Imagine for one moment that you are not yourself any longer.

             Visualize instead that you are a young girl; old enough to know right .

             from wrong yet still young enough to be terrified by the dark shadows .

             in your room. It is a cool autumn night and your parents have opted .

             to attend a party which you are not allowed at. "It will be fine," .

             they say. Although you already know what is to come. Your uncle comes .

             over to watch you for the evening, and your parents are so pleased by .

             the fact that they do not have to find a sitter. As soon as he .

             arrives, your mother kisses you on the cheek and scurries out the door .

             to join your father already waiting in the car outside. The nightmare .

             begins. His slimy hands casually slide an ebony cartridge into the .

             VCR as he smiles at you seductively. You can feel his eyes worming .

             their gaze through your clothes every time that he looks at you. You .

             feel dirty and violated every time you think about what he does to you .

             when you are alone. He walks over to the couch and sits down next to .

             you. His hand slithers it way onto your knee and you cringe in .

             revulsion. "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you," he chides. Your mind .

             feels panicky as you feel his touch in more intimate places and you .

             scream involuntarily. His grip tightens as he places his hand over .

             your mouth. "We'll have to do this the hard way!" comes his intense .

             whisper. You flail your arms at him, but it doesn't help. His .

             writhing massive body is on top of yours, and you feel so powerless. .

             Eventually, you sink into a sobbing heap and simply wait for his .

             passions to stop. You wait for the nightmare to end. When he is .

             done, you limp to the laundry room and try fruitlessly to get the .

             blood stains out of your clothes. It is all your fault. .

             Abuse: The violation or defilement of; .

             What you have just experienced is one type of abuse that .

             occurs millions of times every year across America.