Jeff and I had been dating for almost a year. With Valentine's Day rapidly approaching, I was wondering if this would be the day that he would propose marriage. I did not know what to expect when the special day finally came. However, it was not a box of candy and a small plastic bobble for my key ring called Heart Attack Weapon that I was expecting. I was disappointed but tried very hard not to show it. Jeff was so thrilled with the Heart Attack Weapon that I bit my tongue and was thankful that he remembered Valentine's Day at all.

Jeff is a police officer in our small town and is always prepared for any possibility. He spent a great deal of time to explain how the Heart Attack Weapon was an extremely better and more effective self defense weapon than my car keys.

I grew up in this small town and nothing bad ever happened, so I was never particularly concerned about my safety. All that changed one evening as I left work late. I was walking to my car in the deserted parking lot when I saw a large dark figure approaching me. My first thought was that it was another coworker leaving late but realized that mine was the only car there.

Everything happened so quickly. One moment I was standing there watching this large dark figure and in the next moment he was grabbing at me and trying to drag me out of the parking lot into the bushes. How could this be happening to me? I was kicking and screaming and trying to get away when I felt the keys and the Heart Attack Weapon in my hand.

The many discussions Jeff had with me about protecting myself came flooding back into my head. I remembered that I should try to remain calm and to use every resource available to protect myself. This man was so big and strong that I knew I would never overpower him, so I went completely limp and let him continue dragging me into the bushes. He thought that this was his lucky night?an easy target to rape.

I laid there for a moment carefully watching him and as he came forward I plunged the Heart Attack Weapon directly into the middle of his chest?just like Jeff had showed me. I put every ounce of my strength into that punch with my upward swing?added to this, was the weight of his own body as he was coming down to rape me.

The sound of his screaming was unbelievable as he fell to the ground grabbing his chest. He just rolled up in a ball crying out and holding his chest.

Seizing the moment, I made a mad dash to my car, got in and drove away. I had escaped a terrible fate, all because my boyfriend had the insight to buy me the Heart Attack Weapon, a gift that I did not appreciate.

I will be forever grateful for the small plastic Heart Attack Weapon. I was able to protect myself during an attack and I survived to tell about it.