This is a raw graphic review with harsh language included for which I make no excuses.
Empty chairs is the true story of the life of Stacey Danson. Not only did she live it, Stacey had the courage to write about it. A truly brave, gutsy lady who fought back and will always have my undying respect....
REVIEW - EMPTY CHAIRS
STACEY DANSON
Animals and humans alike will defend their young until they have no more breath left in their body. Then there are the depraved, wicked, and sometime faceless beings who think nothing of using their precious gifts as no more than sexual money making machines. Such is the case of Gwen Danson…..
Her precious gift of a beautiful innocent child (commonly refered to by her, as the worthless piece of shit that she tried to abort with knitting needles) is offered up to the highest bidder for their sexual gratification.
In middle class Sydney Australia, pillars of the community including the family doctor and police officers queued up to abuse the three year old child.
Compliancy was ensured by constant brutal beatings and alchol induced submission. If the child did as she was told she received food and drink. If not she was beaten again and locked in an airless dark cupboard until again submissive.
This worthless excuse for a mother held the childs arms above her head to ensure there was no resistance and the man was pleasured.
As the child grew she came to realise that beatings with a strap were preferable to pleasuring men who had by now ruined her body. She was scarred both mentally and physically. Unable to provide oral sex as her mouth had been split. The more sadistic requests were paid highly for and Gwen Danson loved money to the extent that allowances were made for Staceys nipple to be bitten off and her vagina burnt by ciggies.
As Stacey grew her only friend and connection to the outside world was a television. When she asked to go to school she was again beaten senseless.
Eventually as she got to the age of about nine years she was allowed to go to school. Her normal use of the words ‘fuck’ and ‘cunt’ were commonplace to her and Stacey couldn’t understand why detention kept rearing it’s ugly head, when she used the words or fought back against bullying.
Schooling also meant that she was unavailable to pleasure the peadophiles, so they stayed over in her bed during the week. The stark warning to keep her mouth firmly shut was followed up by knowledge that her punishment would be …. ‘permanently locked in the cupboard and eaten by the rats’.
Teachers dealt with her battered body by not making eye contact.
As time moved on Gwen took her out of school and a new client arrived, brutal and sadistic. With a gun at Staceys head the instructions were given “….to make him cum before a certain amount of clicks of the trigger.” Happily she would have turned that gun on him as time passed.
Nick a wealthy but violent alcoholic and her mothers new boyfriend moves in. Gwen is finally able to have anything her empty heart desires.
Eric, Nick’s son becomes Staceys salvation as he teaches her to defend herself. Gwen assumes she has let on about her life style and beats Stacey senseless and throws her body down the back staircase. Found by Nicks’ minder she wakes in hospital. Amazingly no questions are asked and she returns.
Nick is not prepared to believe Gwens story and they split allowing the pedophiles back. At Gwens request to shave off public hair Stacey refuses and thanks to Eric is finally able to defend herself. Years of hatred built up inside her are released and she beats Gwen within an inch of her life.
Throwing a few things in a bag and robbing Gwens’ purse, her life on the street begins.
Life wise she may be, but streetwise she’s not and a learning curve begins.
Befriended by Animal a market trader who has a younger sister, and Paulie the café owner, she begins to learn the real meaning of survival. Approached by a pimp who tries to have her beaten into submission but fails, she moves on. Finally she finds work in a bakery and receives food in exchange. Whilst here, she meets up with Jamie the leader of a street gang who offer her shelter. The rules - share food and no fucking or you’re out. Eventually Stacey decides to give it a go and meets baby Jenny, a little one who cries herself to sleep each night but refuses to be touched or comforted.
Having experienced the sunshine wind and rain on her face for the first time she now had a surrogate family who would also befriend her provided she obeyed the rules……..So began another chapter of Staceys’ young life
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This is a book that shocked me to the core.
If you only ever buy one work of non fiction make it Empty Chairs the true story of Stacey Danson.
Thoroughly recommended 5/5
ã Teresa Geering 23/01/2011 (Eye of Erasmus)
