Alexei.
ARCHIVE 2011 - My English professor had us read a piece about the methods of abusers. I had a disturbing realization.
TW: abuse.
This post is memoir. It reflects my present recollections of past experiences. All names have been changed, some details may differ slightly from reality, and some events have been compressed to protect identities and simply because my memory is defective due to drug abuse and trauma.
PREFACE 06.10.2022
She was a vegan feminist. She lived a low toxin lifestyle. She wrote her name in all lowercase, like bell hooks. I found her unboring, unlike all my other professors. She taught us things I always thought we should be taught in school. Like how to eat healthily, why keeping up with dental work is so important for disease prevention, and how to spot an abuser. She had us read a photocopy of ‘The 10 Main Methods of Male Abusers and Cult Leaders’ from a book she wrote, Domination is Abomination: Man’s Oppression of Woman.
Alexei was my first gangster boyfriend. Black Russian, like the drink. He showed me Cheburashka and taught me basic phrases like how to say my name and I love you. His head was shaved, a large tattoo covered the entire front of his neck, and a tiny patriarchal cross sat below his eye.
A couple weeks in, he had me go with him to Homeboy Industries to
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