Aiden

She sat with her arms crossed,shaking, timid, her blue button down overalls sprawled across the floor

slowly she rocked, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth

she reached across the cold blood stained tile and picked up her precious memory

the snarl-haired hand made doll looking more like a rag then the small girls memoir

the footsteps echoed up the narrow staircase, with each step an agonizing heart beat thumped in the little girls white t-shirt

she breathed hard and shook, breathed and shook, breathed and...

but this time was different, it stopped.

the footsteps grew closer to the silent stricken bathroom
the sharp words were thrown and the door burst open with might

but unlike usual there was no response

hit

no response

hit

no response

check of pulse

no response.

Over 3 million (3,195,000) children were reported for child abuse and neglect to child protective service (CPS) agencies in the United States, in 1997.

2,000 children died as a result of abuse or neglect