On January 31st, I was raped for the second time in my very short life. I had been left hollow, shelled out and at my weakest point, when up until that moment, I was shining my absolute brightest. For weeks after it happened, I could hardly handle getting out of bed, let alone facing the world that continued to turn despite what felt like my life coming to a complete standstill. But then my sister reminded me that my backbone was still in tact, so long as I had the strength to lift my head every day. So I bought myself this giving key to remind myself that all I needed to feel whole again was my own resilience; that my power was not and could never be taken from me. I found the strength to report the violence that happened to me, and the courage to seek the justice I deserved. It has hung close to my heart for the last three months, its weight telling me that I am in control of myself again. I'm letting my key go tomorrow, as I'm giving it to the campus rape center that took me in, so that they can pass it on to the next survivor who is brave enough to take back control of their life, whoever they may be. I hope that it gives the same empowerment and peace of mind that it brought me, and that whoever might find it can find a way to be whole again.
