Sara Sidle remembered her childhood well. Even the parts that she tried so hard to forget. During the day, she did her best to block it all out, to pretend that she had had a normal life, and grew up with a normal family. And it usually worked. But sometimes, especially at night time when she was alone, it all came flooding back to her...
"Get away from me" is all she said "You're like a social disease,
I'm so tired of being afraid of you."
Her face all twisted he sees
("Don't you touch me, Jesus help me...")
Sara heard the screams from down the hall. Every night, when they thought she was sleeping, and sometimes even when they knew she wasn't, it would start. For no reason, most of the time. Her mother never did anything wrong, and even if she had she didn't deserve this...
Save yourself
Look and see
think about it
Sweet sixteen
You can be anywhere
See yourself standing there
Her mother was younger than her father by about ten years. She had just had her sixteenth birthday when they met. He felt that gave him the right to control her – to terrorise her – and get her to do whatever he wanted. Sara had always felt like she should try to protect her, to get her to realise that what was happening wasn't going to get any better, to get him to stop. She knew now that that would never happen, but she couldn't help but think that there was something she should have done...
She's not dead, she's not dead
Sara knew it was only a matter of time...
He can't stop forcing himself on her
He likes the way that she is
His heart beats,
Fingers all over her
His dirty breath smells of beer
("Don't you touch me, Jesus help me...")
Sometimes she wondered if because her father was a heavy drinker, that was the reason that she had become one. She certainly knew that it was his fault that she used alcohol to escape. It was what he had done that she was trying to escape from. But no matter how hard she tried, she could still see the whole thing being replayed in her head, even when she was too drunk to stand. She could still hear the piercing screams, the screams that made him fight harder. It was like he enjoyed it...
Save yourself
Look and see
think about it
Sweet sixteen
You can be anywhere
See yourself standing there
If she could go back now, Sara would tell her mother to leave. Wherever they would end up, it had to be better than staying here. When she worked on a case involving domestic violence now, she understood when women said that they couldn't leave. And no matter how far away she went, this would always stay with her, haunting her...
She's not dead, she's not dead
Dead
Sara knew it was only a matter of time...
Come a little closer to me,
Come a little nearer, I won't...
She had heard it all before. One minute everything was fine, and they were doing normal family things. But the next minute...
She works late so she can keep away
Too scared to go to the police
So young, he's working her like a dog
He slapped her face til she cleaned
But one day while she was searching there
She came across a new toy
Her eyes filled as she loaded the weapon
Her mind racing, she cries
("Don't you touch me, Jesus help me...")
She finally did it.
Save yourself
Look and see
think about it
Sweet sixteen
You can be anywhere
See yourself standing there
Save yourself
Look and see
think about it
Sweet sixteen
You can be anywhere
See yourself standing there
She's not dead, she's not dead
Dead
She's not dead
Dead
A/N Yeah, I know Sara's dad wasn't shot. This song is awesome and I thought of her immediately the first time I heard it. Think of it as a kind of artistic license.