We moved to Ocean Springs, MS and many things happened the next two years. I went to a YMCA summer camp. We would sneak past the property line when the camp counselors were not looking. One day we found a pile of tiny diary keys next to a rotted burlap sack deep in the woods. … Continue reading Another new house 1991 – 1993 →

We moved out of the apartment building and into a single-family home. The house had bars on the windows and sat at the top of a slight hill in a cul-de-sac, it felt like a fortress. We had a large yard and the woods ran deep behind our neighborhood. This house was larger than our … Continue reading New house, New school 1990 – 1991 →

I tasted grits when we first arrived in Mississippi. We ate at a diner where I choked on a piece of steak. Not the kind of choking where you cough a few times but where you cannot breathe. I clutched at my throat and tried to get my mother's attention. I reached down my throat … Continue reading Arrived in Mississippi- 1990 →

  I went to Sunrise Valley for one week in 1990. Some might remember me- a girl who abruptly showed up on a Monday and disappeared on a Friday. I was probably dressed in TJMax clothes to replace my hand-me-downs which were either left behind or worn too thin. Clothes that I had worn exploring the woods, watching … Continue reading Strange Valentine →

I was young when I was exposed to inappropriate adult content. We briefly lived with my father’s friend before we took off to Maine. Apparently, she had babysat us for years and we had developed a deep bond which I cannot recall experiencing. I found a copy of her letter amongst my father's documents:  … have … Continue reading PG is optional →

Reading my father's account of what happened was incredibly bizarre. I have held onto, yet never read his account for almost 15 years. What the hell. Still as a statue, with a slow, hard heartbeat and a deeply flushed face, I read: On school nights, we studied and played. (Melissa is an honor student) or … Continue reading The Arrest →

When I was 9 years old, my mother decided to come back into our lives. I am still unsure of why but I know that it completely changed the trajectory of my life. It was not a simple situation of joint custody and sharing holidays- it was a nightmare and I wonder every day how I survived. … Continue reading So, I was kidnapped →

In no particular order, here was my life in Ohio from ages 4- 9 years old. I only remember life at the homestead and with my family. I do not remember going to school or having friends. The exception being a girl scouts trip. I have a memory of a cabin and one of those … Continue reading It went something like this →

It has been over a month since my last entry. I reached out to both of my parents and then I needed time to recoup. In a wine-inspired act of courage, I felt a misguided sense of hope that I could share with them that I understood and forgave them (and to somehow escape unscathed). I suppose that … Continue reading First memories →