I always knew that she would find out eventually and she would get hurt because of me. I should have never hugged her so tightly so that she saw me wince in pain. I shouldn't have told her where I got the bruises from. Then she wouldn't be laying on the ground with a kitchen knife in her stomach and I wouldn't be in the corner curled up into a ball trying(and failing) to lessen the impact of each kick.

---FLASHBACK---
"Mommy," I yelled. She twisted her mouth in a soft smile as I squeezed the life out of her. I tried( and failed) to contain the wince as she pressed against my ribs that were bruised and sore from when I told Gabe that he should get his own beer.

"Percy what's wrong?" She asked worry etched into her features. I had a moment of panic, she would know. I could keep nothing from her, she was like a detective.

"uhh...nothing I just fell down the stairs," My 8 year old brain lied horribly, almost wincing with how horrible it sounded. We had a one story apartment.

"Percy let me see," she said forcefully, her eyes burning with a fire only a mom could muster and I gulped. I didn't even want to know what she would say when she saw my collection of scars and bruises, I had hid them for so long.

"No really i'm fine..." I looked down as my voice trailed off, you could tell from its panicked nature that I was evading the conversation.

"Perseus lift up your shirt." I did as I was told and lifted the peice of cloth slowly over my he hrad. I heard a gasp at my collection of bruises from when Gabe would have his fun time."Who did this to you." I shook my head frantically, eyes wide with fear, she couldn't know.

"No you can't know or he said he would hurt you too" she stared at me wide eyed and a mentally slapped myself. I gave her all the information she needed to figure out who did this to me. I can't tell if I did that on purpose.

"It was Gabe wasn't it," She looked like steam should be coming out of her ears. The only other time I had saw this amount of anger in her eyes was when a man yelled at me in public. She was in full mom mode now and there was no going back.

"Please mommy no, I don't want you to get hurt," I pleaded, but I knew it was hopeless she had eyes full of enough fury to kill with a single glare.

"He does not get to touch my child" she yelled and I flinched, this was going to end badly. Gabe wasn't a man that cared for others, the only thing he would ever care for is beer, food and his poker games.

"Sally," A drunken voice rang out through the small apartment followed closely by a door slam."Whach yu make fir dinner?" My mom growled under her breath at the disheveled as he entered the apartment door

"Mommy please no" I tried to say but my breath caught in my throat and her gaze flew away from me the glare at the drunk.

" I can't believe I thought you were a good man" she yelled, voice as wild as a raging storm. Her eyes held a fury that could not be faked, I swallowed hard at the beginning argument.

"Hu" Was his intelligent reply, beer bottle in hand. His eyes held confusion as the fat walrus took another swig of his 'happy juice'.

"How dare you touch my son," she screamed, and he turned his gaze to me. He menacingly salkes over over, roughly grabbed my hair and pulled me to him. My breath hitched in pain as I was pulled up to his face that smelled strongly of alcohol.

"You little brat" he thundered furiously, his features twisting into a snarl. My eyes went wide with terror and I tried to worm my way out of his grip but he held onto my shirt like it was the last doughnut in the world.

"Don't you dare touch him" My mom screamed, tears brimming her eyes but her eyes were like a fire. Gabe's eyes held a sadistic gleam, and I shivered at the look, it wasn't the first time I had saw that gleam.

"shut up bitch I'm going to teach him a lesson" He snarled back to her and her eyes just seemed to burn hotter, like she was releasing flames from hell itself.

"Let him go"she scream and her hand collided with his face with a resounding smack. He boiled with anger, face turning red. He grabbed the kitchen knife of the counter and before I could warn her it was deeply embedded in her abdomen. I watched as her angry face turned into one of surprise and horror.

"Mommy!" I sobbed tears flowing freely down my face. My whole world crashed down as she fell to the floor body writhing in pain. The light in her eyes, the light that made the whole world brighter, it slowly diminished into a dull ache. I stared at her lifeless form and screamed and ear piercing wail that seemed like it could shatter a window.

The stench of alcohol got stronger as Gabe gave me his full attention. "Now it's your turn brat" he said with a wicked smile that made me shiver once more.

"Please no" I croaked but it didn't make a difference. I tried to curl up as small as I could in the corner of the small apartment as he began to kick me full force. My sides exploded in pain as if he was stabbing me with the knife that was in my mothers stomach. My head swarmed trying to make out a coherent thought but all I felt was pain, pain of the image of the glassy eyes of my mother, the pain of the force of each blow on my already bruised ribs, and the pain of knowing that it wouldn't stop being painful for a while.

"I've had to deal with you and that bitch long enough, I should kill you too, but I don't feel like it," he laughed, I mean he laughed, what kind of psychotic person is he? I made the mistake of looking up when I heard the retreating footsteps. When I did I felt something hard come in contact with my forehead and shatter knocking me out, but the pain was still there, I got the feeling it would never go away.

---FLASHBACK OVER---

I regained consciousness and I wish I wouldn't have, pain overtook my senses. My ribs burned as I tried to sit up, and my head swarmed with the memories of the night before. It hit me full force, she was dead, I would never see her laugh again and it was my fault.

Straining to push myself into a sitting position against the cold wall, my arms felt like lead. My chest heaved as each breath burned like fire. Slowly opening my eyes I saw the scene of evil was still there. I looked away hoping to get it off my mind but it was forever burned in my retinas, and it was a worse pain than anything I could physically feel, a dull ache pulling my mind off course making it hard to form any coherent thought.

I had to get away from this, I couldn't live like this anymore. I soldiered on and tried to stand but fell in a heap as I pushed up. Knowing that I wouldn't be able to walk I crawled across the floor to the phone on the wall. I reluctantly pushed up, the wall supporting my weight, and stood taking a moment to somewhat regain any balance I had left. I grabbed the phone and pushed the numbers that i knew the best.

"911 what is your emergency" the operator called out over the phone.

"Please help" I managed to croak out.

"Sweetheart what is happened?"she asked worried.

"My step dad murdered my mom" I said quietly in between my painful sobs.

"What is you address and i'll send police and paramedics"

"I don't know but i'm in my mom's apartment"

"I'll track the cell just hang in there sweetheart" I keep the phone to my ear as I slid down the wall trying to block out the world.

A few minutes later I flinched when I heard a knock on the door and the signature open up. Good luck with that, if you want to get in you're going to have to kick the door in yourself because i'm not moving and my stepfather is most likely passed out drunk upstairs. My suspicion was correct as they kicked open the door a few moments later and looked around the small run down apartment until their eyes fell on me.

A man approached me and I clutched the phone to my chest. He bent down to my level and I stared at him with wide eyes. I tried to stand up again but my ribs weren't having it and doubled over in pain. He caught me and picked me up to carry me outside as the group of 4 or 5 men searched the apartment. He set me on a gurney and stayed with me until a paramedic came.

The paramedic leaned over and shined a light in my eyes asking my name.

"Percy" I managed to get out as I closed my eyes and focused on breathing, I just hoped it would get better.

I needed some better.