Living Nightmares

Janie closed her eyes and listened for the sound of her mother leaving for work. It was a nightly routine, her mother would say good night and then leave. Janie dreaded the nights. Often she would cry after her mom left. She frequently wondered what she had done in her short seven years of life to deserve the nights. She was a good girl, quiet, respectful, always said please and thank you. But the nights, she just wanted to die sometimes. She knew in her heart it wasn't her fault, that she wasn't to blame. He always told her that she had asked for it, by the way she dressed, or the way she walked. He told her once if she ever told anyone he would hurt her mom. Sometimes the nights were so bad that she couldn't sit the next day. She always thought about telling someone, but feared for her mothers life as well as her own. She couldn't stand the thought of her mother being hurt. She often wondered what it would be like, to not dread going to bed at night, to not feel ashamed all the time. She rolled over on her stomach and closed her eyes to sleep for a little while. Her breath caught in her throat, were those footsteps in the hall way? Janie listened closer, no it was just the house settling. She released her breath. She closed her eyes and thought about what life could be like. A nice house, with a back yard that she and her sister could play in. Maybe it would have a swing set in it, she loved to swing. Instead of the nice house she lived in a crappy apartment, and there was no backyard. Just a patch of dirt filled with trash. Janie dozed off too sleep, only to be awakened later by the sound of footsteps out side her door. Her door creaked open and a voice said "Hello Janie, Daddy's here." He stepped in and closed the door after him. As she prepared her self for what was to come a silent tear slid down her cheek. It was just one more living nightmare she had to survive.