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Winter nights in upstate NY are bitter and this was one of the worst in years with temperatures below freezing and a wind that blew right through your soul. As a young and very foolish woman I chose to "hitch" a ride home that night, worse decision ever.

A nice station wagon pulled over to the curb and a nice looking young man was at the wheel. "A cold night for you to be out, I will take you where ever you need to go, hop in", and so I did. He seemed a bit too nice and too concerned for the weather, but my teeth were chattering and I ignored the growing concern. We chatted about the coming storm and laughed about the weather forecasters and their mistakes on this cold spell and impending storm.

A look of terror went across his young face as he pulled a large caliber pistol from under the seat and forced it between my ribs. We were at the entrance to the local expressway and he hit me so hard with that pistol that I couldn't draw breath. I knew that my life was in danger and could feel my heart beating with a vengeance that I had never experienced before. There was no way I could jump from the car once I regained my breath as we were already moving above 70 mph. My mind was racing and pleading with this young man for mercy and for him to not hurt me. He forced me onto the floor of the car as he sped along.

We arrived at a service road to the runways of the local airport and he pulled off into an opening in the snow. This had been a very cold and hard winter and there was 3 feet of snow on the ground with drifts reaching 6 feet in spots and we were hidden behind these massive drifts. With rape on his mind, he forced me to submit to him with the pistol in my mouth for a bit of additional terror. I was alone, afraid, and helpless.

An eerie calm came over me as he threatened to shoot me and leave my body in the deep drifts. I suddenly was no longer concerned for myself, but for my family and their reaction to me going missing. The only thought I had was that no one could find me until spring thaw, and what that was going to do to my mother and my young daughter. I was unafraid of what he may have done to me, my only concern was for my family.

After seeing the lack of fear in my eyes, the man softened. He sat there playing with the gun for what seemed like hours but was only a few moments. He started the car, forced me to the floor once again and sped off. I was certain that these moments on a wet and dank smelling car floor were to be my last. As suddenly as he started the car, he pulled over and threw me out on the road. With my clothing in my hand I dressed unaware of the cold and grateful for my life.

Years later I am certain of angelic help on that cold winters night. Years later this man was arrested for the rape and assault of another young woman, and many girls came forward to testify that he had done the same to them. I am eternally grateful that I was spared the beating the others had endured, and that he was incarcerated for a lengthy period of time.

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