Notes From the Edge

Notes From the Edge

The Gorilla

An excerpt from an essay about childhood trauma and how it grows with you.

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Monique Martin
Nov 04, 2025
∙ Paid
A sepia-toned photo of a long hallway, complete with tiled floors and wood-panel walls, leading to a brightly-lit room at the end of its length.
Photo courtesy of Daniel Tseng on Unsplash

The house was always dim. Even with every light switched on, the walls and floors held their own chill. The bulbs glowed yellow-orange, warm in theory but cold to stand under.

My bedroom was right against the living room wall, and though it had two windows, they barely did their job of keeping things out. They w…

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