Feeling Trapped

At the age of 12 in August of '93, I moved to Montana to start my first year of 7th grade. My dad stayed in Connecticut to finish packing up the house and I was on an airplane to meet his girlfriend and her son. I remember not being given much notice about their plan to buy a house out there, but I do well with change and was looking forward to seeing a new state. School started well and I easily made friends with other students. I'd also gotten to see the potential new house and loved it!

My dad's girlfriend and I, however, never had a good relationship. I had known her about 5 years prior to the move. During that time, her behavior towards me consisted mainly of disapproving facial expressions and random verbal abuse. She did physically hurt me on two occasions, a fact that was not believed by my father. Within a month after moving, she came into my room, and I awoke to her trying to kill me by suffocation and strangulation. I managed to defend myself and after a series of events, ended up in foster care until my dad could fly out to get me. The case was dropped due to (what I was told) lack of evidence and incredibility because of my age. I am still unaware of why this occurred and why my father was in disbelief of such a tragic event involving his only child. I had never been a dishonest person and it wasn't an issue of "wanting to go back home" (the authorities questioned my being home sick). The police told me to go home and not tell anyone what happened. I thought about many ways of revenge and negative retaliations, which I didn't pursue. I questioned additional police, lawyers and members of my own family, none of whom provided help. I feel like not much was done in my defense and the truth was withheld.