Elizabeth Smart

Would he have really killed me?

Or would he have turned and run and been in a rush to get out of the house?

I mean, I could spend the rest of my life thinking that way.

That would be, honestly, probably pretty easy.

But...

It's done.

It's over with.

It happened.

I'm still alive.

I'm still here.

And I'm not doing myself any favors by going back and blaming myself for what happened.

Because at the end of the day, it was not my decision to be kidnapped.

It was not my decision to be raped, to be chained up, to have food and water withheld from me.

It was the decisions and choices of other people.

And I just wish that every victim and survivor...

could understand that what's happened to you is not your choice.

Even if it was a boyfriend that raped you, even if it was someone that you knew that took you, even if it was someone that you were texting with that you met on an app and you're like, yeah, I'd love to go out with you.

Like, let's meet up.

Or someone that, I mean, you send a naked photo to.

I mean, it is still not your fault.