Imagine for one moment that you are not yourself any longer.
Visualize instead that you are a young girl; old enough to know right .
from wrong yet still young enough to be terrified by the dark shadows .
in your room. It is a cool autumn night and your parents have opted .
to attend a party which you are not allowed at. "It will be fine,"" .
they say. Although you already know what is to come. Your uncle comes .
over to watch you for the evening, and your parents are so pleased by .
the fact that they do not have to find a sitter. As soon as he .
arrives, your mother kisses you on the cheek and scurries out the door .
to join your father already waiting in the car outside. The nightmare .
begins. His slimy hands casually slide an ebony cartridge into the .
VCR as he smiles at you seductively. You can feel his eyes worming .
their gaze through your clothes every time that he looks at you. You .
feel dirty and violated every time you think about what he does to you .
when you are alone. He walks over to the couch and sits down next to .
you. His hand slithers it way onto your knee and you cringe in .
revulsion. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you,"" he chides. Your mind .
feels panicky as you feel his touch in more intimate places and you .
scream involuntarily. His grip tightens as he places his hand over .
your mouth. "We'll have to do this the hard way!- comes his intense .
whisper. You flail your arms at him, but it doesn't help. His .
writhing massive body is on top of yours, and you feel so powerless. .
Eventually, you sink into a sobbing heap and simply wait for his .
passions to stop. You wait for the nightmare to end. When he is .
done, you limp to the laundry room and try fruitlessly to get the .
blood stains out of your clothes. It is all your fault. .
Abuse: The violation or defilement of; .
What you have just experienced is one type of abuse that .
occurs millions of times every year across America.
