she would always redirect my attention. So despite how young I was, I learned not to ask.

One night my mom was putting me to bed as we listened to the sound of laughing, shouting, gambling and drinking men from the next room.

She had smiled and gave me a kiss on my forehead. "Goodnight Per-"

"Sally! Where's my bean dip!" Gabe shouted.

She didn't respond at first. "One moment honey!" She called back.

"Now!"

"One moment! I'm putting Percy-"

"That little shit!"

I didn't get a chance to wonder what was happening. As I heard a chair creak and heavy footsteps. My mom stood and walked toward the door. Before she could exit the door was thrown open and Gabe stood lurking in the doorway. He glared at me before turning to my mom. He grabbed her by the hair forcing her to look at him.

"I thought I was clear," he growled salvia spraying. "I want my bean dip. I don't want that runt. I don't care what you do with him."

"He's still my son," my mother said firmly.

Gabe stared at her for a moment before releasing her. She stumbled for a moment regaining her balance. Before she got it though, he struck her. A blow straight across the face.

I heard a scream. I later figured out it was mine rather than hers.

My mom collapsed to the ground and he turned to me. I backed up against my bed and the wall unsure of what else to do. I screamed again.

A hand slapped me across the face.

"Shut up runt." He walked out grabbing my mom and pulling her out slamming the door shut behind him.

Needless to say, I didn't get much sleep that night.

~~~~

That soon became part of daily life. Wake up. Go to school. Come home. Do homework. Try not to interrupt or make Gabe mad. Go to bed.

It was easier said than done. I could never stand there as he hurt my mom. I would always find a way to get in between them. I had many bruises to show for it.

Dealing with Gabe always made it hard to sleep. So I would sleep or be out of it during school. Not to mention my ADHD and dyslexia. I was recipe for disaster. I was kicked out of school, after school, after school. Yet, my mom never yelled and never scolded me. She would just give me a smile and tell me' "That school just wasn't a good fit for you. There's always some place better."

If I had thought things were bad up to that point when I was twelve they got so much worse. We were in the living room. Gabe was screaming at my mom. He was more drunk that usual. My mom stood in front of me, making sure I stayed behind her. I had a cut above my eye already. Gabe kept shouting and steeping forward and at this point I can't even remember what he was shouting about. Nor do I remember what my mom had said. But the next thing I knew he had grabbed a vase.

I remember thinking how he was going to threaten us with a vase. The he took it smashed it against my mom's head. She fell hitting her head on the coffee table.

I was too stunned to shout or scream. My mom wasn't moving. I looked up to Gabe who was still glaring at my mother on the floor. I dropped down shaking her gently but she wouldn't respond. Her eyes were wide open but she didn't seem to be seeing a thing.

For a moment there was silence.

Gabe reached out and touched her neck. "Go to your room."

I glanced up at him, his eyes were dark and seemingly more focused than normal. But I didn't move. I looked back down at my mom. "Mom?" I asked quietly.

"I said go to your room!"

Still I didn't move. "Ungrateful bastard," Gabe started letting out a string of curses as he dragged me out the room down to mine before throwing me inside. "Don't move."

He slammed the door closed. I was so scared, for once I did as he said. I sat on the floor listening as cursed and moved all night. I was scared but what scared me the most was the fact that never once did I hear my mother's voice.

~~~~

The next morning was Monday. I had stayed on the floor all night. I slowly wiped my face and pulled on some clothes before I grabbed my backpack stuffing it with my books.

I debated staying in the room all day. I was close to staying when the door opened and Gabe stood there. "Get to school. I have friends coming."

I took a breath. "Where's my mom?"

Gabe didn't even flinch. "Do as you're told unless you want to end up like her."

I stared at him for a moment. "She's... "

"Godammit kid. Are you so stupid that I have to spell everything out for you? She's dead. Now get to school before I do the same thing to you."

I didn't hesitate. I ran out the room, out the apartment and down the stairs. I didn't stop running until I was two blocks away. I was so busy running I hadn't even noticed that I had ran in the opposite direction of the bus stop.

I began to walk toward the school as not thinking. I didn't really care about school anyway. My mind was racing too much for school.

My first thoughts were to go to the police. But what would Gabe do then? Maybe she wasn't... he lies. A lot. Maybe she was just in the bedroom, sleeping it off.

I finally made it to school, I didn't care how late I was or how I got a detention in more than one class that day. Nothing seemed to matter at all.

"Are you all right Perseus?"

I was shocked by the question. Mr. Brunner had asked me to stay after class. Nothing new. I was expecting another detention or lecture like I had been receiving all day.

"Fine," I say. A lie I had said so often that times I had even started to believe it.

"May I ask how you got that cut above your eye?" He asks.

I shrugged. "My mom was right, when she said I should I have worn a helmet while skateboarding." I did my best to keep my face stoic as I spoke but he seemed to stare straight through my lies.

"While I am your teacher, you do know you can speak me about other things."

"I'm fine. Mr. Brunner," I tell him. "I need to go before I'm late for class with Mrs. Dodds."

"I'll write you a late slip."

I shook my head. "She'll give me detention anyway." I walked out the room before he could respond.

I went to the rest of my classes and even went to my detentions. I was determined to stay as late as possible. Anything so I wouldn't have to go home.

By the time I left school I had made up my mind. I was going to go to the police. I trudged along in no rush. It was chilly and I wished I had a jacket. I rubbed the goosebumps on my arm as I walked toward the police station.

I kept going through my head what I would say. When they would ask me why I hadn't come immediately. Or called 911 or why I hadn't said something when Gabe first hit us.

Even more than that I wondered why I hadn't done that. I silently cursed myself. I could have stopped this. I should've stopped this. I should've done something. From that moment when I first saw him hurt my mom I promised myself that I would become strong enough to defend her. And she died defending me.

I was jerked from my thoughts as I tripped over some uneven pavement and fall on my face with grunt. I push myself up to my hands and knees with a groan. As I feel pain in my hands, face and oddly the back of my neck.

Hands grab me and pull me up and I turn to the those who helped me and say a thank you. I turn back around and blink looking up at the police station building across the street before Things begin to blurry and dizzy. The lights of the station become strange steaks. Hands grab me, directing me away from my destination. I'm not able to control my body enough to protest. Or even to open my mouth to shout.

Fatigue hits like a truck while colors move and dance. Though they soon got darker as we turned a corner. I assumed they had brought me into an alley.

I didn't get why though.

I didn't think about it as I am able to make out more faces. I am walked forward and pushed into something. I stumble and look back as doors are closed behind me before I fully pass out.