NARRATOR: Felicia Tucker's mother and stepfather

were addicted to drugs.

When she was 14, her parent's drug supplier

started showing interest in her.

He was 16 years older.

When he would come over to get his money or whatever,

he would sit there and talk and chat a little bit.

But he would always tell me that I was beautiful.

I mean, he kissed me.

And I felt awkward because I'm like, this is a grown man.

He's old enough to be my father.

And then he started buying me stuff.

I was like, wow.

I felt like, man, he must really like me.

He took me to his apartment one time.

He said, I want you to do something for me.

He outright raped me.

He said, now, you've been teasing me.

And now it's time to pay up.

I felt violated.

I felt used.

I felt dirty.

NARRATOR: That same year, Felicia's parents

were arrested and sent to jail.

The supplier paid the bail and demanded a trade

to clear their debt.

So they made a deal I guess with each other.

He said he would get his money right or whatever.

And he said, well, Felicia stays with me.

NARRATOR: Felicia had to drop out of school in seventh grade

and lived in isolation, enduring every type of abuse.

For years, sometimes I didn't see another person

because he kept me locked in a room.

I felt like a slave.

I did.

He would sexually abuse me.

He would call me out when he was ready for me.

He said that I was his personal slave.

I can kill you.

He went from calling me beautiful to ugly.

He beat me several times close to death.

NARRATOR: During this time, Felicia's mom and stepfather

made no effort to bring her home.

He used to tell me he could kill me

and nobody would know 'cause he could bury me

at the bottom of the hill of that land.

Nobody would know.

Because nobody's looking for you.

Nobody was looking for me.

NARRATOR: Felicia felt the only solution was to end her life.

FELICIA: I looked in his cabinet.

And I got some pills out.

And I took almost the whole bottle.

And I said, well, it's going to be over now.

Because I don't want to be here.

I can't go home.

You know, I'm stuck.

I don't want to be here.

I hate it here.

And I laid there.

And I closed my eyes.

And I thought it was going to be the end of it.

And I woke up.

And I wasn't mad that I woke up.

NARRATOR: Felicia lived in mental and physical captivity

almost eight years.

14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21.

I missed out on so much.

NARRATOR: When she was 22 years old,

she finally resolved to run away.

Her chance came when her captor forgot to lock her bedroom

door one day.

He used to always tell me that he

was going to kill me if I left.

I had tried one time before that to leave like years before.

And when he drug me back, I said if he locks this door,

my bedroom door, I was going to go out the window or anything.

I was getting out of there that day.

And I opened the door.

And I looked around at the living room, looked at where

I had been for all those years.

And I said, yeah, this is where I have been.

But this is not my home.

I'm not ever coming back here.

NARRATOR: Felicia fled 12 miles down the road on foot.

I have not seen him.

That was October 1997.

I have never seen him again.

NARRATOR: Felicia had no education, life skills,

or family to live with.

So the next day, she walked into the Army National Guard office

and signed up.

She kept her past hidden and thrived in a new environment.

She later joined the Army and met her husband on assignment

in 1999.

Together, they had twin girls.

After serving four years, Felicia left the military.

And the trauma and abuse from her past

began to seep into her marriage.

After a divorce in 2005, she found herself a single mother

struggling to make ends meet.

When she fell behind on her daycare payment,

a church worker offered her a glimmer of hope.

FELICIA: She said, your girls go to the daycare

here at the church.

Why don't you all come to church this Sunday?

She said, and I want you to know,

that as long as you show effort, your girls will have a place

to stay, a daycare.

And I was just looking at her like, wow.

She showed me mercy.

It made me feel love.

I remember the pastor preaching.

He said, is there anybody here today

that hasn't made Jesus their Lord and Savior?

And my heart just started beating real fast--

I mean, like in my throat.

And I walked to the altar.

And I got saved.

I gave my life to Jesus Christ that day.

I just felt-- I don't know.

I just felt like the weight of the world was off my shoulders.

I felt so light.

I felt like dancing.

I mean, really, I could have did flips

the way I was feeling inside.

Before, I was in bondage physically, spiritually.

I don't know who God was.

But when I felt the love of God, it's

like that ball just started unraveling.

And I could start living again.

NARRATOR: Today, she is happily remarried, has a great job,

and both of her daughters love God.

Felicia says her new faith not only

changed the course of her future,

but it even changed her perspective on the past.

FELICIA: He freed me from that bondage

of feeling like I owe somebody.

He also freed me of that hurt.

I forgive that man.

I forgive him.

I do.

I pray he gets saved.

I mean, I never thought I would be

living the life I live today.

You know what I mean?

I belong to him.

And I wouldn't trade it for the world.

He says that I'm beautiful.

He says that He loves me unconditionally.

And I am the apple of His eye.