it's been exactly 7 days since i was, again, thrown into a body of water too vast to swim to the edge of, and too deep to keep my head above the surface, and not one person has come to my rescue. it's all been "you shouldn't have done that" and "you've slept with him before" and "stop drinking with older guys" and too much silence my hollow bones can stand. so i'm going back to the center, i'm holding my breath till i'm blue. there is a sinking ship where my heart should be and i'm about to go down with it. this is not self defense, this is a distress signal no one is picking up on.
caution at all times and empathy for all, but, above all, support for victims.