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My Hollywood Nightmare

Panel 1

[Image] A woman with dark hair, seen from shoulders up, looking at the reader.

[Caption] Watching a movie to relax is a normal experience for many. But not for me.

Panel 2

[Caption] I was in an abusive relationship, and live with PTSD. But I am one of the lucky ones who broke free and healed.

Panel 3

[Image] A Movie Ticket.

[Caption] Unfortunately scenes of abuse are everywhere, and I can’t always control what I see.

[Unassigned speech bubble] Let’s go to the movies!

Panel 4

[Image] A darkened movie theatre facing the screen, which is lit up.

On the screen is

[FX] Your Worst Nightmare Projected on Screen

[Caption] Then it happens

Panel 5

[Image] three people in movie theatre seats viewed from the back . The person in the middle is the dark-haired woman, crouched down low.

[VFX] Nervous marks around the middle person

[Caption] You begin to panic but don’t want to draw attention.

Panel 6

[Image] Same three seats from the previous image, now fading out

[Caption] You start to feel an unbelievable wave of nausea

Panel 7

[Image] A theatre full of engaged people in the dark. Except for one person, highlighted, in the middle of the theatre, curled up in their seat with their head on their knees.

[Caption] You can’t stop thinking:

[Person] Anyone here could be a rapist

Panel 8

[Image] The same theatre full of people, but zoomed out. The rest of the theatre is even darker – almost black – making the crouched person stand out even more.

Panel 9

[Image] Three people. One is the dark-haired woman, looking sad and scared. The other two people – Person 1 and Person 2 – are happy.

[Caption] For the rest of the evening you can’t speak, but everyone asks you:

Person 1: Great movie, did you enjoy it?

Woman: …..

Panel 10

[Image] The dark haired woman, from birds’ eye view, curled on the floor in the fetal position against a door.

[Caption] You go home and curl up against the door, shaking