SPEAK About Your True Stories
Rape and Sexual abuse can happen to ANYONE! Do not think that you are impervious to it. Chances are that someone in your classroom has been hurt in some way sexually and, therefore, consequentially emotionally. Please look at these people’s stories and understand that it can happen to you. Some cases are “preventable”, if you will. Please take precautions. We don’t want you to end up like these people, myself included. However, we also want you to understand that if this has happened to you it is NOT your fault-no matter what, and there IS the ability to heal. For more information on healing check out our links page. But mostly, remember, you are not alone and people will always be willing to help you if you speak up.
Interviews Parties and Healing
Survivor Stories/Make Your Own
And last, but not least here is my story. I will speak if it helps someone.
I have an incredibly similar story to Melinda’s, although I was “lucky” enough not to be raped. Merely molested by my best friend’ dad. My best friend and I were the only girls from our group of friends to go to our particular high school. We hung out everyday-all day (mostly from lack of choice-we had no other girl friends). Looking back, I can see that my best friend and I were depressed. We only relied on each other and felt like outcasts in such a large school. The, the day before Christmas Eve, Rena’s dad took us to “the dunes”, a well known place to ride quads and dune-buggies. The night before (I spent the night there so we could leave early) he had made me uncomfortable insisting on giving me a “massage” after my friend went to bed. I didn’t sleep that night. The next morning I thought it had all been a dream. It had to have been (like I could deal with it if it wasn’t). That morning we left for the dunes. I thought I must have been crazy, but after a fun-filled day of quadding (and crashing) we left to drive the 3 hour drive back home. By best friend slept in the back and as I sat in the front seat it hit me-the darkness was crushing me as he reached over (while he nearly drove us off the road-maniac!) as I pretended to sleep. Scared doesn’t even come close to describing how I felt-petrified comes a bit closer, but mere words can do no justice. Ashe finally stopped he put his finger to his lips and said “Ssshhh…I love you so much. You are so special to me.” I did not feel special. A million thoughts raced through me head: We’re 200 miles away from home in the middle of the desert-what was I suppose to do? Scream and then walk home? Wake my best friend up and tell her her dad had molested me-twice, I just thought last night had been a dream? Ya, that’d go over well! But more importantly, would she still talk to me? What would happen at school? Wasn’t I old enough to not have let this happen? I kept my secret…still seeing my best friend and her dad, slipping into a serious depression and ripping apart my relationship with my mom. Finally, I did the hardest thing I ever had to do-tell someone. Luckily my Mom guessed most of it, sparing me the pain of making me give her details. Things at school went from bad to worse. My friend at first sided with me, and then told people I’d made it up. You can only imagine how that made me feel. Luckily, most everyone was there to support me, although I still felt bad for my friend. She then told me her dad had abused her too. He was eventually put in jail, and then was released. I was upset, but more than anything I don’t want him to hurt anyone else. It took me about 2 years to “recover” but I think the fact that I never believed it was my fault had anything to do with it and helped in the recovery process. Now I am, what I believe to be, a very successful woman who is looking into the bright future of teaching and entrepreneurship ahead of me. I have also learned to trust men, they are not all bad. I am engaged to a wonderful man whom I am not afraid of. In the midst of the pain, I also found God. Everyone turns to something different-I turned to the belief that everything happens for a reason, because now I know true joy because I know true pain. I hope that this helps someone-you are not alone.