'They Read My Eulogy As I Lay in an Open Grave'
Newsweek US|November 15, 2024
Like Paris Hilton, Natasia Pelowski claims she was subjected to abuse at a teenage therapy program
NATASIA PELOWSKI
'They Read My Eulogy As I Lay in an Open Grave'

THE MORNING I WAS ABDUCTED at 16, I woke up to strangers' boots pounding outside my lilac bedroom. My mother kept everything pristine in our Northern California home-no one wore shoes inside. So I knew something was off.

My door burst open. A man and woman appeared-their figures so tall and wide they filled my door frame.

"Come with us," they demanded. "No," I spoke, then froze. The man inched toward me.

"I wasn't asking." He seized my arm. Immediately, his grip started tightening like a blood pressure machine, but he wasn't measuring my lifehe was taking it.

"Help," I wailed.

They tackled me. I tried to break free. They won. Two months into eleventh grade, I was barely a quarter of their size.

Face-down against my floral carpet, they handcuffed me. They carried me downstairs where my mom stood by the front door.

"Only your parents can stop this," the woman revealed.

"Sorry," my mother mouthed, but it carried no sound. My mom stood still.

My captors didn't stop moving. They shoved me into the back of a cold, black car and drove away from my Silicon Valley neighborhood and my childhood. It was November 23, 2014. I've been tormented by nightmares ever since. All I knew then was what my captors told me: my parents hired my kidnappers.

I struggled with depression in high school and my family trusted my principal for a recommendation for a wilderness therapy program.

This story is from the November 15, 2024 edition of Newsweek US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the November 15, 2024 edition of Newsweek US.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEWSWEEK USView All
John David Washington
Newsweek US

John David Washington

FOR JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON, BRINGING NETFLIX'S THE PIANO LESSON (November 22) from stage to screen was a family affair.

time-read
1 min  |
December 06-13, 2024
A Walk in the Parks
Newsweek US

A Walk in the Parks

Jim O'Heir shares his memories of the hit NBC mockumentary and its cast's hopes of a reunion

time-read
4 mins  |
December 06-13, 2024
Philomena Cunk
Newsweek US

Philomena Cunk

PHILOMENA CUNK IS JUST AS SURPRISED AS anyone else at her own popularity.

time-read
1 min  |
December 06-13, 2024
SOLVING THE PLASTIC PROBLEM
Newsweek US

SOLVING THE PLASTIC PROBLEM

PLASTIC WASTE IS HARMING ANIMALS AND OUR PLANET. CAN THE DAMAGE BE UNDONE?

time-read
10 mins  |
December 06-13, 2024
'I Was Struck by How Humbled and Insignificant I Felt'
Newsweek US

'I Was Struck by How Humbled and Insignificant I Felt'

An explorer says coming face-to-face in the wild with a grizzly and her cubs changed his perspective on life

time-read
4 mins  |
December 06-13, 2024
Has AI Turned On Health Care?
Newsweek US

Has AI Turned On Health Care?

Hospitals hoped artificial intelligence would lighten their staff's workload, but the same tech could be to blame as insurance firms increasingly deny Medicare Advantage claims

time-read
7 mins  |
December 06-13, 2024
The Next Phase of War
Newsweek US

The Next Phase of War

After thousands of elite soldiers from North Korea joined Vladimir Putin’s forces against Ukraine, how has this latest move affected the conflict?

time-read
6 mins  |
November 29, 2024
Saying No to Trump and Men
Newsweek US

Saying No to Trump and Men

The election has led some women to boycott relationships and sex

time-read
7 mins  |
November 29, 2024
My Fight for Equality and Justice
Newsweek US

My Fight for Equality and Justice

It will take more than just science to end AIDS. Inclusion, empathy and compassion are essential, too

time-read
3 mins  |
November 29, 2024
NEW WORLD ORDER
Newsweek US

NEW WORLD ORDER

HOW LEADERS ACROSS THE GLOBE ARE REACTING TO DONALD TRUMP'S REELECTION AS U.S. PRESIDENT

time-read
10+ mins  |
November 29, 2024