I’m 16 years old. I live with my dad Anthony in Northeast Ohio. We live in a 3-bedroom house with running water and electricity. We have nice things and we respect each other’s space. I love my Father. He does everything for me. I appreciate his willpower to move on from the past. My life did not always look like this although.

When I was 3 my Dad left my Mother Margret due to her addiction to cocaine. I moved in with my Mother and my sister Erin.  Erin was 8 at the time this happened. She told me our mother was a mess. Going out every night and leaving us at home alone with no food. I don’t recall this period of my life (3 to 5 years old).  My earliest memory of my childhood was at age 5.  My mother had a boyfriend named Jason. He was extremely abusive to mother. I loved him for some odd reason. He protected us when mother would come home drunk and angry. Mother would often disappear for days sometimes weeks at a time. Leaving Erin to steal food from the local store. Jason would come stumbling up the apartment stairs. We knew it was Jason coming up the stairs because of his loud mouth. “Maggie May where are you, I’m home?” he screamed. Erin told me to hide under the bed. Loud screeches of agony came from Erin. “RUN RUN!” I was scared I didn’t move. He barged in the room and drugged me by my hair. He reeked of alcohol and foul body odor.  I don’t remember the following events after that.  Jason went to jail 3 weeks later for DV for beating mother. Mother was still with him after he got out. He was the one “it was only a mistake” she said.
   
I moved in with my Dad at the end of that month. I was 8 years old. My sister moved in with our Aunt Linda in North Carolina.  Erin was 701.0 miles away from me.  I didn’t know if I was ever going to see her again. I barley knew what was going on. All I knew is that I was going to still be enrolled at Keystone, I could see mother on the weekends and my sister moved outta state. When I was 10 my 2 older brothers moved in with me. Their names are Cody and Anthony. I was so happy we were so close.  Dad loved us he gave me everything I ever wanted. I didn’t have to worry about food or being too cold or too hot at night. He loved my brothers and I.
   
When I saw mother on the weekends she tried her best to make me hate dad. I didn’t care for what she had to say. She was still doing drugs and drinking. I hated the fact she was still with Jason. Momma loved him so I learned to love him too. He still was physically and mentally abusive to the both of us.  He ended up leaving mother. She moved in with my grandpa Jimmy. She quickly found another man. His name was Michael. He was very sweet at first. I loved him. He loved me. He bought me little things all the time. I appreciated that so much. No one on mother’s side ever did anything nice for me.  I believed things we’re going to start changing. I was wrong. He changed into a different man when he drank. He would yell, break things, and beat my mother constantly. It wasn’t long till he beat her in a coma. He went to jail for 2 and half years. Mom was still writing him daily and sleeping with other guys. She’d beat me during this period of time. I stopped seeing her for over a year. Then I decided to visit her again. Little Mike was there. I was happy to see him I was 13. He said I look so curvy and beautiful. I admired the attention he gave me.
  It was like we’re closer then ever before. He spoiled me and my mom hated that. I loved getting mother mad. I made an effort to prove to her that I’m more superior then her. She freaked out on me. I told her that I’m his daughter he loves me so deal with it. She beat me till I passed out. I stopped talking to her after that for about 6 months. I was getting bullied in school and getting into fights everyday.  Dad was worried he didn’t know what was going on. I didn’t know either. I got called fat and that I smelled like fish. When I know I didn’t. Its just things people said to everybody. I became suicidal in 7th grade. Cutting myself to numb the pain. Soon went to momma and asked her to numb my pain.
   
She handed me a blunt taught me how to inhale.  We smoked everyday. I found people my age around the house and started smoking on my own. Dad found out and sent me to my moms for the summer. Michael used that against me. He soon started to beat me and call me names. Telling me I’m worthless, a piece of meat, and my daddy never loved me. He ripped off my pants and assaulted me. I screamed and baled all over the purple sheets. Mom acted like she didn’t know. She knew. I drank all day and all night.  Stole bottles from the store and drank some more. Pity parties all day nobody invited but me, myself, and I. My Grandpa passed away August 26, 2014. I haven’t seen mother or mike since the funeral. I kept in contact with mother over social media. She said I was lying when I finally came out with and told an adult what happened to me. To this day I haven’t seen her.
   
I started to run away from my Dads house. Just to smoke and drink all day. My addictions lead me to coke and molly. I came addicted quicker then I thought. I did things I’d never do. Such as sleep with guys for drugs, sell drugs, and commit crimes. I thought I was above the law. I thought I’d never get in trouble for my actions. I was again WRONG. I went to jail for theft for 2 weeks. Went back 3 weeks later for running away. Caught another charge while in DH for assaulting another inmate. I got out 99 days later on a higher level of probation. I was on GPS monitor. I cut it off, and went back to jail.  I was there for 36 days. Got in another assault charge while in the DH. Went to a group home directly behind the DH. I ran away from the group home for 3 days.  I did coke, smoked weed, and drank alcohol.

Turned myself in and went back to jail for 2 months. I got the opportunity to go to New Directions and live my life sober. I took the opportunity. I got released from ND and relapsed 8 days later. Ran for 5 days with this boy I liked at the time. Went back to ND and I’m still here now. Thank you for reading my story.