Theresa Reed

But for Lightning Bugs Theresa Reed

It was supposed to be a game-at least that's what her brother told her. He also said, "If Mom and Dad find out what we're doing, we won't be allowed to live here anymore." She was only eight. Where would she live? She wasn't going to tell anyone. When she discovered that what she and her brother were doing was wrong, she didn't want to play anymore. That's when the bullying began. When he blamed her for what she let him do to her it was more than she could bear. Her brain took over and promptly deleted a two-year chunk of her memory. But the damage had been done and the best she could do was limp along-a social cripple among her peers. A year after becoming a Christian, Theresa, then a young woman, sought counseling due to some family turmoil. That's when the memory, repressed for more than fifteen years, surfaced. It sent her into an emotional and spiritual tail-spin which nearly ended her life. But for Lightning Bugs is one woman's story of coping with the crippling effects of childhood sexual abuse and how she finally found closure.