GENESIS

"Yeah, I mean it so fuck off" I tell him as I open our front door. Mom's car is in the driveway, so time for a healthy lunch.

"Mom, I'm home!" I place my backpack at the foot of the stairs and walk into the kitchen "you know why I don't want you" that's weird, mom hasn't cooked and the radio is off.

The smell of blood hits my nose first as continue to the living room "mom? Did you cut yourself or something?" I ask aloud and step into the living room. My foot slides a bit and I look down to see why the floor is wet, a shrill scream leaves my lips. I fall to my knees next to my mother's bloody body "mom? No please, no!" I yell at her. Her eyes open, but barely "what happened? Who did this?" I ask her. I need to focus or she could die.

She answers softly "Ryan" but the act has her coughing up blood.

"Mom, what do I do?" I ask her desperately. I can't lose her, we are all we have. Ryan will pay for this, I will kill him if my mom doesn't make it or even if she does.

Mom takes a labored breath "cops" she answers and her head goes limp in my hands. Before I start panicking I feel her pulse to make sure she is still with me. Good, there is a faint pulse.

I reach for my phone to call 911, but I am still on call with Jesse. I put the phone to my ear "Jesse?" I ask as I start sobbing, only now allowing the overwhelming emotions to wash over me.

"I'm here Gen," he replies quickly "I already called the cops and I am on my way" he continues.

"He hurt her, that bastard hurt my mom."

"Try and stay calm Genesis" he tries to sooth me.

"There is so much blood" I say to no one.

I feel myself being lifted off the floor. What's happening?! "Let me go!" I kick and scream, but I am moving further and further away from her "No, let me go you motherfucker!" I yell still thrashing, suddenly everything goes dark. Like a switch, like a total blackout.

I hear faint voices in a distance talking. My eyes don't want to open. Maybe if I lift myself, but my body is not cooperating.

"It's been five hours, when will she wake up?" I hear a familiar voice asking, are they talking about me? Why would I be asleep five hours, I can never even sleep two hours straight. Where's mom, she is always the one to wake me up. Mom. Mom on the floor. Blood, so much blood. The images are flashing through my head so fast, like highlights on repeat. The faint beeping sound is becoming rapid, much closer. My mom, where is my mom. "Mom!" I hear a scream, a heart wrenching and agonized scream over and over. My eyes snap open. The sharp white light penetrates my eyes, initiating a head splitting headache. My hands fly up to my head, the screaming won't stop.

"We need to sedate her or she will hurt herself" a new voice announces and again the world goes dark.

I don't know how long it's been, hours, minutes? I awoke to find my arms and legs tied to the bed. I tried to get free, but I couldn't. A nurse came in to check on me, but I was too weak to even ask her the time.

"Genesis, I am Dr. Helen Cummings" Someone says, but I don't bother to look. "We are going to remove the restraints now" she says and I feel someone fiddle with the things tying me down. "Here is someone who'd like to ask you a few questions, are you up for it?" She asks me.

I keep my eyes trained on the ceiling "Do I have a choice?" I ask with a raspy voice, my throat is so sore.

I hear her instruct someone to give me water, I gulp the cool water down eagerly. "Fine, but I too have questions" I relent.

A man in a beige suit steps forward "Ms. Winters, I am detective Rhodes" the man introduces, he would look way better without those glasses.

"Just start already, I wanna see my mom." I tell him, laying back down to look at the ceiling again.

The man clears his throat before starting "can you recount the events from the moment you walked through your front door?" He asks. This guy has no sympathy, he just went right in. Well, okay then. The sooner we start, the sooner I can get to my mom. I let out a deep breath and start telling him everything, from smelling blood to blacking out.

He shows no emotion, no reaction. I guess he is all too familiar with such crimes "do you know anyone that would want to hurt your mother?" He asks me and I can't help the eye roll I give him.

"It was her stupid, boyfriend Ryan. She told me before she went unconscious" I tell him.

"How has the abuse been happening?" He asks me, not even bothering to look up from his notepad. I give him an annoyed sigh, but continue.

"Since always, but it never went this far. He would get angry and slap her around, I don't know what happened this time. I told her we should go back home to uncle Ezra, but she didn't want to bother him," I don't know why mom didn't want to go back, U doubt my uncle would've minded.

"How long were they dating?" He continues, seriously this guy needs to learn empathy.

"Two years" I answer curtly. You have no idea how I begged my mom to leave him.

"That'll be all for now" he states and turns to leave.

"Hey, when can I see my mom?" I ask.

Dr. Cummings looks to me with sadness in her eyes. "I am sorry Genesis, your mom didn't make it." I swear the world stopped and all I could hear was my own rapid breathing. "We tried everything, but the wounds were fatal and...."

"No!" I scream, and jump off the bed "she is not dead, you're lying" I yell as I run to the door. She can't be dead "She can't be dead! Mom!" Yell again, but again darkness consumes me before I am out the door.

"Hey Gen, you need to wake up okay?" a far away voice tells me, but I don't have a reason to wake up. My mom is dead, I am alone now. "Come on Gen, I read somewhere that you can hear me. Just follow my voice, please Gen." the voice pleads. I want to follow the voice, but what do I have to live for anymore?

"Hey Jesse, she still not waking up?" a new voice asks, I am guessing Jesse shook his head, because the new voice tries to comfort him "she will wake up, okay? She has to. Just keep talking to her." the voice instructs.

"We're here Gen, we will be here for you as long as you need us." Jesse tells me while squeezing my hand. I can't help but feel relieved that I have others who care, so I put everything I have into it and squeeze his hand back and force my eyes open.

"Gen? You're awake!" Jesse says to me, he looks so tired. How long have they been waiting for me to come to?

"Hey Jesse," I say to him hoarsely, he reaches for the pitcher of water next to the bed and pours it into a glass and hands it to me, I drink it down happily. I really am thirsty and my throat feels grainy.

"Easy, you have been out since yesterday," he tells me and takes the glass from me "I know you probably don't want to hear it, but I am sorry about your mom." I just nod.

The door opens and my best friend Jodie walks in, her blue eyes go wide when she sees I am awake "Gen, thank God. I was going to ask dad to sue their asses if you didn't awake soon," always the drama queen, but she loves me and I love her. She was the first person to talk to me when we moved here.

"Hey Jo, I wouldn't expect anything less. I am sorry I gave you guys such a scare," I tell her genuinely, I don't want Jodie worrying about me. She has her own stuff to deal with.

"Bitch don't fuck with me, don't apologize when none of this is your fault." She tells me firmly, I can't help the smile that spreads across my lips.

"I love you and thank you for being here." I say to her and turn to Jesse "thank you Jesse for everything, you didn't have to." I tell him.

"So my patient wakes up and y'all decide to not tell a nurse?" Doctor Cummings startles us. I am really not in the mood for this, I never liked doctors or hospitals. "How are you feeling Genesis?" She asks me and picks up the chart at the end of the bed.

Sighing I answer her "how do you think? My mom's dead." she looks at me sympathetically and I turn my head away.

"You can leave today as soon as we contact your next of kin." she tells me. They better not be calling some distant aunt that I never met, I don't even know my dad's family. It's just been me and mom, so who is she gonna call?