and picture this..
You're 17 years old. You're scared of your father because since you were 8yrs old he comes into your room at night and crawls in bed. Not to cuddle you but to hold you. Not in the loving way a father does but in a way that makes you cry and showers you with shame. He climbs into the shower with you and makes you perform activities that will haunt you for the rest of your life. When you tell your mom she tells you to shut up and your lying. Your grades are bad, your testing with different substances to make the feeling numb. After 9yrs of living this torture, you decide to run. You surf from friend to friend until all your couch surfing has run out. There is no way you can go back home. You'll just stay a few nights on the street until one of your friends calls for you to come over. A few nights turn into a week. A week into 2. A few people from the streets take you into where they stay. It's nothing really but it's a tent out of the rain and at least it's across from the police station so you know you'll be safe. Unfortunately, you still can't get rid of the feeling of his hands crawling on your skin. His hot breath on your neck. Your new buddy says here try this it will help. It does but once it's gone the memories are back. You NEED more. You can't sleep. You can't forget. You get more but this time it's mixed differently and you see your soul slipping away. Your scared and you can't catch your breath. Your dying! An angel who happens to be there handing out food sees you and runs to your side. She has training in how to save your life and she does. As you look around this park there are at least a hundred people staying here all with similar stories or their own demons that they have faced. This is their family. This is where they have each other's backs. This is where they are looked after. Food, clothes, shelter, safety, help. The next morning by-law comes in and says they are moving you all out of the city to the bush. Your all separated. Your away from help if need be, your away from food and any human connection. Your 17 years old and again are being thrown away. Discarded. why does no one see you. You want to scream at the top of your lungs HELPPPP but you know no one will listen because you're now just one of them. One of the souls that don't matter. The souls that cry silent tears. Why are we as a community letting this happen? We need to raise hell over these poor people and keep them close to make sure they are looked after. We might not save them all but wouldn't it be incredible to save 1.