Child abuse is reported every 10 seconds.

There was a little girl,

Named Erica.

Her little brother Jace,

Never knew what

 Was going to come next..

She tried to hide the worst,

And ended up getting

 Caught in the most awful.

When daddy was drunk,

She knew to hide.

Jace got caught by mommy,

And Erica started crying.

Erica did not want to let it happen,

She had to help her brother from dying

She tried to help him out,

But ended up getting  knocked out.

She woke up,

Saw her brother all

Bloody and bruised.

With tears in his eyes.

They went to school

And told their teachers ,

They were abused.

But they were never believed.

Just told them to sit down.

When Erica went home,

and went to help Jace 

She couldn't find him.

She heard him cry

She heard him scream.

She found mommy

And asked if he was ok.

She said he is fine

One of daddies friends was

 having a play date with him.

We have to pay for the car.

We have a surprise for your birthday.

Friday was her birthday,

She could not wait,

Until she found out its her own

Play date.

Mommy and Daddy

Gave her a blind fold,

And told her not to look.

The guy was a family friend

And we own him a lot of rent.

"Where is Jace?"

 She asked so quietly.

He is down stairs inside your room.

 Go inside our room

And have some fun.

After your done,

Its family game night

With you and Jace.

She was so happy

She couldn’t understand.

She had never seen them so happy.

This is the best birthday ever.

As she walks into the room,

She thanks mommy and

Daddy for her gift.

As she heard the man

Lock the door she wondered

Why she was still blind folded.

He whispered in her ear,

“You are about to get the

Best birthday present ever”.

He took off her shirt,

Then pulled down her pants.

She giggled ,

And said his hands were cold.

He told her to relax,

The fun was about to begin.

She felt something inside her

That she knows doesn’t belong.

She cryed,

It hurt so bad,

She couldn’t feel her legs

She didn’t understand what she did.

What kind of birthday gift was this?

She couldn’t move

And he said it felt so good.

When he was done he left

Her crying.

Mommy came in,

Put her clothes back on

and took off the blind fold.

Erica,

Jace is waiting for you.

He’s ready to play a game.

Me and daddy will be down in a minute.

Erica and Jace,

Drawing quietly down stairs.

As they hear a whistle

Disturb the silence, they jump.

Mommy and Daddy are coming

Down to play.

They got so excided

And rushed over to the stairs.

Daddy was drunk ,

Mommy was too.

Erica and Jace  jumped

Waiting to play.

“Happy Birthday Erica”,

Said mommy.

She whispered something

That the kids couldn’t make out.

“What are we going to play mommy?”

Erica wasn’t even think about the man anymore.

She wanted to have the best birthday ever.

Daddy threw his beer bottle ,

And made Jace jump.

“What was that for?”

Asked Erica .

She went to check on Jace,

When she turned around ,

She got knocked down by mommy.

Jace was scared and went to hide.

He knew Erica was hurt.

Erica got up slowly,

And stared to cry.

She did not know what was going on.

She was stable,

Before daddy kick her.

She flew across the room,

And hit the wall.

Erica screamed in pain,

She was coughing up blood.

She tried to get up,

But was slapped by mommy.

She did not think mommy

Could hit so hard.

She could not get up

Erica was in pain from

Head to toe.

She laid their unable to move.

She heard mommy and daddy,

 shouting in the background.

She was swaying.

The world was moving.

She tried to open her eyes.

She tried to move her arms,

And legs.

She was in so much pain.

She stared to cry again.

This was her birthday.

What did she do ,

To make them mad.

She opened one

Eye and looked around to find Jace

Under the couch looking at her crying.

Mommy and Daddy had left.

Erica and Jace heard ,

A engine start,

And heard it roar down the street.

Jace crawled out from under the couch.

Erica whispered to him to call 911.

He ran up the stairs and came back with the phone.

She barely heard him talking to the operator.

He hung up the phone and ,

laid right next to his sister.

 The house was quiet , 

Until they heard a knock on the door.

Jace ran to the door hoping it

Was not mommy and daddy.

Glad as he ran back to Erica

with a police officer behind him. 

Erica heard what seemed like millions of voices.

Until the world went still and quiet.

She began to become cold , and sick.

She heard one last thing.

Jace had come laid by her

Crying.

Hugging Erica.

“ Don’t leave me Erica ,

I need you,

I love you .”

These were the last words

That Erica had heard before

 she had died on her birthday.

 October , 15 2009 .

5 to 6 children die each day as a result

of child abuse or neglect.

The police found a piece of paper

 under the chair in the basement.

It was the picture she was drawing , 

before her mother and father killed her.

It was written to Jace.

Dear Jace,

I love you.

You are the best brother.

If you are reading this alone ,

Mommy and daddy

Hurt me and I cannot

Read it to .

I hope someone helps you

and takes care of you.

Be strong

Be a fighter

And Do not forget

I love you

Forever.

                        Erica <3

The police took the parents into custody and they surved life in preson.

The letter that Erica wrote to Jace was given to him the day after he got out of the hospital. Jace was adopted by one of the police officers and he grew up and became protective and join the Navy. He thinks about his sister everyday. How she loved him and used what happened to them to make him strong.

He is strong

He is a fighter

And he will never forget

Erica loves him.