| Victimized |
| The speaker is a 14 year-old girl recalling the most traumatic experience in her life, which occured only a few months before. Can be portrayed as being addressed to a therapist/therapy group, new friend, audience, no one in particular, etc. However, it is important for you to choose something or someone to address, even if it is no one or herself, so that you can decide what type of eye contact with audience and judge you are going to use. (Author's Note: Character's emotion should match the emotion in the memory, with no foreshadowing or remembered bitterness until the story gives reason for the emotion) (With a teenage first-crush-puppy-love attitude) So I met this guy... I was babysitting for the two kids up the street, and I took them to the park. Then Michael ran towards the water, and he can't swim, so I went after him, but I tripped over the picnic blanket and almost dropped Emily. He was almost to the edge and I called to him to come back when this guy, I didn't know him, scooped him up and carried him back to me. He smiled at me when I was apologizing and thanking him... He had the most beautiful smile. He didn't just smile with his mouth, but with his eyes... Green eyes. I remember because I couldn't stop looking into them. We must have talked for half an hour while I pushed the kids on the swings. His name was Jake, and he was older than me... A lot older, four whole years. But when I talked to him, it didn't seem like there was any gap at all... Like I'd known him forever. We liked all the same music, and movies, and food... It seemed like every time I mentioned something I liked, he was there with a "Me, too." He was great. From the first time I saw him, I was hooked. Then I looked at my watch and it was time for me to get the kids home, so I gave him my phone number and he promised to call me later. He did call, that night. I couldn't believe it. We must have talked for two hours... Although I don't remember much of what was said because I was so busy listening to that beautiful voice of his, and imagining the way he'd look saying the words. Then he asked me to go to a party at his fraternity house on Saturday. I knew my dad would probably say no, but I told Jake I'd ask anyway. My dad absolutely hit the roof... Put his foot down so hard there were probably earthquakes in Japan. We had a huge fight and I stormed off to my room. I sat there thinking about what I was going to tell Jake. I didn't want to say no; it would make me look like this complete baby daddy's girl. So I decided I'd say yes. Jake had told me he'd pick me up at ten if I could go, and my parents were usually in bed by then. If he met me at the end of the street, and I got back before morning, I could pull it off. No problem... Right? So I called and told him that I was sneaking out, so count me in. On Saturday night, I put on my baggy pajamas over my party clothes and pretended to go to bed, being careful not to mess up my makeup or my hair. When I could hear my dad's snores from across the hall, I got up and finished getting ready before opening the window, popping out my screen, and hopping out, checking that I had my house key in case I couldn't get back in the window. I hopped into his car, parked half a block from my house, and we were off. The party was a little strange for me, but nothing worse than I'd expected... Well, not much worse anyway. There were like three kegs set up around the house, but I didn't want my parents to smell it on my breath so I only had one glass... I think. It wasn't like anything I was used to, but I guess it was fun. I mean, I was with Jake, so it had to be okay, right? We left at about 2:30. I was so tired I was almost falling asleep in the back seat (the front seat cushion was ripped in three places so Jake said I should sit in the back). I heard the car stop. I thought we were home, but I opened my eyes and it looked like we were in the parking lot of the store a few buildings down from my neighborhood entrance. (Starts to become visibly distressed) Then he was crawling into the back seat with me. I asked him what was going on and he told me to just relax. Then he started pulling... Pulling at my shirt buttons and my shorts... I tried to wriggle away, but he had me pinned down against the seat, and I screamed, begging for him to stop... And he hit me... Across my mouth to shut me up. And then he... He... (Completely loses control and begins to cry from the pain of the memory. Might drop to knees suddenly, as if she couldn't support herself anymore and they'd buckled; head in hands) I was crying, struggling, the whole time... Every time I would try to scream for help he'd hit me again... I was... I was crying and screaming... And nobody heard me... Nobody came... When he finally stopped and sat up to wipe the sweat from his face, I grabbed my jacket, jumped from the car, wrapped the thin fabric around myself and ran... All the way home. When I got to the front door, I pulled the key from my jacket pocket but I was shaking so much I couldn't get it to turn in the lock, so I started screaming and banging on the door and ringing the bell. My mother answered the door, looking exhausted and wearing a bathrobe, and when she saw me her entire expression turned to shock. I just fell into her arms and started to cry. She wrapped me up in a blanket and sat with me on the counch... It must have been an hour before she could get a word out of me. By that time my father had called the police, guessing something terrible had happened to me, and I managed to get control again long enough to tell them what happened. I had to go to the police station for all these technicalities, and then to the hospital... All I wanted to to was go home and sleep... Try to forget... Because it was too painful to remember. But I didn't get to go home until almost three days later, and I collapsed into bed, but I couldn't sleep. Every horrible minute kept flashing through my mind. So I waited until everyone was asleep again, and then I went to the kitchen. (Runs a finger slowly over forearm, tracing scar lines stretching down from wrist) That's when I got these. Jake had already killed me on the inside... And that was so painful that I didn't want to live at all. But they caught me... Caught me before I could cut deep enough... (Pause) (Quietly, almost whispered, half crying. Said to self, probably in some sort of kneeling or sitting position, rocking back and forth) I was... I was crying and screaming... And nobody heard me... Nobody came... Nobody... |