Nowhere To Run

Tonight has been one of the most unnerving experiences I've ever had in my life. As they say, you never know what happens behind closed doors.

I went out for a paranormal investigation, coming home just shortly after midnight. At 12:30, the phone rings. It's my boyfriend. He NEVER calls. He's crying and screaming and flipping out. I calmed him down enough to explain to me what happened.

My boyfriend went out for a couple beers with a female friend. When he came home, his father started laying into him, yelling at him about being out. My boyfriend yelled right back. His father stood up and shoved him down on the floor, pinning him down with all his weight. Now for those of you who don't know, my boyfriend is a small guy... maybe 130 pounds soaking wet. His father works out. While on top of him, his father started choking him. Seriously. He couldn't breathe. His mother did nothing. He fought back, scratching his father's face pretty badly from the sound of it and finally broke free.

Needless to say, he didn't feel comfortable staying in the house, but what option was there? Neither of us have many friends, and in an emergency situation like this, it's a very helpless feeling to know you're too far without any means of rescue. All I could do was calm him down as much as possible til he finally exhausted himself and decided to barricade himself in his room for the night and try to get some sleep. He had a tooth pulled so he's still in pain from that, not to mention the pain in his arm from scratches and bruising. So now, I realize how badly he needs out of that hellish place he calls "home".

I can honestly say now I understand why he drinks and smokes. He's trying to numb himself. This apparently isn't the first time this has happened either. He failed to mention this before, and there could be many reasons for that. Embarrassment. Fear. Shame. All I know is it won't happen again if I can help it. Where there's a will, there's a way. He says it's not my problem, but I disagree. We're a couple. It is my problem when my boyfriend's life is in danger. One time is too many. Abuse is abuse, and violence of any kind is intolerable.

But for now, there's not much I can do. I made a pot of coffee so I might be awake for a while. Even though I'm tired, I want to be awake in case he needs to call me again. Not like I can do anything, but at least I can listen. It may not be much, but it's all I really have right now. One of us has to remain calm and collective to try to figure out what to do. Whatever it may be.