Soon, the park appeared on their right. It was large and because of the rain, empty .

“Here it is, now just continue up this street and turn left at the corner to get back to my street.”

Instead, he suddenly turned into the entrance to the park. He accelerated, heading down the main park road.

“Hey, what are you doing, my house is back that way, where are you going? Stop, turn around.”

“Quiet,” he said, but this time there was no timidity in his voice. This was a command and as he held the accelerator down the car streamed past the rain soaked trees, heading deeper into the empty park.

Fear began to build as she realized that he wasn’t the person she thought he was. She looked at him, head bent low concentrating on the wet road, both hands gripping the steering wheel, pressing down on the accelerator. She was dealing with a total stranger, doing a strange and uncontrollable thing and she was afraid.

“You’re scaring me, please stop, please,” her voice still calm, but beginning to quiver.

“You want me to stop? Sure why not,” he said as he slammed on the brakes, pulling the car onto the wet grass in a deserted area of the park.

The minute the car stopped Laura knew what she had to do. She didn’t know what would happen next, but she knew she had to get out of that car. She opened her door even before he put the car in park and jumped to the ground, beginning to run, but suddenly slipping on the wet grass. She fell and sloshingly tried to get up. He was around the car in seconds and grabbed her around her waist, pulling both of them to the ground.

“Don’t move, don’t scream, don’t make me hurt you,” he said, his mouth near her ear. It was only then that she saw the glint of the knife moving toward her face.

“Don’t hurt me, please, don’t cut me,“ she said, beginning to sob.

She felt him climb over her and using his legs he forced her legs apart and she knew what was going to happen. No, no, please don’t let it happen, please make him stop, she thought, crying fully now, the sobs racking her body and her tears mixing with the rain running down her cheeks. But, he didn’t stop. She felt the tip of the knife against her throat and tried to remain still, fear amid a swirl of confused emotions ran through her. He lifted his head and she saw a look of domination in his face. She felt him pulling at her clothes and then the sudden pain. She remained still and the pain came again and again.

“You bitch, you deserve it and I’m going to give it to you. You all deserve it,” his voice was rough, cruel, demanding.

He continued and then it was over. Leaning down to her ear he said, “This is our secret, if you tell anyone, I’ll come back and kill your parents, okay?”

The most Laura could do was nod her head weakly through her sobs. Her mind was in shock, she could barely move. He got up, picked up her rain soaked panties, put them in his pocket and turned and walked to the car. She lay on the wet grass and watched the tail-lights as he drove off.

She lay there for quiet a while, the rain falling on her crumpled figure, her clothes ripped, crying openly. Her fear and confusion began to give way to anger, to shock, and to slowly the need to do something. Why did it have to happen like this she thought, she had been a virgin.

CHAPTER FOUR