Chapter 1

• Years before…
• When you feel time running out, a new life begins...
• Death puts us all in the same place; the rich, the poor, the man, the woman... There is no difference when it knocks on your door, only sadness, the emptiness it leaves behind for those who are gone.
• When you feel that there is nothing more to do, that there is only the deepest pain left to suffer, time stops in its entirety....
• “Sam, please go away...!” My mother screams in a broken voice, her face is so swollen, so full of blood that her lips tremble uncontrollably as she grabs the man's hands, begging him with her eyes to stop, but he doesn't. He doesn't. He does not.
• He doesn't.
• I try to command my mind to act, but it doesn't listen to me, my body is literally paralyzed with fear.
• He has her by the neck as he delivers another blow to her face.
• How ironic, that same man who at dawn tells her that he loves her, that he didn't mean to do it, that she should forgive him, that it won't happen again... that's the same man who the next day after every drunken binge, promises that he will change.
• Well, now he hits her body as if it were a sack of sand, in the same mother's body where he takes out his unhappiness and his debts, which are his fault.
• I am not able to leave, I can't, the only thing I do is tremble from head to toe, crying tirelessly, screaming at him to leave her alone. My throat is compressed from the pain, but now what I need is to make a decision quickly because otherwise, my mother will die at the hands of that man.
• My pants are wet, my T-shirt is stuck to me like a second skin, and sweat has covered my entire body. I don't know what time it is, it's been such a long night that I've already lost track of time, but the only thing I hope is that it can be dawn soon.
• As if a little voice whispered in my ear, seeing the mess scattered in the kitchen I turn to my left side and see the top of a split beer bottle lying on the floor near a lot of glass.
• “Take it, do it”, says my inner voice; so without weighing it too much and even though my legs are shaking and I am not sure about them, I run towards the spout and take it, but, the nervousness is so strong, that, at the moment of bending down, I lose my balance a little bit slipping, and by reflex act I place, my hands on the floor sliding forward a little bit.
• It hurts like shit!
• Several strands of blood run down my wrist, and there's a deep cut on it, It is due to my clumsiness. Without giving the pain much attention, I shove the spout of the broken bottle and run to the front where I observe my mother's body in absolute calm.
• She has fainted.
• She is lying on the ground, her body moving only because the man is kicking her in the sides and a deep pain gestated in my chest at the sight of her condition. I put my hands over my mouth and the sobs come out uncontrollably; anger, rage, and impotence overwhelm my whole being.
• I hate him, I hate that man!
• With all the speed I can, I run, run towards them having only one idea in my mind.
• To save mom.
• I throw myself on top of the guy, driving the bottle into his back as many times as I can, putting all the strength that comes out of my body. But my strength is so little and fear has taken over so much that I don't manage to hurt him much.
• “FUCK!!!!” the evil one shouts. “But what have you done to me! You should have listened to your mother!”
• I run with all my strength towards the door, I need to get out, I need someone to help us. I don't know when someone will show up, I don't know if Joshua will arrive in time, the only thing I want is to be able to take my mom and get her out of here, I need her to know that we must leave this man and run far away from here. Then, understand that everything is going to be okay, that we are going to wake up from this nightmare soon.
• I manage to grab the doorknob, the trembling of my whole body is already a buzz, but I struggle to do what is necessary. I turn the knob and open the door, immediately a strong tug makes my scalp burn, and I shriek from the pain stumbling backward and falling on top of several pots that moments ago were scattered at the beginning of the fight.
• I place my hands on the ground to get up, but to no avail, a fist comes out on my cheek hitting my head on the floor.
• Then a buzzing sound enters my head dazing my vision and making me completely dizzy.
• “Stay like that.”
• I want to get up, but there is a great weakness in my senses, I see a kick coming towards me that hits my stomach, and the urge to vomit begins to weaken me, so I cough several times to get my breath back.
• Instantly I hear my mother screaming in the background.
• “Leave her alone, you bastard! It's me you want, isn't it?”
• Mom! She's awake! She's alive!
• I feel hopeful listening to her, somehow a sense of relief despite everything that is happening, reassuring me.
• Then a noise, as if many things were falling again, makes me open my eyes immediately and I try to sit up. Kitchen utensils; spoons, forks, glasses, fall to the floor while the man rummages through a drawer.
• In one fell swoop my hopes fall to pieces, the man quickly gets up and grabs a knife from the kitchen, and walks in mom's direction.
• No...! No! No! No! No!...!
• Me odio por no poder controlar mi mareo, me odio por ser tan débil e incapaz de ponerme de pie. Luego, como último esfuerzo, mis ojos se conectan con los suyos; y ahí está, mirándome con lágrimas en los ojos, disculpándose con la mirada y con los gestos, me mira como si se diera por vencida.
• "Cálmate..." ella baja su rostro.
• “Mamá… no…” Logro pronunciarlas con dificultad, incluso, creo que las palabras no eran audibles.
• El hombre clava despiadadamente el cuchillo en su vientre, sacándolo e insertándolo varias veces.
• NO...
• Un dolor agudo apuñala mi pecho junto con su grito desgarrador. El dolor y el shock en mi visión ahora son indescriptibles, no puedo soportar esto más, no puede estar pasando, no.
• Así que me suelto, me dejo desvanecer con la debilidad que se apodera de mi cuerpo, y cerrando los ojos, una oscuridad comienza a envolverme lentamente....
• ¿Corazón o mente? Dependiendo de quien te lleve, sufrirás más o menos en la vida. Y yo ya había sufrido demasiado en la mía.