Becoming Emma

Emma turned and looked at the old house one last time. Her eyes flickering from the rotting steps to the broken windows. To the worn curtains slowly moving in the wind. A shell of its former self, just like her. This run down house looked terrifying on the outside, and it was. Those walls held secrets Emma knew she’d never be able to forget. 

Memories came flooding in like an unwelcome guest. And Emma was powerless to stop them. Her mother’s ghostly image invaded her mind: pale skin and dark hair. Emotionless, far away eyes that never really looked at her. The woman who was supposed to love and care for her. The woman who was always just out of reach.  

Emma spent many nights alone in that old house, not knowing where her mother was. There was little to eat, and no way to keep warm. It was terrifying to be alone. Every creak and strange noise sent her heart flying. Those fears were nothing compared to the real nightmares Emma faced when her mother was home.

 A parade of men came in and out of Emma’s life. They were kind until they got what they wanted. Then the screaming and fighting would start. Emma would try to stay out of the way, but she often ended up in the middle of it somehow. A black eye or bruised arm that her mom would explain away as “an accident”. 

One night, everything changed. Emma hid while another fight raged in the next room. She covered her ears as they screamed and sent dishes crashing into the wall. When it suddenly stopped, Emma slowly came out of her hiding place. As she peeked into the room, a horrifying scene met her eyes. Her mother was lying on the floor, covered in blood, the man standing over her with a knife.

Emma couldn’t stop herself from crying out, startling the man. He turned and started toward her, still holding the knife. She tried to run, but he grabbed her. The man dropped the knife and started hitting Emma. The last thing she remembered was being thrown into the kitchen table, then everything went black. The man left her for dead, just like her mother.

When Emma came to, a female police officer with kind eyes and a gentle smile was kneeling beside her. The officer saw fear in Emma’s eyes and laid a reassuring hand on her arm. She told Emma the man had been seen running from the house by a neighbor. They called the police and he was arrested shortly after. The man could never hurt her again. 

Emma was bruised and banged up, but seemed unhurt otherwise. She spent the night in the hospital so they could run some tests and make sure her injuries weren’t more serious. Although her body was ok, her mind was far from it. She wondered what would happen to her now that her mother was dead. Her fear melted away when she met a warm, welcoming family that wanted to take her in. 

Emma’s nightmare was finally over, but the damage was already done. It took years to work through the many traumas she’d faced. Her new family, and a good therapist, helped her see that what happened wasn’t her fault. Emma was no longer alone, she deserved to be well cared for and loved unconditionally. 

Although Emma knew these things were true, recovering from what she’d experienced wasn’t easy. The fear, nightmares, and painful memories had a firm grip on her heart and refused to let go. Even after all these years. Emma realized she may never fully heal, especially as she stood in front of that old house. 

Emma’s memories weighed heavy as she turned and walked away. There was also a tiny ember of hope. A dream job offer in a city far from her hometown. A new beginning. Emma loved the life her new family had given her, but the shadow of her past was always there, taunting her. To let it go for good, Emma knew she needed to leave.

Dead, dry leaves crunched under Emma’s boots as she moved with purpose toward the waiting taxi. Toward her new future as a journalist. She would be the voice of other women who faced similar traumas. She would help them see a way through their suffering. Give these women hope that better days are coming. And they would heal together.   

Emma may not forget the memories in that old, forsaken house, but she was determined to shed their weight. To leave behind the pain and heartache that haunted her life for far too long. Now Emma would carry only the lessons she’d learned, the parts of her past that made her who she is now, and who she would become. All the broken pieces, woven together in a new and wonderful way.

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