Once Upon a Nightmare Tuesday, February 16, 2021 @ 2:46 PM AUTHOR’S NAME WITHHELD “I don’t want to talk to them. Please, don’t make me. It was a joke. I didn’t mean it, don’t tell.” Once upon a time, those words came from a five-year-old girl, my little sister Mia. Once upon a time, she was abused. Once upon a time, a man took the innocence of this precious child. Once upon a time, my world changed forever. It was a typical Sunday morning. I was donning one of my usual hand-me-down dresses and preparing for the natural chaos of the morning. Our routine involved packing kids in their “Sunday best” for the challenges of the day. My sister Alexis and I were starting to dab on perfume and lipstick, hoping to catch the eye of one of the preacher boys.