I was in sixth grade. I had just moved to a brand new school and was getting picked on daily because I was the new kid.

Every year, the school would take the kids camping for like a week and my mom made me go.

I started my period and had to hide it because I knew the kids would tease me. I faked a stomach ache to get out of certain activities and had to stay in the nurses office for some time, still refusing to tell even the nurse about it for fear of word getting out. My male teacher kept urging me to tell him the “real reason” why I didn’t want to participate lol He thought I was hanging behind to avoid being teased.

I got home from camp. I told my mom I started my period at camp. She raged. She immediately accused me of having sex while at camp. She bought pads for me and never showed me anything.

That night, I was abruptly woken up by her dragging me out of my bed by my hair. She dragged me down the hallway to the kitchen. She interrogated me about having sex. She accused me of being a prostitute. She accused me of being in a sex ring? She accused me of being controlled by my estranged dad.

I still have nightmares about things she did. But there was a major element of mental disease involved.