Untold Diary

In March of 1993, when I was eight, my mom decided to kidnap us and flee to Kentucky. It was my two baby brothers and I on a road trip with a mother I barely knew, due to her frequent absences, along with a man she had met at a bar. We were so young, unaware of anything, simply enjoying a road trip.

I remember my mom loading us into the back of a pickup truck with a camper on it. We couldn't stand, so we could only sit back there, breathing through a small window that let in a bit of air in the very hot weather. The drive felt endless, but my brothers and I played "I Spy" until we couldn't play anymore.

We eventually reached our destination, only to discover it was an abandoned trailer with no lights, water, or food. It certainly wasn't a place for children, but it became my new home for a year. I recall going to school without having showered or eaten, feeling so hungry that I was grateful for the food provided at school.

Despite everything, I made the best of it, taking care of my younger brothers because they needed me. Life, as I knew it, had its ups and downs.