Tag: coercion
Revenge of the soul thief
You murdered my son, Abuser. Though breath still trickles out closed lips, he does not live. The twelve years since his disappearance drag by like a sea anchor pulled...
How to become a feminist horror writer
It’s the early 90’s. You watch “Gremlins” at a sleepover at your best friend’s house. You love sleepovers; you secretly pray you’ll never have...
Lessons on Assault
When they told me, I politely dismissed myself from my classroom and knelt over the toilet. They said she got mixed up with the wrong crowd— wrong boy. I tried not...
Silent Night
I was fully clothed. So, Did it happen? I’ve No right to complain. They are just boys. So Not really their fault, they are Just boys. I did not cry Or...
Ghost Weeds (Reclamation)
The screen door swung shut with a muffled wooden bang, and darkness opened up behind me. The well-lit inside world disappeared as I turned...
The haircut: 1972
Was he calculating a plan while clipping my hair? He lingered over every move, swirled strands with the tip of his hand. Softly he said: I’m...
A legacy of abuse: Telling on my brother
A deathbed confession, 1997 Mom unburdens herself only weeks before she dies. She tells me about Mike’s abuse against his children. Her revelations confirm...
After sucker punch
Some of you will never know what it’s like to crawl on your hands and knees to the nearest pleasant memory. Holding in your tears, any vulnerability is...
Like that guy
I hired Arnie to shovel: hurt pride, weathered face too old for his babyface. He said he can’t never get a break, he’s always bumping bottom. But...
Recommended Reading
The acknowledgement
I’m trying to be gentle with myself, but what if I never believe my body when it tells me what happened?
Have the time of your life!*
*Common side effects may include but are not limited to: harassment, stalking, getting drugged, passing out in...
To the fathers who do not abuse their daughters
On my street I am witness to the young men who carry the pink-flowered backpacks of little girls, who...
