Two years ago is more of a memory to me now, but I can remember like it was just yesterday.

It was dark out, but I hear the sound of the garage door opening and closing and the familiar sound of the White Dodge Omni when it rides down the road. That car can he heard for blocks. With it being dark out, I could see the lights of the car shining off the house across the street.

Before the car drove away, I look out the window and see the red lights from its rear. I wonder where he was going? I watch until I don't see the lights anymore.

I look at the clock on my bedroom wall and notice that it was only 4:50am. Why so early? Where was dad going at this time? My bedroom door was open. It was strange, because I normally keep it shut when I sleep. I was scared of what was outside in the dark and I quickly shut the door. The house can be creepy at night time, especially when there isn't anyone around, or asleep. I ended up going back to bed, which I fell asleep a few minutes later.

When I woke up, it was my usual time and the house was quiet. Opening my door to my room, I notice a very gross smell in the air. Almost like rotten eggs. I couldn't understand why the whole house smelled like it. I shut my bedroom door. I didn't want it in there.

As usual, I did my normal thing like I do in the morning and went potty.

While I was in the bathroom, I had a headache and I was starting to get dizzy. Not just that, the smell of rotten eggs, was making me sick. I finished up. As I try to flush the toilet, I notice it wasn't working, which was odd. I stumble out of the bathroom and head down stairs.

While heading down, I could hear a strange sound coming from the kitchen. It was like a hissing sound. The closer I got to the sound, the rotten eggs smell would get worse. I ended up putting my shirt over my face, trying to cover up the smell. It stunk so bad. When I reached the kitchen, I notice the gas stove had been turned on, but there was no fire coming out of it. That's what was making the smell and hissing sound. The natural gas has a smell as a warning that it is on. I ran over to it and turned off the burner..

Dad must have forgotten to turn off the stove when he left. He's going to be angry with me and blame me for the huge gas bill. He always does things and blames it on me. I start to cry.

I couldn't handle the smell of the gas and run to open the kitchen door to let some air in and let the gas out. The smell was so intense, that I ended up going outside myself. I started throwing up.

I wasn't sure how long it took for the gas to leave the home, but I hope it was soon. Its freezing out here and I didn't have my coat or shoes on. I was still in my pajamas. When it's freezing outside, it means the house was getting cold as well with the door open. Dad told me a hundred times to keep the door closed in the winter. I am going to get it, when he come back later today.

I'm just glad it' not snowing. It doesn't snow to often in Brookings When it does snow, their may be an inch or less and then it melts. What we normally get is rain and as of right now, I am glad it's not raining.

I was freezing and wanted to go back in the house, but I remember my friend Jeremy telling me that I should never go back in until the gas has left the building. He also told me to open all doors and windows. Which reminded me to open the front door as well. I wouldn't be able to open any windows, because that would mean I would have to go back inside the house.

As I open the door, There was a build up of the gas, which was really awful. I started coughing. I was feeling really sick, fell to the ground and blacked out.

I woke up to the sun going down. Was I outside on the ground all day? Why didn't any one help me. Didn't they see me lying here on the ground? Did any one even care about me? I sit up and look towards the house. It was dark inside. I climbed the front door staircase and into my now freezing home.

The smell was gone, which I was glad and I shut the door and headed to the kitchen to shut the other door. As I did, I noticed something odd about the house. There was something not quite correct about it, like something was missing.

My tummy started hurting. I haven't eaten anything in almost twenty-four hours.

I open up the fridge and all we had in there was a gallon of water and baking soda. I looked in the cupboards for something. I felt like Old Lady Hubbard. Because when I checked in the cupboard, It was bare. There was no food in the house. Dad didn't buy any groceries and didn't leave any money. I hope he gets back home soon. I am starving.

I start to cry. My tummy hurt a lot. If there was only some way to make it stop hurting, like make it feel like it was full.

Feeling thirsty as well, I decided to get some of the water from the fridge. As I started to drink the water, I spit it out all over the table. This wasn't water. Well it was, but it was salty. Extremely salty, like someone filled it up with lots of salt. I went to the faucet to get a drink. The water didn't turn on, which explains why the toilet upstairs didn't flush.

My tummy was hurting really bad and had to find some way to get rid of the pain. I look in the fridge again. Like before, there was nothing in it and I was not going to eat the baking soda. I was starting to panic.

I sit back down in the chair in the kitchen. I hope dad gets home soon. My tummy has a pain like I ate pins and needles.

I head to the living room and turn on the TV. I just hope that watching a show will get my mind off of food. There was nothing on but adult shows and News. Late night TV sucks. I sit on the couch and watch an old western movie. It was very boring and made me fall asleep.

During the night, I must have woken up. The TV was still on and one of those infomercials were on the screen. It was a cooking show. This made me think of food again. I went up to the TV and switched the channel. I hated going up to the television set every time, just to change the channel. Why can't we get a new TV with a remote? Not only that, the set was so old, that the screen messes up a lot and I have to get off the couch just to hit the side of it to get it working again.

I click through the only few channels that we had. They were mostly infomercials and boring sitcoms that made me hungry. I went back to the kitchen and checked the fridge. I was starting to get annoyed. I went back to the living room and sat there pouting and watched the boring sitcom on the screen, which again made me fall asleep.

I wake up in the morning. School started in a few minutes and I had to get ready. I went upstairs, took off my pajamas that I have been wearing all day yesterday and changed into some clothes for school. I ignored the fact that we had no food in the house and headed right out the door to the bus.

The next few days were the hardest for me. It was the weekend. Dad still didn't come home and I again there still was no food or water in the house. I would end up stealing food from the school, neighbors gardens, or the store and was glad I never got caught.

One evening, while I was watching TV, dad walked in from backdoor. I didn't know he was in the house. He saw me sitting on the couch and stood next to the doorway. I looked up at him. He looked mad. In his hands was a hanger.

I started freaking out. I knew what the hanger was for. He's used it before. I started crying.

“Where the heck is my stereo?” he yelled.

“I don't know?” I whined.

He went over to me and started hitting me with the hanger. I was screaming my lungs out. I wish the neighbors would call the police, but they never do. With each hit of the hanger and all the pain, I end up going into complete shock and everything goes dark.

My eyes went into focus. I look around to my surroundings. I was confused. I know the last thing I remember, I was looking through my closet for my dress to go shopping with Nikki. Next thing I knew I was in the bathroom lying on the floor. I don't know why I am in the bathroom and I am really, utterly confused.

I get up off the floor and look at myself in the mirror. I looked like I was crying. My hair was a mess. I also still had the nightwear on. I have no memory whatsoever. As I walk out of the locked door of the room, Nikki was sitting on my bed. It was like she was waiting for me.

“Um,” I was surprised that she was there. “Did I do something wrong?”