Diary of a Child with an Abusive Father

"Dear Diary,
I don't know where to begin; there is so much going on in my small head that I can't seem to organize it. Maybe I'll start with yesterday, when Dad came home angry, as usual. I don't know why he was angry, but I know it means trouble for Mom and me."

"His hands were shaking, and his voice was very loud. I tried to hide in my room, but Dad was too fast. He grabbed my arm and started yelling in my face. I felt scared, and the more he yelled, the faster my heart beat. I don't understand why he does this. Did I do something wrong? Is it Mom's fault?"

"Sometimes, I try to remind myself that Dad isn't always like this. Sometimes he smiles, sometimes he tries to be nice. I remember once, when I was five years old, he took me to the park and bought me chocolate ice cream. That day was one of the happiest days of my life. But now, all those memories seem so far away, like they happened in someone else's life."

"Mom always tries to calm him down; she speaks to him gently and tries to protect me. Sometimes she cries when he doesn't see, but I see it. I see it in her broken eyes, in her sad look that carries all the pain in the world. I wish I could help her, stop the pain, make her smile again."

"Today, I decided to write to you, dear diary, because I feel lonely. I can't tell anyone what's happening. I'm afraid Dad will get angrier. And I'm afraid my friends will be sad. So, you are the only one I can talk to. I want to be a normal child, like other kids who laugh and play without fear."

"Sometimes, I imagine myself as a little bird, able to fly away from all this pain. I want to fly to a place where I don't have to hide, where I don't have to be afraid. But until that day comes, I'll stay here, in my room, writing to you and dreaming."

"I wish I could change things, help Dad to be happy, help Mom to be strong. But I'm just a child, too small in a big and complicated world. I hope there is hope for tomorrow; I hope there is light in this darkness."

**The End**