Under the Radar

Mama and Nightmares

WARNING: Inappropriate words and violence is used in the second half of this chapter. THERE WILL BE OTHERS LIKE IT, but not a lot! If it bothers you too much, please skip over it.

Daniel skipped detention. Turns out he skipped the whole day as well. I stepped through the front door and was instantly trampled by my dog, Lilli.

One day I was hiking and found a golden retriever puppy hiding in the bushes. My mom let me keep her and I've had her for three years since. Lilli was playful and protective. She was like a guard dog, but a playful, loving puppy at the same time. Granted, she's not exactly a puppy anymore.

Realizing my mom wasn't home yet and I didn't really know how to cook anything but pancakes and eggs, I decided to order pizza.
"I'll be there for you, when the rain starts to pour. I'll be there for you," my phone rang from my backpack.

"Hello?" I picked up.

"Mia Evangeline Summers! Why did you forget to inform me, that you you sent to detention today?" Charlie mothered.

"Char, I'm sorry I forgot. I was honestly lost in my own world earlier." I sighed.

She giggled. "Don't worry, all good. So what'd you do?"

I groaned. "I didn't DO anything. Daniel kept throwing things at me, and I kept ignoring him. So he started with notes. When we got caught, instead of telling the truth, he dragged me into this giant lie! With I had no part of by the way. And we were sent to detention. He didn't even go, Charlie! I was stuck by myself!"

Defeated, she said, "Woah. Um...sorry?"

The front door opened as Lilli ran barking. I laughed, "It's fine. But I have to go. Mom's home. Bye!" I hung up before giving her a chance to reply.

I skipped over to the kitchen island and sat on a stool, innocently staring at my mother. "Hello, Mia. How was school?" She asked as she removed her coat and gloves.

I shrugged as I opened the pizza box which was delivered earlier. "Strange, but nothing I can't handle."

She chuckled. "You were always one for solving your own problems." She frowned and looked distant for a while. "Mia, I know what you're going to say, but please listen. You're father called earlier, he thought it would be nice to have dinner with you this weekend. He's really trying to be part of your life, Mia."

I scoffed. "No. And leave it at that." She nodded in response. For the rest of the night, we talked peacefully about resent events in town and tv shows. "Mama, it's getting late. School's tomorrow and you have work. I'm headed up, night." I hugged her and went up to my room.

The phone rang as I laid in bed reading a book. Once I answered, a deep voice began to ramble. "Mia, please, I know I've made mistakes but please, give me another chance!" In frustration, I hung up the phone. But instantly after, pebbles were being thrown at my window. I went over and opened it, "Mia, please just listen to me, okay? Just hear me out!" He crawled through the window.

I shouldn't have opened the window. I shouldn't have let him in. He was drunk and not in his right mind. It's my fault. I chose to let him in. I chose to answer the phone. It's all my fault.

SLAP!

"Mia, this is all your fault! You made me like this! You can't do anything right! You caused this to happen, it's all on you!"

SLAP!

"You filthy slut, you good for nothing whore! I slept with that other bitch for a reason! Because you're worthless! You're nothing to me!"

KICK! PUNCH!

"No wonder your father took off! He didn't want to be burdened with some someone as pathetic as you!"

He grabbed my hair and pulled me off the floor. As he shoved me against the wall, he began sucking and nipping at my neck. I cried and whimpered as he kept me trapped against the wall. My face began to swell from the earlier occurrences and my ribs throbbed as it became hard to breathe. He began to cry and took something from his pocket. He grabbed me and spun me around, my back to his front, and held a knife to my throat. "Nobody loves you. No one will ever love you. You're just a low life piece of scum on the bottom of everyone's shoe. You ignorant little-"

"MIA! MIA WAKE UP!" My mother shook me crying. Tears flowed from her eyes as she held me in her arms. My cheeks were stained with tears as well, I was uncontrollably sobbing. "It was another nightmare wasn't it? It was him again, wasn't it?" She shook. I nodded into her shoulder as we stayed in each other's arms for hours.