Okay, so my physical body is still here, but my spirit died today. I’m only 6, I’m supposed to be playing with dolls, and riding my bike. Oh how I love to ride my bike! I was very excited to be a “big girl” and ride my pink bike with no training wheels. And I know that Mommy and Daddy told me that I wasn’t supposed to ride by myself. It was so pretty outside and I just wanted to ride to the corner and back.

I didn’t know the man who grabbed me off my bike and dragged me into the woods. I can remember that my bike wheel was still spinning though, and my special glittery handle bar streamers were laying on the ground.

I tried to scream but the man put his dirty hand over my mouth and was yelling at me. But I’m only 6 and I don’t understand Spanish. He pulled my pants and underwear down and laid on top of me. He was pushing something into my private parts. The ones Mommy and Daddy said no-one but the doctor should touch. IT HURT, A LOT! And even though I was crying the man wouldn’t leave me alone. He finally rolled off me. I could see the big blue sky. He said something else I couldn’t understand but I remember that his breath smelled like beer. I know that because sometimes my Daddy drinks a beer.

I pulled my pants up and tried to run home but it really hurt down there and there was something red that kept dripping. My neighbor saw me and grabbed me and ran to her house. She was screaming into the phone and I was crying because I hurt and I knew I was going to be in trouble for riding my bike alone.

My Mommy and Daddy came, and so did a policeman. Then I heard loud noises and saw flashing lights. A nice lady from the ambulance came in. I didn’t want to pull my pants down again but Mommy said it was ok. The lady from the ambulance said she just wanted to make sure I was ok and that the bleeding had stopped. I don’t understand the big words she used, like “obvious penetration,” “broken hymen” or “rape kit.” And I didn’t understand why the nice lady from the ambulance was crying too.

On the way out, I saw the man whose language I didn’t understand! The Policeman chased him and I saw them them drag him away. My Mommy and Daddy would find out later, that he was in this country illegally. I’m too young to know what that means. When I get bigger I will know what that means, and what he stole from me. But for right now, I just know that I don’t think I will ever ride my bike again, and I won’t ever want to leave my house again, not even to go to the park where my innocence used to play.