Scrag - Up the Hill Backwards - Jesamine James

Based on a true story of a girl coping with an abusive childhood in the 1970s in central England. His voice echos through her nightmares, "Even when I die, I'll come back to haunt you." It's time for Jes to bury Marie's ghosts forever. Six-year-old Marie finds her world has changed and become one of confusion, deceit and abuse. No longer called by her birth name, she is unaffectionately referred to as Scrag - a shortened version of Scraggy-knickered-nut-rag. Her will to survive manifests quite bizarre tactics, as she deviates off course into a childhood of insanity, paranoia, glue-sniffing, self-harming and messages from David Bowie ringing through her ears. Her mind contrives strategies to cope with the continued onslaught that it seems destined to endure. Adulthood is her escape route if she can survive the wait, but can demons be truly locked away in the past forever? This is the story of one child's mind at the mercy of a real life monster. Author note: This is my story of how a paedophile entered my life, home and family when I was six years old. I highlight how he attempted to break my mind, soul and spirit for his total control over me. I fought for my sanity, survival and freedom against his evil and constant onslaught of abuse. I was Marie; now I'm Jes.