She sits in fear,
her eyes glittering with tears she refuses to release.
Her mouth quivers, a sentence trapped on her tongue,
but she does not dare to speak
an oath holds her silent.

Her throat is heavy with unspoken truths.
Under their scrutinizing gazes,
her heart beats hard against her ribcage.
Her fingers press into each other,
a quiet battle for steadiness.

Her body aches 
a reminder of the one who broke her sense of safety.
At night she lies awake,
alert like a guard trying to protect what’s left of herself
from the one who stole her from her own life.

She walks to the mirror
and meets a reflection she can no longer stand.
Shame and guilt cling to her like new skin.
She remembers the small whispers,
the stolen glances,
the version of her who once felt whole 
and her heart breaks for that girl.