
Island Witch
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Highlights

He moved through the jungle by himself, unbothered, perfectly confident in the way that only a man could be. Like he never had to worry about danger. Like he never had reason to be fearful for his life. Like the thought never even crossed his mind. It was the gift of his birth.
Fear is a woman’s burden. We are entrenched in it from the time we are born. Told to protect ourselves, especially our bodies. Heaven knows we’ve been told to value them more than our minds. We’ve been told to keep safe. Caution becomes our second nature from the time we are young girls, only blossoming deeper as we grow older. Our fathers, our neighbours, our villagers rally around to protect us, lest we, delicate little things, are unable to fend for ourselves. Be careful of strangers, they warned. Be careful of the jungle. Be careful even of your own thoughts. They say this, even though the fathers, the neighbours, the villagers are often the very ones we need protecting from.

It’s simply a story, as many dark tales go, of fear and desperation, and of the limitless boundaries of female rage.