June, 1996

The young woman shivered and held herself tighter.
She was curled in a ball on the ground,
in the middle of a
dark and damp forest.
She was naked and abused.
Defiant tears cursed her precious cheeks
as she looked at me with hollow eyes.
"I am not a victim," she said.
"I will not be a victim.
I am too strong.
I am independent."
A disfigured man appeared behind a tree.
He stepped forward and her eyes filled with fear.
But she wiped away her tears
and stood her fragile body up.
She squared her thin shoulders.
He grinned at her and stepped up to her.
She did nothing.
He threw her to the ground and tore off his clothes.
He came down upon her
and thrust his penis into her worn vagina.
He groaned in ecstasy.
She let a few tears slip,
but her mouth was silent.
I felt her pain as he finally let go of her.
He put his clothes back on
and turned to glance at her once again.
"You were good, Bitch."
And he spit at her.
She crawled into a ball and began to shiver again.
"Who was he?" I asked.
"A friend."
"But you didn't want to."
"No, but he did though.
I don't want to hurt him."
And silence fell.
Then she lifter her head with tears glistening on her cheeks.
"I will not be a victim."
Another man appeared close by.
She rose at his silent command.
As he fucked her,
my heart broke.
She loved others too much.
She gave of herself too freely.
She was a victim.
And then I broke into tears.
I leaned against a tree for support
but was pulled to the ground.
I curled up into a ball as I realized,
that girl was me.