“The pain on the inside is what keeps you human,' she said. 'Never forget that.” PainSufferingEmotionCompassionEmpathyHumanMonster Book:The Doll Source: The Doll
“One foot in front of the other, more aimless than direct, Bradford left the waiting room for the outside world. Called for a taxi and then dialed Munroe again, desperate for her voice, for one ray of light in the darkness, afraid of what he might say if she did answer, afraid of himself and the inner deadening that pointed to a danger far more lethal than any rage he'd felt.” LightPainWaitingLossEmotionDarknessDangerRageDeadHospitalOne Step At A TimeLethalAimlessness Book:The Doll Source: The Doll
“Lumani had never managed a failed delivery because, in the end, no matter how skilled or how hard they fought back, pressure applied in the right places caused even the strongest men to fracture. But this one? He'd watched her. Studied her. Observed what maybe even Uncle, the reader of people, had missed. This one was already fractured, and the lines between her broken pieces were not fissures but scar material stronger than whatever had once filled those spaces.” HealingBrokenStrongerPressureWoundsRecoveryStrong WomenScarsDamagedFractureFight BackScarredStrong MenFissure Book:The Doll Source: The Doll
“Why are you dressed as a man?" Neeva said. "Why do you act like..." She paused. "Why do you act like... like one of them?" Her voice rose, challenging and accusatory. "Them," she said again. "Where women aren't human, aren't people, just things--objects. Them." She jabbed a thumb toward the rear window, where surely one of the Doll Maker's men followed unseen. "Oh, they'll show you a real man. They'll turn you into a real woman. They'll fuck you hard, you'll want it, but what you want never actually matters because everything is about their own ego. Them." Neeva stopped for air; a long, greedy inhale. "Why?" she said. "Why would you--a woman"--she spat out the word--"you who should know what it feels like to be called a cunt and a bitch and a whore just because you voiced an opinion, to be told you're fat or ugly as a way to make your argument worthless, that you're stuck-up, repressed, and in denial of your true feelings when you find them repulsive. Why would you be one of them? What's wrong with you?” MenWomenAbuseSexismMisogynyRepressionHuman TraffickingThemSex TradeModern Slavery Book:The Doll Source: The Doll
“Where I am today is my starting point. Who I am today is my starting point. My failures and successes of the past, my fears and hopes of the future are all shadows. Today is my reality, and I'll use it to create my world.” WorldInspirationalUseRealityTodayPastShadowStartingWho I AmSuccess And FailureStarting Point Author:Taylor Stevens
“It feels better there. In real life you can eventually learn to deal with the pain and trauma, learn to cope on some level, you know? But you can never undo death, and even if you think they deserve it, killing doesn’t take away your pain, just puts you on dangerous ground that can collapse out from beneath you at any time.” IfsThinkingKnowsFeelsRealPainLevelsDealsDangerousDeserveKillingTraumaReal LifeCollapseFeel Better Author:Taylor Stevens
“Munroe stared at the sky. Cursed her weakness, her inability to block out what it would mean to knowingly deliver the innocent into the same hell that had birthed her to life. In this moment of decision she condemned to death the one she would risk anything to save. To the night, Munroe whispered good-bye. Opened the floodgates to Gehenna-that place of the wicked, that place of the dead-and here in this deserted spot, she buried her soul.” MeanSoulMomentsNightDecisionHellRiskSkyWeaknessInnocentBlockSpotsWickedBuriedInabilityCursedByeGood ByeDeserted Author:Taylor Stevens