What the HELL did she expect from me? I was thirsty and couldn’t fall asleep with a dry mouth. As I slowly gave way toward the bedroom, I sidestepped the milk jug and the puddle it had created on the floor. The whole side of the jug had split open, emptying the remainder of its contents. Mother wasn’t as lucky, her foot stepped squarely in the middle of the puddle as she reached out to strike me again. I turned to the side and flattened myself against the hallway wall as she tumbled past me onto the floor.
This was my chance. I raced past her to the other end of the mobile home. I didn’t dare run outside, not with how cold it was and my lack of a winter outfit.