Part One
November 5th, 1966. I stepped tiredly off of the bus in London and proceeded oto skim over a card that I had been given, which contained the information as to what hotel I was staying in. No one else was around me; I suppose it was too early in the morning for people to be out and about. I was 16 years old, and this trip to England had been my birthday present, which of course I readily accepted. Not only would I get to be alone for once in my life, but I would be staying in the same country as my darling Beatles...for an entire year at that!!! My parents had taken their own year-long vacation to Italy, leaving my older sister boarding at her college in Virginia, and my little sister went with them. In this way, I was totally disconnected from all of my family members. I couldn't write them letters, or call them on the phone. I was truly on my own, not working, (taking a year off from high school,) and not worrying. It was a dream come true.
I was five foot five inches, no model but I did consider myself pretty, (I had passed the stage of self-deprecation in one's life, and moved on to honesty,) with long red hair falling down my back. My sisters and I had all inherited the red head from outr great-grandfather...nobody else in our family had red hair. Some people asked us if we were adopted! I didn't care, though...I looked like Jane Asher!
I hummed a little melody to myself as I tried to decipher the meaning of my handwriting...sometimes I wasn't as neat as I could be. I felt my backpack sagging down, heavy with books and extra small luggage, including my binder of music for piano practicing. My other hand held up my only other piece of luggage; a gigantic suitcase full of clothes and music to last a week or two while I was in London; the rest of my clothes would be delivered to the inn in which I would live for the next entire year...All of a sudden, someone tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around, preparing to say hi, but I never had time to.
A large hand holding a cloth popped out and covered my nose and mouth. Shocked and stunned, I struggled valiantly to escape it, but accidentally took in a deep breath. Circles spun in front of my eyes as I fought to remain conscious. Strong, uncaring arms slammed me backwards and pulled my hands behind my back, tying them up so tightly with rope that I could feel my blood circulation halt. Automatic tears of frantic fear and frustration started falling down my cheeks as I kicked for freedom. It was then that I was tripped to the ground as the rough hands tore madly at my skirt. In a single scream of hysterical pleading for help, I ending up breathing in an ever stronger gasp of the chemical. Against my will, I found myself slowly slipping down into oblivion and a faint.
I awoke in what seemed like minutes later but it must have been hours, because I had arrived in the early morning and now it was pitch black. Shivering, I looked down at myself. No wonder I was cold...I didn't have any clothes on. Peering around at my surroundings, I found myself backed up along the side of an alley. I ripped out the rag that had been stuck in my mouth, and slowly gathered up my clothes, which were flung all around me on the ground. My pants were soaked and my sweater was covered in dirt. But these were the least of my problems. I hurt with an aching and stabbing pain in my lower stomach. I knew that it wasn't a cramp; I had been raped.
It was then that my brain ceased to function. Nothing hit me, I didn't know where I was, who I was, what had truly happened. I pulled on pieces of clothing, one after the other, and picked up my backpack. All was there...except for the cash that I had brought from America. I hadn't even traded it in yet for English currency.
I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes. Nothing worse could have happened. I was dirty, but I was washable. I was tired: I could sleep. I was alone; I could use a payphone. But what had happened to me was not fixable. I had lost something that couldn't be regained. Climbing slowly to my feet, I left the alley and walked across the street to a nearby park. I didn't know which one it was, all I knew was that I was by myself, I was cold, and I was tired. I curled up on a bench and fell into a restless, hurting sleep.