Ward of the State

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Shannon heard her stepfather coming up the stairs and quickly raced for the closet where she had already prepared her hiding place. Huddled under a pile of clothing, she listened as he came closer. He stopped as he entered the room and she knew he would be surprised to find her bed empty. He must be trying to figure out where to look next. Her heart pounded so hard she thought he must surely be able to hear it and she scarcely breathed as he stopped outside the closet door. Opening it slowly he looked inside but seemed unable to see her as he closed it and walked into another room. He called her name but she lay motionless until she heard him on the stairs. After a few more drinks he would pass out in front of the TV but afraid he might come back, she waited until she heard her mother come home from work. She slowly and quietly opened the closet door and tiptoed back to bed. Sleep did not come. Shannon got up less than an hour later and went to school, one of the rare occasions when she actually got there on time. One of her teachers noticed her falling asleep in class and asked her if she felt all right. Shannon admitted that she didn't and was sent to the nurse's office. The nurse stroked her head as she took her temperature and Shannon began to cry. She didn't even plan to talk about it because she knew she would get in trouble if she ever told anyone, but something about today seemed different. After hiding in her closet for most of the night she knew she could no longer live in fear of being beaten or molested and she made a decision to tell just one person. Fortunately, the school nurse acted immediately. Thus began a new chapter in Shannon's life when her impossible home situation came to the attention of the autho... ... middle of paper ... ...ion their choice of the same type of man time after time. Amazingly, Shannon survived with her mental health intact. She went to college where she excelled. She eventually became a senior manager in a store near her home. However, as an adult she suffers from post traumatic stress syndrome with flashbacks and nightmares from which she seems unable to escape. Her years of stress and abuse have taken a toll on her physical health as well and she is plagued by several issues that will likely be with her for the rest of her life. This isn’t particularly a story with a happy ending, though it might seem so. After all, Shannon did survive and has accomplishments in her life of which she can be proud. It is probably safe to say that the outcome was about as good as it could be under the circumstances. But what a sad commentary on a life deprived of a childhood.

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