“ Where am I?” I whispered in a hoarse voice.


It was dark. It was silent. It was cold. The trees outside were cracking beneath the earths soil. I heard little girls, but my mind couldn't focus on where the sound was coming from. I tried to move but I was paralyzed in a pretzel form. Feeling around I felt I was in a cage, one the size a parrot would be in. It was uncomfortable. I didn't know how I got there or when I got there. From the light, I could see it was sun rise. By the time the suns rays shinned in on me I noticed I was in a barn loft. There was hay everywhere, and rats climbing the rotted beams. Someone was coming, who though? I saw a man in a hat wearing Chippewas, and car hart overalls. He saw me and I saw him. Was I kidnapped? Was I stolen? I didn't know. I couldn't think. My hands were red, and prune. There was dried dirt crusted in on my hands. I looked to my feet which were bloody. I was missing a toe. What happened? I was desperate to know.


“RIIIIIIIIINNNNNNNGGGG!” Second period class was up and I had an exam to finish. Walking through the hallways of a high school your freshman year isn't always fun. Being called a “stupid freshman” by all the older kids, isn't fair. They were once freshman’s! I would consider myself a loner. All the popular girls and jocks like to call me a “nobody”. I don't have many friends, my hair isn't always perfect, I don't have brand name clothing so I'm considered a nobody. My family life isn't so grand either. My mother and father work all the time. There workaholics. I have no siblings so I'm always alone.

Everyday after school I walk through the park, down my long driveway and into my house. It's like a pattern everyday. There's never anyone at the park. It's old and terrifying! So right after the 8th bell of the day I walk out of the “Tree Hill High School” doors. Walking home was different this time, I felt like someone or something was following me. Every time I looked back... nothing. I finally got home, opened my door , put down my school bag, and then slowly paced towards the kitchen microwave to get last night's pizza. Then I went to lay down.. next thing I know I'm here.



Here he comes again. But this time he climbs the ladder to where I am. When he came up he was wearing a mask, and was kicking around the cage. I didn't feel a thing. Maybe I broke every bone so I didn't feel anything? Finally he kicked me off the edge to a 15 foot drop. That I felt. I whimpered just a bit and held in the screams. Who knew why I was there? Who knows how I'd be punished? I can't lie, I was terrified. My tears were rolling down my rosy cheeks ... they were warm. He slowly walked down the creaky barn stairs to where I was laying. I could here him cuss under his breath, he picked up the cage side ways up, unlocked the cage and ordered me to get out. I did everything he said. He quietly moved me to his shed, where I was for 4 days. Every morning I could see the warm sunshine filling up the happy earth, at night I heard the owls, the dark was taking over the shine. All was quiet.








I thought so many times about running away. The thing was I didn't know where I was or how I could talk myself into it. As I was feeling around the shed I felt papers and garden tools. As dawn was creeping over the chilly night I could see the papers print. I read out loud to myself: “Lily Sordino 13 year old girl from Tree Hill MISSING. Blonde hair, blue eyes, about 5'2 and 120 pounds”I read the date September 23, 2007. I thought to myself slowly.. that was three years ago? I have been here for three years! I had to get out. I bet everyone thought I was dead. What did my parents think? I couldn't remember my parents names, how I got here, my age. I was losing it all.


On the fifth day the man came back but this time, he wasn't wearing a mask. He was also being very nice to me. He was in his fifties with a bald head and long front teeth. One side of his face was distorted and he had thick black framed glasses. He was very odd looking. He told me to come out and take a long hot shower in his house and to join him for a nice hot meal. I was confused. As I walked in the house I saw 2 small children I'd say one was about 2 and the other 3. They were calling me mommy. That's when I knew I wasn’t going to escape.



I sat down at the table. The man was treating me like a princess, calling me hunny, beautiful and sweetie. Tears were rolling down my face I didn't know what was happening! He saw that first tear and smacked me hard across the cheek. “THERE WILL BE NO CRYING AT THIS TABLE, YOU HERE ME BARBRA?!”


“ My name is Lily?” I thought to myself.


That's when he brought me back to the shed and tied me up again. Tugging and pulling as hard as I could I couldn't get lose. I was bitting and kicking at him but he wouldn't stop gripping my wrist. “LET ME GO SICKO!” I yelled.

“What was that sweetheart?”
“I said let me go now,you old hag. Turn on your hearing aids!”

I spit on his face and thats when he lost it. He got his wrench and hit me on the side of my head.


“Barbra I'm home.” I heard him whisper in my ear.

I woke up suddenly to that sick man in my face. I didn't say anything. “I'll be in the kitchen if you need me beautiful. The kids are at daycare.”


He gently closed the shed door. That's when I knew this was my time. Inching for the wrench, I got it. I wrapped it around my waist to get the many knots untied from my left arm. Then again for my right arm. I was out of the rope that held me for 3 years. It was hard to walk, I was stumbling. I was terrified. I slowly paced to the wooden shed door, it was wet and easy to be broken down. I opened it and it made a small creak. Hopefully the man wouldn't hear it. I walked out of the shed and right when I hit the summer green grass I ran like there was someone chasing after me. I noticed I wasn’t wearing much. Just an oversized t-shirt. I ran down the road, in the woods, on trails, through rivers. He still wasn't chasing after me. I was free.


I came to Paula's Variety Store. There were people drinking, and people laughing like nothing was wrong in the world. Until they saw me. The woman behind the counter came around to come and see me. She asked me questions but all I could say back was I don't know, I didn't remember anything. They called the police and they called my parents. Though I didn't really remember them, they showed up . My mother was drowned in her tears. My father was gripping me tight all he could say is “I'm never going to let you go” repeatably. It felt good to know that, but how was I sure? I couldn't trust anyone after what just happened. Ambulance came and took me to the hospital for many test. I seemed to have fractured my neck, ankle, and fingers. I couldn’t feel anything. I felt the same. I had bruises on my neck and on my legs. The thing that got to my parents the most was finding out I was traumatized and had brain damage. I wasn't upset, just happy to know I didn't have children and those were from a previous woman. My life from then on took a turning point. I learned to never let thing's get in my way and to stand up for what I believe in. Don't trust anyone no matter what, and always be careful.



A couple weeks later we heard news about the man. His name was Arnold Baker age 53, living in South Carolina. He had severe damage to his head, and the police said he thought I was his wife. He ended up murdering her and traumatizing her like he did to me. He suffered from Alzheimer. I didn't care. He was a sicko who deserved to die. He was sentenced to jail for 50 years. Now I know how it feels to be in my own life and feeling uncomfortable. I never went back to school.. and I never left my house from that accident. I died at age 23 from brain damage. Now that I'm in heaven, I feel like I'm an angel for once in my life. Nothing could go wrong here.