What do you do? A year has now passed. You’ve moved to several di!erent schools because people are tormenting you. Your bare chest went public. You never imagined this stranger’s capability to "nd out who your friends were. He knows the names of your family members and your school. He also knows your home address. Maybe you should’ve given the guy what he wanted. Then maybe no one else would have had to know. You start blaming yourself, even though there is no turning back. You are left with no friends and no respect. You start drinking alcohol. It’s the only thing that numbs your pain and makes you forget. Then the alcohol isn’t enough. You try “new” things, and drugs become your best friends. These drugs seem to make you happier, but the pain reappears when the drugs wear o!. Your depression won’t go away. You are alone. You feel trapped. The darkness around you seems to take over everything, and you can’t see through it. It takes over your mind, and your thoughts become your worst enemy. Then you begin talking to a former friend. After texting for a while, he says he likes you. Once again, you feel special. You feel as if you actually mean something to somebody. What you don’t know is what will come to haunt you later. This boy has a girlfriend, and he wanted you only for sex. What do you do now? You are sick inside. Once again, you blame yourself. You begin cutting. Your depression has led you to a sharp blade against your skin, and you can’t escape it. You’re addicted. Self-harm seems to be the only way to relieve stress. You move schools again. Your mom lives far away and you’re tired of this city, so you move in with her. But who are you kidding? There’s no escape. This nightmare has taken control of your life, and running away won’t make the monsters disappear. The monsters are real, and they’re

FOCUS

Call for helpBoys and Girls Town Crisis Hotline 1-800-448-3000Youth Emergency Services 402-734-1800Ted E. Bear Hollow (grief and loss) 402-502-2773

Imagine yourself: a teen girl whose innocence is coming to an end. You are feeling more and more grown up, and it seems your whole life is ahead of you. Now imagine someone making you feel special. For the "rst time, you feel beautiful. Then, this concealed person tells you to expose yourself over a webcam. Would you do it?

Imagine if you did. At that moment, you might think nothing of it. No one’s around, so who could ever "nd out? It would be your little secret. But sometimes secrets leak. A year later, this concealed person starts stalking you. He’s obsessed, and you don’t understand why. You two have never met -- it was only a #ash -- what’s the big deal? You log onto Facebook and learn that this concealed person is an older man. He threatens you, saying that if you don’t put on a seductive show for him, he will send your picture to everyone: a screen capture of your indecent exposure on webcam. Your lowest moment is frozen in time. You can’t get that photo back.

STORY BY HANNAH PAYNEIMAGE BY ALY MATTSEN

p. 6 TITAN LEGACY NOVEMBER 2012