Wounded, Multi media on canvas, 58 x 96 inches, 2014
Being unwanted, unloved, uncared for, and forgotten by everybody…that is a much greater hunger. Mother Theresa
A thin red cord holds Jenny captive.
The last time Jenny saw her dad she was seven.
Divorce emptied her.
Her cries—no one hears, no one answers.
An older boy tossed her an easy—“I love you.”
She unsuspectingly gets into his car.
The new boyfriend receives a finder’s fee.
Jenny’s worth: $3,200.
Her owner names her Sugar Baby and says, “I’m your daddy.”
She’s groomed by her new daddy, her innocence stolen.
Pornography fuels the business, and fantasy demands the young.
Like most, she is thirteen.
Driven to meet daily quotas, Jenny and her body surrender.
She feels filthy—outside and in.
No one looks her in the eye.
“Unwanted” tattoos her heart.
Her door swings thirty times a night.
With each click of the lock, her young mind tangles.
Fear dictates.
Abuse braids the scarlet cord and tightens Jenny’s tether.
©2014 Watercolorbypamela – All rights reserved.
(The Scarlet Cord is based on a composite of true stories that have been shared in the news or in reports, while others are original stories. A model and pseudonym have been used.)
FACT: There are nearly 2,400 human trafficking victims in West Michigan (Manasseh Project).
