I was paralyzed with fear as I heard a person kneel next to me. My mind started to race. I was certain it wasn’t my Mom since she always made every effort to respect my privacy and would have certainly knocked on my door to wake me before entering. Plus, considering how drunk I saw her earlier, I knew she’d be passed out. When the strong combination of cigarettes and Polo cologne hit my nostrils, a feeling of terror arose from the pit of my stomach. I realized that it could only be one person- my mom’s boyfriend, Trey.

I don’t know how much time passed (maybe a minute or...