My name is Alexander Douglas, I was a victim of child abuse, kidnapping, and many others. I went through a lot as a kid, I self-harmed, I was tortured, forced to steal, beaten up, raped, and many other horrible things that can happen to a kid.

All this started when I was six, my father was alcoholic and drug-addicted, but he quitted cause of me. Mum used to say I was a gift from God and I had a great destiny and future. Dad was a white man, while mum was a black woman so imagine me. I'm black with light skin, my hair is curl, dark and long. I had light brown eyes like my dad, I looked like him but in a black body. We were living in California, USA. We use to be happy as a family, my mum and dad loved each other, I even thought I would have a little brother or a little sister. But as we all know happiness doesn't last forever.

It all happened on a Saturday night mum was cooking in the kitchen, I was coloring in the sitting room. The door was pushed opened and slammed shut, Dad stomped in.

"Dada!" I screamed happily running to hug him, instead of hugging back he pushed me to the couch, I land beside the glass table hitting my elbow against it. I screamed and began crying. Mum ran out from the kitchen she picked me up, rubbing my injured spot.

"What is wrong with you Tony? Why did you push him?!" Mum yelled still holding me.

"I don't want a stupid hug, I just wanna sleep hic and forget." He hiccupped. something was different about him that night, his words were not steady, and he was struggling to stand and his eyes were red.

"You don't have to push h-," Mum pause taking a good look at him, "Oh my God! Tony, I thought we talked about this! you promise to stop and you stopped, why going back to it?" She yelled while dropping me on the couch.

"I didn't do anything, I just celebrated with some friends, no need to make a scenario," He said carelessly before walking to the stairs, he missed a stair and was about to fall but mum caught him. "Lemme help you," she said to him, taking his arm over her shoulders and holding his waist. I watch as the left, I had no idea of what was coming next, didn't know my life would change so briskly. I just taught dad got carried away while he was celebrating with his friends.

The next day, mum went to work while dad stayed behind, I heard him talking to mum earlier that morning, not talking they were arguing in a low tone, trying not to wake me up, I couldn't sleep curse of my elbow so I decided to go see mum. The door was cracked opened and I heard voices whisper yelling. I knew mum said peeking and eavesdropping are wrong but I was just too curious. I brought my ears close to the door and heard dad saying. "I lost everything! My job! My car! My money! Everything! He yelled.

"That doesn't give you the right to get drunk, and the money what happened to it?" I heard mum said.

"I...I p...played it in the Casino, I was just on two fingers to win 100,000 dollars, imagine such a huge amount of money! Our lives would've been better." He said

"You lose, Anthony, you lose everything! That's your one major problem, you think you can but you end up failing, you end up losing all! Stop your crap or you'll equally lose us," she said the last part softly. I heard footsteps coming toward the door, I ran as fast as I could to my room, jumping on my bed. No one came after me after waiting for some more minutes I decided to take a shower and brush, like the big boy I was, I wore my jeans short and a yellow T-shirt. I walked downstairs to mum she was preparing a sandwich, while dad was reading a newspaper.

"Good morning mama," I said softly, each time I do something wrong I always speak softly out of guilty.

"Morning Alexander," she said not looking up from the bread. She rarely called my full name, except when am in trouble. I pulled a seat around the dining table, twirling my fingers. She dropped the plate of sandwich and a cup of orange juice on the table in front of me. She stood with her hand crossed on her chest.

She cleared her throat, "Alexander did you listen to our private conversation?" She asked.

I stuff the bread in my mouth, as an excuse for not being able to speak. I shook my head no.

"Don't you dare lie to me Douglas," she said sternly.

I gulp the piece of bread in my mouth, dropping the sandwich on the plate, returning to twirling my fingers, not daring to look at her fierce glare.

"Am talking to you Alexander, look up!" She said firmly. I hated pissing her off. So I did what was right by looking at her through my eyelashes. "For the last time did you eavesdrop?!"

"I d-didn't mean to," I said sheepishly.

"You haven't answered my question, did you or not?"

"Y-yes I did," I stuttered.

"What did we say about eavesdropping and peeking?" She asked.

I hesitated before answering "Not to," I said.

"And what did you do?" She raised a brow.

"I-i disobeyed you," I said "am sorry," I added quickly.

"You went against one of my rules and you need to be punished," she said firmly.

"Mama, am sorry," I said as tears welled in my eyes.

"I told you specifically, eavesdropping is a no no no! but you just had to!" She half yelled and I flinched, tears rolling down my cheeks as my bottom lip quivered. Her expression softens and she sighs, she knelt to my height. "Listen, baby-"

"Mama please don't hate me," I cut her words with a tight hug.

"No I won't, is just...I don't like when you contradict my words and rules, you might hear mean stuffs that I don't want you to hear," she hugged tighter. "Promise me you'll be a good boy and stop been a headache to mama," she broke the hug and our eyes locked.

"I promise, never again," I said while wiping my eyes, she smiled broadly and hugged me, reigning down kisses on my cheeks while I giggled. Then she went to work.

Dad was now jobless I didn't really care curse I didn't know the importance of money, I was just an innocent happy kid, with two lovely parents. Little did I know my life would change from heaven to hell that Sunday morning.......