As the end of 1961 neared, anxiety from several years of psychological and physical torment continued to linger in my childhood consciousness. By this time, the two monsters who reigned supreme over my mind and body appeared to have given up their relentless search. Although three years had passed, it wasn’t safe to stop peering around every corner for Damon and Lonnie’s sinister presence. They promised to kill me for daring to escape their wicked clutches, and only my demise would satisfy their thirst for revenge. While free from their brutal despotism, a title wave of aggression from my African American peers was headed my way and would change my life forever.