inkbunny.net · 3743892:5783882

The unthinkable has just taken place.

She'd never wanted it to happen like this.

Everything in her life, her mind, her body... feels wrong now, out of place.

All she wants to do now is go home, and forget everything that ever happened.

But unfortunately, the order for her brand-new bottle of imported vitamin water has been delivered, and now sits in her refrigerator...

[iconname]DreamGod[/iconname]—Please.    [i][b][u]Please[/u][/b][/i].

God forbid...I wouldn't want to wish this on anybody. But...if you are or were the victim of sexual assault... remember. It is not your fault. It is [i][b]never[/b][/i] your fault. Do [i]not[/i] allow your mind to blame yourself. It doesn't matter how "slutty" you think you dressed. It doesn't matter if you went somewhere with the intention of hooking up with someone. It doesn't matter how many drinks you had (remember to keep your drink with you when going to an unfamiliar place), what you might have taken, or if you previously said 'yes' to someone. [u]Nobody[/u] has the right to steal your sexuality from you. No one [i][u]asks[/u][/i] to be raped.

Secondly, do not plague your mind with guilt or doubt. There is no 'I could have' or 'why didn't I just' or 'I let myself'—again, [i][b]you[/b][/i] did nothing wrong. And no matter what training, no matter how secure your home is, or how many guns you have—sadly, but factually, it can happen to anyone. You never know what your attacker might do; they are as unpredictable as you can be. Walking away with your life is of the utmost importance.

Finally...no matter how much it may hurt...tell someone. Tell anyone. Tell everyone, if you have to. No matter how it seems, no matter how long you might have known your attacker, no matter what you think someone would or wouldn't believe....tell someone. Even if the police in your area seem to be dismissive of your story, there are thousands of people who take every case deadly serious. Get it out of you. You'll be so glad you did.

Please, don't think like Jody has in this story. It is not your fault, it is not a mixed message, it is not a choked hero opportunity. It's a personal invasion, end of story. If you, or someone you know is suffering from, have survived, or is a past victim of rape or sexual assault, please, follow these links to nationwide support groups and websites that can provide insight on what you can do, and how they can help. Please, do it for your safety, and the safety of anyone else out there that may come across your path.

National Sexual Violence Resource Center—https://www.nsvrc.org/
Sexual Assault Kit Initiative—https://www.sakitta.org/survivors/ (hotlines and phone numbers for survivors)
Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network—https://rainn.org/
Take Back the Night—https://takebackthenight.org/ (confidential assault reporting online)

Thank you. Stay safe, everyone. 🙏

Yeah, YOU, Baylong. I'm talking about YOU. ;-)