Mine the Creek

I was walking in the park beside Supertest Road and Dufferin Street on November 10th, 2021. I had drove by it many times coming from my Chiropractic appointment so I decided to go for a hike at this location. I checked Google Maps and Google Earth to get a good look of the land. Lots of dips and trails. I was amped for this hike.

I first went to the Dufferin Creek that was south of the park. It was a great view and the scenery was awesome.

I checked Maps again and saw that there was a Mine north east of the Creek (called Nara Mine) and east the Horse Stables. I decided to explore more of

the park. Chatted with a nice couple that came to look at the Creek and left.

As I trekked for what felt like 5 to 7 minutes, I approached a fork in the trail. To my left there were 3 tall pine trees with what was an unlit campfire and a chubby Middle-Eastern man wearing a highlighter green jacket and a grey toque. He looked like he was in his 50s-60s. He wasn't hard to miss but I pretended like he wasn't there. An East-Asian man walked by in a vivid blue jacket but he went down the trail going south. This is important because I got a gut feeling that they were together. I looked at my Map again and headed in the middle trail of the fork. I noticed in my peripherals that the guy in the green jacket started to follow behind me and that I was also going the wrong way. I turned around and didn't say anything to the mf'er and tried to walk around him even though he was blocking the path.

He had a closed fist and quickly pushed it into my chest. He said in what sounded like an accent, "Hey man. Where you goin'." and started smiling exposing tooth decay and tar stains. It wasn't a question. He quickly opened his hand to grab my boob. I grabbed his hand and pushed it it into his forearm then I push him and his hand away. I said, "don't fucking touch me, man." and moved pass him. He started to laugh at me.

I started to walk away and the East-Asian man in blue cuts in front of me but starts walking the other way to go to trail heading north. I looked behind me and the guy in green started to follow me into the woods. This triggered my anxiety and ran drown the trail near the horse stables. I couldn't run far because I have a meniscus tear in my left knee and he was catching up to me. I remembered that I had a small knife on me to help me in my hikes when taking alternative routes or for protection against wild animals or a rapists. At this point, what's the fucking difference. My life was at stake. I was thinking if he attacks me I can jab him in the leg, run and call the police.

I dropped a pin and shared it to my son's father and texted him that a guy was following me. I made a clearing near a sparse bush and broken trees and waited for him. I waited for almost 5 minutes in the cold. No show. I said fuck it, he must have looked down the path and didn't see me and turned back. I pocketed my knife, dropped another pin, shared it to my son's father and took an alternative route back to my car. I called the police when I arrived. I told them everything that happened. They were already asking weird questions like "how did he touch you" when I told them how already like multiple times with details and how I ran away.

As a result they said that I didn't need to come to the station because the supervisor was there they had my statement recorded.

They gave me the case number and the Officer gave me his badge number. We'll call him Officer Grey. At the end of our coversation, he told me that I was brave and smart. Then he back tracked and said shouldn't be walking alone and my boyfriend should have been there with me to protect me. As if that justifies what had happened to me. I also knew he was trying to make a shitty attempt at making a pass at me. I just said sarcastically, "Yeah... Because the respect for only a masculine gender matters than the abuse of another. Haha. (-_-) " He's like "You're right never mind." I was like "uh huh." I told him that I emailed him a screenshot of my dropped pins earlier and went home.

I feel disgusted that this fucker touched me. Pissed that I was having a good day until this happened. Relieved that I am okay and have had self-defence training to rely on. Sad that not everyone has that training or can react as quick as I did. Hopeful that because I reported him and the incident with detail that if this fucker tries this shit to someone else, there would be a recorded pattern and he will more likely to get caught. I lucked out because the last time and other times when I have reported an abuse or sexual assualt to the police, they told me if I'm lying that I will get thrown in jail. This was when I tried to report my dad and abusive exes.

I won't be silenced anymore. The pen has always been my superpower. If that makes me a villain, let the fire in my chest burn through me onto the pages and fill me and others with anger and hope to know that we are not alone and strong in numbers.

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(They/Them)