Family

For years my uncle called me names that were sexual. He’d make sexual jokes towards me and I didn’t think much of them. May 8th he took something that was special to me and its something that I’ve never been able to get over. I was scared and didn’t want too and he was stronger, older and he had better stories then me. He’d tell me no one would believe me because no one did the first time one of my uncles touched me. I was 15, insecure and unhappy, I hated myself and my life and who I was. I didn’t have anyone to tell me I was beautiful or important and strived to make my parents happy and proud and it never worked. Well, my 29 year old uncle had kept telling me that no one would believe me and that they’d all just think I was nasty for saying something like that. I wondered why me, why was I the one who had to suffer. I lost all my hope and faith from May all the way till the end of August he was forcing me to have sex with him, to act like his girlfriend, everywhere I went he would get mad if he wasn’t there or I didn’t ask him. I’d go to my friends get home and he’d hit me over and over again. He made me cook for him and clean and he’d get my stuff like clothes, necklaces and stolen phones to keep me quiet. I would stay quiet because he promised he’d always be there. He’d always control me. I was tired of being scared and wondering what if I had a normal family? What if someone cared enough to spend time with me, maybe he wouldn’t have hurt me so much. He took everything that I held dear to me and crushed it, my virginity, my freedom, my faith and my hope and still to this day I am terrified that he’ll get out and find me. My dad left me for his brother’s wife, who did nothing but run me down and they both still do. I’m tired of feeling alone.

— Samantha Taylor, age 16