“You must hurt, or be hurt.”

“That is the rule of the Wilds: You must be bigger and stronger and tougher. You must hurt or be hurt.”

“Each step is more difficult than the last; the heaviness fills me and turns my limbs to stone.You must hurt or be hurt.”

“It's the rule of the wilds. You must be bigger, and stronger, and tougher. A coldness radiates through me, a solid wall that is growing, piece by piece, in my chest. He doesn't love me.He never loved me.It was all a lie."The old Lena is dead." I say, and then push past him. Each step is more difficult than the last; the heaviness fills me and turns my limbs to stone.You must hurt or be hurt.”

“Let me tell you something about dying: it's not as bad as they says.it's the coming-back-to-life part that hurts.”

“It's amazing how words can do that, just shred your insides apart. Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me - such bullshit.”

“They say the cure is about happiness, but I understand now that it isn't, and it never was. It's about fear: fear of pain, fear of hurt, fear, fear, fear - a blind animal existence, bumping between walls, shuffling between ever-narrowing hallways, terrified and dull and stupid.”