“He said something my father used to say…a-and I panicked. He called me a lamb. It was like a thread snapping. A trigger. And it’s stupid and embarrassing, and all I want to do is be normal, but I can’t escape this helpless, awful feeling.” Her words bled together, a jumble of torment. “Everywhere I go, I see him lurking in the shadows. Every time my mind wanders, I hear his voice, feel his leather belt on my skin. I’m always scared. I’m always running. But I’m running in circles, and it’s exhausting, and it’s endless, and I just want to be free.”
