Exit, Pursued by a Bear Quotes

“If you think I'm going to apologize for being drugged and raped, you have another thing coming.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“And if someone does figure it out and starts a rumour, we'll just deal with it," Polly says. "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger, and all that crap."
"Do you ever dream of the day when your life can no longer be adequately summarized by Kelly Clarkson songs?" I ask.
"All the time," Polly says.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“Maybe he is starting to understand. I don't really care, though. I do not want to be anyone's model for becoming a better person.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I didn't used to overthink my choices quite so much. Then someone made what I've always been told is a very important choice for me, and now I tend to overthink everything else.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“Of course, if I were dead, they could just bury me, and move on. Broken is harder to deal with.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I've never met any of these women before, and I will never see any of them after today. I don't know their names and they don't know mine. I've been on teams and in clubs my whole life, surrounded by people who are united by a common purpose, and I have never felt anything like this. Maybe it's the gas, but until this moment, I have never felt such a kinship with a person who was not actually family. I love every person in this room, and I'm pretty sure that if they asked, I'd do anything for them.

Anything, except have a baby.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“But I have faith in you. You seem like the type who eats fear for breakfast.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“There's a moment when I know that I should scream. But screaming would be hard. And blackness would be easy. Black picks me.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“People will say you’re coping wrong, but really there’s no wrong way. Anything that lets you keep going is the right thing, as long as it’s not damaging. You need to find the way that works for you.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“If someone starts throwing around stupid words like 'its a gift' or 'its in God's plan', you come right here, and i'll find you ten ways in which it isn't.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“It's not the same." She holds the stack of cones in her hand and leans back against the stage looking at me with a serious face. "You and i, we're not the same. Not even close. I said yes, and you didn't even get asked the question.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I do not want to be anyone’s model for becoming a better person. “Can”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“Maybe this would be easier if I acted like I am broken. Then they'll be able to fix me. You can't fix something that doesn't know it's broken.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I have only a few more mornings in this world, in this world that loves me for what I love and for what I am good at. One more minute. One more.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“Anything that lets you keep going is the right thing.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I’m near hysteria, I can feel it. I’m going to scream and scream and scream to make up for the screaming I didn’t do last night. I am going to pull my skin off and grind it into the floor and then I’m going to cry until I’ve got nothing less.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“Or at least charge him en masse and see how he runs when pursued by a sleuth of bears.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I'd do anything for them. Anything; except have a baby.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“He's afraid that if he touches me, I'll forget that he's my dad, not my rapist.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I want to tell her that I’m okay. I want to be okay. I want Dion to stop looking at me like I am going to break in half. I want to dance in front of the crowd, to hear them yell for us, to fly and be caught by people I trust. But I can’t do any of those things. Not anymore.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I need you to say it, Polly,” I whisper it. It will be real soon as she does, but there’s no one better at pulling off Band-Aids than Polly Olivier.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“Polly grabs my other hand and the heart monitor they’ve got me hooked up to beeps at a frantic pace. I can’t breathe. I can’t breathe. I left the dance with a boy I didn’t know and I can’t breathe.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear

“I have never in my life been fragile. She passes me a drink of water and I take a mouthful before she lets me back onto the pillow. Everything is heavy and the light hurts my eyes.”
― E.K. Johnston, Exit, Pursued by a Bear