It was raining…and it was cold. Colder than the chilling tension in our house.

It was late…and I was alone, in a dark playground with metal slides that burned you in the sun. And swings that falter, making you worried with each swing that they may fall.

‘It’s safe here’. My mother would say. Safe from what? I don’t know. She always drops me off…alone…while she meets with dad.

Often threatens me that she is trying to get back with him for my sake and if I kept annoying her, they’ll stay divorced. She muttered some stuff about the unpaid child support.

I was only five, but simply thought I was too much…. I was only five when i wondered, what would change if I go away forever?

But here I was. 12:30 am… waiting in the ‘safe area’ for my mom to return. I was only five, and it was simply too cold. So I went under the slide, to hide from the cold and to hide from the person that roams.

The person kept calling my name. It’s dad. Mom was gonna pick me up, so why is…_he…_here….

What has he done to mom when she went to meet him? She always came back, even if it was with ‘purple polka dotted skin’. That’s what she called it.

I can’t go out from under the slide. If I get out, the safety is gone.

Mommy didn’t return, and lied about it being safe. I don’t know how long it will take me before he takes me with him. The place where it’s anything _but_ safe.

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It’s 4am right now so don’t judge 😭