Tangled Love

"We think you should go back to live with your mother. You're not eighteen yet and we don't think this is the best environment for a young teenager."

I stare at her dumbfounded, my mouth hung open unattractively. For so long I always questioned whether the police would really help me or not and today I found out the answer. . . They wouldn't.

"Trevor beats her and you want her to go back to that hell hole?" Jake says, breaking the silence. I blink a few times, unable to believe her words.

This can not be happening. No way.

I sit there in silence, my body frozen as the sound of Jake's protests float around me. How can the system designed to keep me safe recommend that I go back to the abuse? I don't understand it. I feel my lungs tighten and it becomes difficult to breathe. A grey fog builds inside my mind and I stand to my feet, wavering a little.

"Excuse me," I mumble under my breath, my words shaky and barely audible. My feet begin to move involuntarily and I find myself storming up the stairs, wanting to get away from the officers as much as possible. My hands glide against the walls, keeping me standing upright as I stumble across the landing. My breathing hitches and I suck in harshly, desperately needing the tight hold on my lungs to loosen.

inside, blinking to remove the fog from my vision. My back

you

respond but no sound

I can hear the officer shout my

take the chance to slide down onto the floor, pulling my knees towards my chest. Images of Trevor and Mum

"I cant go back. I can't go back." I whisper, feeling the tears invade my mouth. It's growing increasingly harder to breathe and I

presence but it does nothing to

the tears in my eyes. Tobias leans down beside me and placed one hand on

to me, what did the police say?" He asks but the inability to breathe finally catches up with me. Black spots cover my vision and I groan as I feel myself lose control over my body. My eyes flutter shut and I know I'm seconds away from passing out. I vaguely hear a door slamming open

to shield them from the bright sun that's streaming through the window. The light bounces off the wall, directed

Why must you be so bright

it, groaning