11:07 P.M.
I was just thinking in my head like I usually do. I was worried about my mom. It was late, and I always checked up on her. She was up late hours, and it scared me all the time. She would always be doing something she shouldn’t. She would drink away her problems every night and eventually pass out. That’s when I could finally rest; just knowing she’s safe and okay.

But tonight though, something felt different. It didn’t feel right, like that weird feeling you get when you know something terrible is going to happen.

I suddenly got goose bumps thinking about it, just walking home alone. I could see the moon and my hands and face began to heat up without my control. I knew something was wrong.

As I got home I saw that my sister had already fallen asleep on the couch. “Mom?” I called for her like I always did. “Mom!” I called a second time, but no answer. “Mom!” She still wouldn’t answer. I looked around and walked towards the kitchen.

As I looked there was someone lying on the floor, but I could only see their feet. I rushed towards it to see who it was. My eyes widened in horror. They began to tear up faster than I could even continue to breathe. It was her. Her eyes were shut, and you could see her blood seeping through underneath her, soaking up her shirt. There was a knife resting in her hand.

Suddenly, I started panicking and screaming. I ran and grabbed the phone. I dialed 911 as fast as I could.

“Hello, what is your emergency?” A women’s voice asked.

“………My…my…mom!”, I could barely talk through all the tears. “She…ne…needs…help…Please!”

“Mam, calm down. We’ll get there as soon as possible.” She said. I called from my house phone, so they already had my address.

I placed the phone down and walked over to my mom. I brought her to my arms and just held her, crying. The kitchen floor was soaked in her blood now, and I could feel her body producing no warmth. The knife just laid there. Why? Why? Why did this have to happen? It’s my fault. No, she didn’t deserve this.

“Mom.”, I cried on her shoulder. “Please…I’m sorry…Please…” I just sat there with her in my arms. I knew I could never let go. She was my soul, the one who gave me everything. I wasn’t going to lose her. Never.

“Mom, please I’m sorry. I love you. You can’t leave.” I kept saying over and over again.

It wasn’t very long until the ambulance came. They had to pry me off of her, and that was the exact moment I knew my life would change, but I wouldn’t let it.
2 Days Later 10:13 A.M.

“Do you need a tissue, sweetie?” My grandma asked noticing the tears as I approached my mother’s coffin. I nodded my head, slightly. She handed me a few and gave me a tight hug, while walking over to see my mom.

Slowly, my eyes stared at her. She wasn’t the same. She didn’t have her glowing, tan skin. She didn’t have her usual makeup. She didn’t have her warm smile. She had nothing, but a cold, lifeless body.

My eyes began to water once again, looking at her. I leaned down and grabbed her hand. “Mom, you can’t leave me. This can’t happen. I love you too much.” I started hugging her as tight as I could until two of my family members had to pull me off of her.
5 Days Later 3:02 P.M.

“Are you ready?” My dad asked as we gathered up the last of our bags. We were forced to move in with him, and I couldn’t take it. Why should I, when I know mom would’ve never wanted this? It was unacceptable.

“You guys are going to love your new home.” I just loved how he could pretend everything was okay. I would never love any home more than my own.

About three hours later, we arrived in this suburban neighborhood. We pulled into his driveway, and I glanced at his house through the window.

It was too big. I hated it. I just wanted to drive back home and be where I belonged. I knew as soon as I stepped foot into his house major chaos would occur.

I followed my dad as he carried two bags inside the house.

“Hi!” It was her. The woman I hated more than anyone, the one that took dad away from Mom and a homewrecker that caused Mom’s death. It was all her fault.

I didn’t say anything. I just looked at her.

“You’re not even going to say hi to Amy? Be rude then.”, came out of my dad’s mouth like always. He was rude. He was a cheater and a liar. I don’t even know how he could tell me I’m being rude.

“Okay.” That’s all I said to him, and that’s all he would ever get. I would never let anyone in ever again.
1 Week Later 7:04 A.M.

I was walking to school with my sister. It was silent, my hands and face were freezing, and I could see my breath.

“I hate this.” She finally said.

“Hate what?”

“Being with dad”, she said quickly, like she had been wanting to get it out.

“Yeah, well learn to deal with it.” I told her, but I knew I was lying to her and myself.

“I don’t want to.”

“Then what do you expect. Huh?”

“Let’s leave.” She declared. I stopped and stared at her. Maybe I wasn’t all alone, and I knew then that we would make it home.
The Next Day 2:34 P.M.

Yesterday, Maya and I didn’t even go to school. We walked down towards the gas station and waited for the city bus. It finally arrived, and as soon as we got on we received many puzzled looks, but I didn’t care I just wanted to get home. At one point I was unsure we would because I didn’t know directions very well.
But we eventually figured it out and made it to our house around 7 P.M. It was all very exhausting. We hadn’t spoken to dad or told anyone where we were. If we did they would for sure make us come back, but they eventually would come looking for us.

“We need to go.” I told Maya.

“Now? Why?” She looked at me, puzzled.

“Because they’ll come looking for us.” We quickly gathered everything we could hold in our bags.

Before we left, though, I walked into my mom’s room. I hadn’t been in here for a while, before that night. It smelled like her, this flowery scent she always used to wear. I looked around. I spotted something with my eyes. It was a letter. I picked it up, glanced at it and read what was written:
Dear Pheena,

I love you and Maya so much, but I feel as if my time on Earth is done. There is nothing left for me here. And if I stay any longer, I will just keep suffering. My depression has gotten worse over time. I drink whenever I can, and I haven’t been the same. I’m barely home, and I never have time to spend with you and Maya. You’re the one who takes care of me. I don’t want to keep making you suffer. I know you’ll be depressed once I leave, but baby, you have to be strong. You have to accept that I’ll be gone, and I don’t want this to ruin you. You’ll be with your dad once I leave, and I think that would be best. I know it’s not what you and your sister will want, but over time I hope you can accept it. Whatever I leave here belongs to you and Maya. Share it between you guys. Please remember, I’ll always be in your heart, and I’ll always love you and Maya more than anything.

I finished reading, gasping for breath from crying so hard. I couldn’t believe my mom wanted to die like this. I couldn’t believe this was real. I couldn’t believe she wanted things to happen this way. So many things were running through my head. I was stuck. I didn’t know where to go from this. I was so hopeless. I felt like this was the end. That’s when I knew what to do.