Once upon a time, you were young and carefree. “The world is your oyster” is what our parents liked to tell you. Things were right and wrong, black or white. Easy. Comfortable. Safe.

Once upon a time, you were wrapped in a cocoon of love and support. Mom and Dad kept you close and protected from the world outside. The fences surrounding the schoolyard provided a barrier from the “adult” world. Structured. Covered. Predictable.

Suddenly, you were given a choice: go to work after high school, or go to college. More of the fairy tale life, or dive into the real world?

For this version of the story, you chose college. You excitedly purchase tapestries and artwork for your dorm room, select the best classes, and prepare for the best four years of your life.

This is where our tale gets a little more complicated. Classes are hard. Your room mates are loud. You miss home. To take your mind off of life for a little while, you go to a party.

Loud music hits your ears almost as hard as the scent of alcohol filling the tiny apartment. There are people everywhere, grinding against one another as another round is being poured. You stop to take in your surroundings, but soon a friend is pulling you to the kitchen to get a drink. You take the shot and the music draws you to dance.

Pretty soon, the apartment is alive. Sweat and vodka fill the living room. Your worries about the week and its challenges are gone. A guy from your chemistry class offers you another drink, and you take it without a second thought. The music gets louder and louder until suddenly

Blackness.

Blackness fills your scenes. All at once you are gone, disappeared into utter darkness.

Unknown. Silent. Alone.

You wake up in an unfamiliar room. Fog still fills your mind as you try to take in your surroundings. As the events of the previous night come back to you, panic sets in as you realize your clothes are on the opposite side of the room. You run to retrieve them, the only solid evidence that everything is normal.

Back in your dorm, you start to realize all that has happened in the last twelve hours. With shaking hands, you step in front of the mirror to examine yourself. The reflection staring back is all wrong. Bruises on your thigs and stomach feel like a brand across your forehead. Soreness suddenly racks your body like an electrical current. Shame bubbles inside like an overflowing fountain.

Abused. Ashamed. Violated.

What happens now?

Unfortunately, this scenario happens across college campuses nationwide. One in four women and one and ten men are raped every year according to GreenDot, a nationally recognized sexual assault prevention center. Many women and men are also afraid to seek help after these experiences occur. If you or another student have faced sexual assault, contact your school’s Title IX Coordinator or other on campus resource. College can be a fairy tale, but we all have to work together to write our “happily ever after.”