In the shadows of the unseen,
Where nightmares cruelly thrive,
Lies a chilling truth,
That could have consumed my life.

Child trafficking, a grim reality,
A stain upon our human race,
It hides within small-town streets,
Behind an innocent, unassuming face.

A teenager lost and desperate,
Seeking solace from the pain,
I fled into the icy night,
I longed to break the chains.

Almost freezing, on winter’s edge,
An emotional runaway, filled with dread,
I sought warmth, a respite from the chill,
No coat, my body aching, nearly dead.

A runaway, a troubled soul,
Seeking refuge from life’s storm,
I was just a breath away,
From a fate that could forever harm.

Through the bitter cold of winter,
I sought warmth at a stranger’s door,
With hopes they’d shelter me,
And ease the pain I bore.

But little did I know back then,
The darkness that awaited me,
In the depths of their chilling basement,
Where fear gripped and eyes couldn’t see.

it happened so fast, it caught me by surprise,
They planned to smuggle me, to steal me away,
To somewhere, would it be better than here?
From small town to city, out of state, at break of day,

They promised me protection,
From the eyes of those from which I fled,
But their deceit was a cruel illusion,
That left me trapped, helpless, and raw.

A hidden headline, a world gone mad,
A runaway’s cries, a plea for aid,
Just another runaway, not trafficked, just lost,
Aching wounds, a soul afraid.

I yearned for the morning light,
Praying for an escape from despair,
As the hands of time crawled sluggishly,
And anguish filled the frigid air.

Oh, it could have been me,
A victim of the unknown,
Lost forever in the shadows,
Just a name on cold stone.

But fate bestowed its kindness,
And courage rose within my core,
With strength born from desperation,
I slipped through that basement door.

Running from the clutches of doom,
I escaped the treacherous game,
Leaving behind that haunting abode,
I reclaimed my life, no longer the same.

But as I breathe this sigh of relief,
I cannot help but grieve,
For those who did not escape,
Lost souls, who still seek reprieve.

I choose to shed light on those
Whose voices remain unheard,
unveil the truth light up the dark,
Let our hearts be disturbed.

For in the echoes of my own escape,
lies unseen, open your eyes to the painful truth,
It could have been any of us, yet still exists
countless hearts lost, robbed of their youth

Let us remember their existence,
Locked in that basement, cold and lonely.
It could still be any one of us,
With empathy, then action, set them free.

It could have been me, a trafficked child,
It could have been me, but I was given a chance,
It could have been you. Small town you.
It was just a matter of circumstance.