My mom got a new boyfriend. She doesnt date often so I was open to it. But there was something off about him. Ive never really been around men. But he didnt seem like the good kind. He gives me these looks that make my skin crawl and I cant figure out why. Everynight he drinks and it was okay at first but he quickly grew violent. I\'d be sent to my room stuck listening to sounds of them yelling. My head against the door praying for it to end. I heard a thud one night and cracked my door open. And the horror that came over me to see my mother on the floor. I held my breath panic kicking in. She got up and his hands went around her throat. He went down to the floor with her this time. I wasnt thinking, I was put into autopilot. I didnt know what i was doing but I knew I had to help. I didnt even realize I left my room until I was already down the hall. I had grabbed a stick I had kept from my step sisters old horse head. God was i glad I did. I had ran down the hall and the second I reached them I could see my mothers red face as she struggled to breathe. He was facing away from me. This was my chance I took the stick and slammed it across his neck. Yelling and repeating \"get off of her\" \"get off of her\" It.. had no effect he just got up and tried to grab it from me. I faught back as best I could but I was only 12 and in the end he won and snapped it in half over his knee like nothing. My mom had rushed over pushing me to my room. We ran and he followed us down the hall. \"Leave us alone leave us alone\" I screamed as she tried to close the door but he kicked it open. He grabbed me by the arm and threw me across my room causing me to slam against my wall and go stiff for a moment as mt body slid down to the floor. I had never felt such a sharp pain down my back before. Everything went black for a moment. I felt a warmth down my back. I thought it was sweat. As I started opening my eyes I saw my mom against the shut door. Crying while still trying to catch her breath. Bang bang bang he was trying to break down the door. Punching it over and over and again I screamed \"Leave us alone\" I reached for my back it felt so sore. I pull my hand back feeling a stream of warmth down my back. And thats when I saw it.. the blood... I was bleeding. I looked behind me to see a stream of blood going down the wall. My blood.. ran down the wall.. The banging stopped. I could hear things being thrown. A few minutes went by it felt like an eternity. Nothing but silence I didnt know what to expect. But I was terrified to leave. Then I finally heard the sound of the front door slamming shut and his truck starting before he drove away. I look at my mom shes starting to pass out. Relief ran over me as I took note I was the only one bleeding. I took a breath as I trued to relax. My blood was now dried up on my back and as I look down. I see the start of a giant bruise on my forearm. He held onto me that hard before throwing me. And now all I can think about is how an I gonna hide this from school on Monday? I made a pallet out of my blankets for mom and went to the restroom to try and clean up the blood. The house was a disaster. Everything thrown or broken and I just look back into my room knowing shes alive. Thankful that my body took over when my mind was frozen.