I love Sara, but something was taken from me at the church, something that she can’t relate to. Every time I walk outside I think maybe someone is going to grab me. I take a sip of a glass of water I got out of my own tap and swish it around in my mouth first, like maybe it’s a threat. And I’m starting to understand why Alex walks around on the balls of her feet, why her back muscles are always tensed, like a cat ready to spring.She knows. She gets it. So that’s why I’m going to tell Sara that I’m okay and leave it at that.
Mindy McGinnis, The Female of the Species
rape, rape-aftermath