someone

I FELT LIKE MY EYES WERE GLUED SHUT.

THE TINY VERSION INSIDE OF ME PUSHED.

AND PUSHED.

AND PUSHED.

BUT MY EYES WOULDN’T BUDGE.

I CALLED FOR HELP TO THE FAMILIAR HANDS BEHIND ME

AND NO ONE STEPPED FORWARD.

SO I KEPT PUSHING

AND PUSHING..

AND PUSHing…

AND pushing….

no. no. NO.

I WILL KEEP PUSHING

AND PUSHING

AND pushing..

and.. pushing….

and…….

then you stepped up.

so i used the last ounce of soul and strength left in me

and pushed one last time

your hands next to mine

my eyes slid open as though they were coated in grease.

as though it was the easiest task in the world.

all i needed was a second set of hands -

all i needed was someone to push with me -

all i needed was - -

someone.

but by the time you arrived

i was too tired

to keep my eyes open.

- on asking for help after sexual assault

written by Elizabeth Gifford | @lizgifford

Sydni photographed by Joseph Boyle in Wake Forest, North Carolina