Stranded

by Sarah Goodwin

stand any chance of changing my life, making it work, I had to stay in the city and try to live like any other person my age. I couldn’t risk being persuaded to give that up.

I did work hard at fitting in when I started somewhere new. I didn’t enjoy it, constantly felt awkward and exposed, but I could do it just the same. It was just a case of dressing like everyone else, listening to them, mirroring their rivalries and concerns. Whether I could keep it up for a year was another question entirely.

The fact was that the worst thing about my previous life was me. I didn’t like myself there, my depression or my outbursts of anger. I didn’t even know myself.

Fortunately I have learned that there is no justice, aside from what we make for ourselves. There is only survival, and the victor tells the story.