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Home Life
Debbie Morris grew up in Madisonville, Louisiana. She was out one night with her boyfriend, Mark, sitting in his 1978 Thunderbird car late one Friday night, when everything went downhill. -
Gasping for Breath
Two men in the pickup truck ended up kidnapping both Debbie and Mark that late Friday night. They were both young and had no idea what was going on or what to do. Debbie, 16 years old at the time, was crying, as she was terrified as to what was going to happen to her and her boyfriend. She was gasping for breath while crying, as the two men continued to yell at her and tell her to "shut up" the entire time. -
Clever Ideas
Debbie was scared, but also clever as she had a lot to say and speak up about to the two men that kidnapped both her and her boyfriend. She knew what she was saying was clever, and continued to think of ways to get out of the situation they were in. One quotation to represent this from the book is; "I really might have laughed if I hadn't felt so much like crying." As well as, "No matter what clever strategy I planned, my captors were still very much in control." -
The Kidnapping
Debbie and her boyfriend Mark were out Friday night sitting by the riverfront enjoying the view when a random pickup truck pulled up close to them. They thought nothing of it, as stated in the book, "I paid little attention as the glare of headlights briefly illuminated my boyfriend Mark's face and then swept on." -
Torture; Kidnapping and Rape
Debbie went through a lot of difficult times and situations with these men. At one point they parked the vehicle, took her boyfriend out of the car, tied him to a tree and beat him. Although Debbie couldn't see what they were doing, she had a very vivid idea of what was happening. She couldn't do anything but cry and feel sorry for her boyfriend, as well as herself, knowing everything that was happening was petrifying and that her family at home would be worried about where her and Mark were. -
Looking for Signs
As the two men continued to drive and drive, the only thing Debbie could think of doing was to mark where they were going. She knew directions very well, as she's traveled on her own to all the places these men were driving to. When driving down one dirt road, she spotted a man and what looked to be his son, walking towards a river with fishing poles. She noted what they looked like so she could try and find them later if she ever escaped the mess she was in. -
Unknown Locations
Although Debbie was confident in the locations the men were bringing her, she lost sight of where she was when they turned down some old dirt road. This road led to another man's trailer, where she was raped by now, three men. She was scared and unaware of what was going to happen to her. She didn't know if she was going to return home or be left stranded somewhere with no sight of help. Thoughts kept racing through her head, as she had no words, thoughts, or ideas of what was going to happen. -
The Escape
After almost three days of being abused, raped, and almost killed by these three men, Debbie finally found a way out. She had convinced the men to let her go home, as they realized how young she was and what harm they had caused her. Once she was dropped off, she ran to the closest place she knew, which was her uncle's store. "My clothes were covered with mud. My hair was tangled and matted. I was such a mess that my own uncle didn't recognize me at first." -
Finally Home
The three days Debbie was gone felt like an entire lifetime to her. She was beyond grateful to be home with her family again and be able to feel the safety, comfort, and protection of them. The first thing she did was tell her family what happened and asked them to call for help immediately. She knew exactly where the three men were headed after they dropped her off, and she wanted them to be caught before something like that happened to anybody else. -
Making it Public
Debbie got all the help she could. She told the cops and every one of authority her story. She made them take her back to each location she remembered driving to, she found her boyfriend Mark, still alive by the tree, but all torn up and beaten. She knew she was lucky to be home but was forever going to hold the trauma and nightmares of her and her boyfriend being kidnapped, beat and raped one summer night and kept for an entire weekend. -
The Trauma
No matter how much help, support, reassurance, or anything, there will never be a time where Debbie doesn't remember this time. She knows that she's safe now, that the men who kidnapped and raped her are locked away and can't escape, but she will constantly have memories trace back to this time. Years later, she quotes in the book; "I went to bed early that night and tried to sleep. Of course, I couldn't." Knowing this years later, she still has nightmares about that one summer night.
