As I looked away, I saw him coming at me in the corner of my eye. My heart starting to race, I tried to block him from hitting me. My left arm went up trying to shield my face, my right arm shielding my body, my knee coming up as he got to me. Looking under my left arm I sew his hands coming, slipping through my arms and grabbing my nick. His stomach and lower body stopped me from moving. As his hands squeezed tight I was having a hard time breathing, trying to free his hands from my nick by pulling away his hands and his fingers, but he was too strong. Trying to talk, his fingers and hands squeezed tighter and tighter. I felt his dry, broken calluses cutting in to my skin. His big fingers were coming closer and closer together as he squeeze. No longer able to breathe my arms grew heavy, and fell to my sides. Taking my last gasp of my last breath I looked at his face full of rag, and in to his eyes, bloodshot like fire,and his pupils black and full of darkness. I saw my eyes close and my life end..................

Coming to, I breathed deeply, bringing my heavy arm up to shield my blurry eyes from the bright light coming through the crack in the door from it bring left open. Stumbling to my feet I walked outside, unsure of what was going on, for I don't know how long I was passed out. How long was it from when I closed my eyes, or even how I was a live, and how he was not there? He was outside fighting with other people who were inside the house. I thought to myself, "this is enough!" I went inside, got my backpack with my school stuff, and a small garbage bag stuff. Someone in the house was giving me a list of people to call when I needed something. I walked out the door, the fight still going, I just left. When telling them that I was leaving, someone was yelling my name, I just started running.

It was February 2004, being only 18 years old, on my own,  going into the unknown, and being scared. Taking each step with tiers in my eyes not knowing what lay ahead of me, I knew I would be ok, because what I just left was more scary. This is how I went from hopelessness to homelessness, living in the shadows to hiding in the darkness. There is never really a choice to be homeless, it is just how some people's life's wind up. For me it, was the only way out.