It wasn’t how they told me it would be: No rope tying down my feet, No handcuffs on my wrists, No locked doors or scary passageways, Free to leave, as far as you can see But the door felt miles away And leaving felt like betrayal Begging was manipulation in disguise And I felt like a child, once again so little It wasn’t how they told me it would be: No gag in my mouth, Or hand keeping it shut, Nothing drowning out my voice, Or threatening me not to open up, Free to speak up, as far as you can see But my words didn’t matter And my repetition went unheard My words could not stop time And I did all but scream that word It wasn’t how they told me it would be: There was no dark alley lit by the moon, No midnight howls, sun gone too soon, No abandoned bunker; With just dirt for miles, Free to walk away, as far as you can see But daylight did not bring safety And neither did the public eye Suspicion doesn’t stop people, From walking right on by While my car may have been, but a yard away It was farther than the sun from earth Too far for me that day It wasn’t how they told me it would be: There was no monster, No man in a mask, No gang, no criminals, Or 60 year old man, ready to attack It wasn’t my enemy or a menace, or a junkie with no sense, Mr. Evil wouldn’t hurt me, as far as you can see But our friendship didn’t make it stop Rather he laughed with glee Happier and happier, He truly never thought about me Desperate and needy, Despite knowing me for years, He did not think twice He wanted what he wanted, And I guess to him “no” meant that it was alright.