Rule #1: Don’t Walk Alone At Night

"Why did you run? "
I didn’t run.
"Why did you run,
Why did you run away?"
I was afraid.
I was so afraid-
I’m so afraid.

I took the bus all the way to LA
"Why did you walk by yourself?
Why did you walk by yourself after dark?"
I know what I am doing.
I am not afraid.

On the second night I awoke
"What are you doing on the floor?"
"Call the police, call 911"
"Pack your stuff, you have to leave"
"I’m not high"
"I dunno how I got on the floor but I paid
"And I’m not gonna leave."
"Do it, hit me.
Do it, call the police."

My hands shook as I pretended to be asleep
As I pretended not to be a girl of 19 in room full of men
In a bad side of town
At the wrong time of night

They opened my note when I was hundreds of miles away.
"We both know it’s not safe for me here.
We both know it’s not safe for me in this part of town."

"Which time did you run away?"
I didn’t run away.
I didn’t run.
"Which time did you run away?
When you ran away from home?
Or when you ran all the way back?"