His hands pinned Willow down as he roamed over her young body. The sheets were tussled, creased with sweat and shame. Her mother was in the living room, freshly bruised with her late husband’s fingerprints. There was no stopping the inevitable; Willow’s dress lifted.
    Under the bed, happiness seemed not too far away. A teddy bear and two little shoe boxes sat beside Willow, who was curled in a tight ball. She played with the strings of the carpet and dreamt of a seemingly impossible future—a future where the world was not so cruel. Where she would no longer hear of deadly killings on the news, where she wouldn’t see the homeless standing on sidewalks, where she wouldn’t find her mother on the floor. And for a moment, she lost herself in gleeful thoughts, until springs creaked and light infiltrated the dark space. Alas, the dreams seemed too far anyway; Willow only felt numb.
    For now, the guns ceased fire, and it was safe to flee. Willow heard her mother weeping through the paper thin walls; she knew it wasn’t a cheery cry. The window to hope and freedom was slowly closing in and only slightly wide enough to fit two people.
    “I’m leaving, Silas, and I’m taking Willow with me!” She screamed.
    There was stomping coming from the kitchen. Next, a slapping. Finally, an oncoming barrage of verbal onslaught.
    “You little b—you won’t live to see the next day without me. I’ll be p***ing on your body when I find you in the wash.” Silas barked.
    A glittery purple suitcase was already standing next to Willow. Her guardian angel finally won the battle, they were free. Willow’s mother stormed in with tears in her eyes and grabbed her daughter’s hand. Cigarette packs and empty vodka bottles slid away from their shuffling feet. No longer could Silas hurt them; he balled his hair into clumps and glared at his step-daughter. The door swiftly shut.
    This light was different from the light that infiltrated Willow’s hiding spot. It was gentle, soothing, warm. Flowery wind blew back her hair, and wispy clouds hugged the baby blue sky. It was as if Heaven had shined down its divine, gold beams on her pale skin. For the first time, the weight off her tiny shoulders rose, vanishing into thin air. She was rushed into a yellow vehicle with a toothy-smiled driver. He nodded and briskly drove away. The air around Willow hung silent but light, as her mother looked tearfully down at her.
    “It’s going to be better now.”