The Incredible True Story Behind Lighthouse 117
A Book, Memoir, and Essay in Honor of National Poetry Month and National Child Abuse Awareness and Prevention Month
The story behind Lighthouse 117 began in 1977 when, thanks to the help of my feisty and brave cousin, I worked up the courage to run away to a nearby friend’s house to escape my stepfather’s sexual, physical, and verbal abuse.
Within minutes, my stepfather was banging on their front door, threatening to burn the house down if I didn’t come out. I hid in the upstairs closet while our friend’s mother called the police, who arrived quickly and questioned me. I told them the whole story — that my stepfather had been molesting, beating, and berating me since I was five years old.
The police told me to come with them. They had me sit in their squad car while they questioned my stepfather. After a few minutes, they said they were sending me to the juvenile detention center for my protection. They let my stepfather go on his way back to Arkansas, which is where we were headed when we stopped to say goodbye to our family.
A year or so before, we moved from Arkansas to Herbst, Indiana, near where my maternal uncle, aunt, and cousins lived. I loved being by my cousin, who wasn’t much older than me. I think…
