Panel 1
A picture of a person in the center who is looking downcast with one arm across the middle holding to the other. Shadows of two people on either side. The shadow of the person on the left is holding out both arms with fingers spread. The shadow of the person on the right has one arm bent and held in front.
Text: I got pregnant at 15. My parents were upset and disappointed.
Panel 2
In the right part of the panel, a picture of two people embracing. The person whose back is shown is holding the other person’s head with one hand. The person whose face is seen is having a sad face with large eyes and is holding to the other person with both hands.
Text: My mom then told me a secret; she had an abortion at 19.
Panel 3
The same picture as in panel 2 is superimposed on itself multiple times in the center of the panel.
Text: I never knew. She swore me to secrecy.
Panel 4
Picture of four faceless people holding placards. One placard says “Murder” and a second one says “Don’t kill”. The third placard is turned away.
Text: We lived in a small, rural area. Picketers were always outside the clinic.
Panel 5
A plain black screen with text.
Text: My mom told me to NEVER tell anyone, that people would judge me harshly, that they could get physically violent.
Panel 6
A picture of a person in the foreground who has a hood over the head and wearing glasses. Three faceless people in the background. Two of them are holding placards.
Text: My mom dressed me so I wouldn’t be recognized.
The whole experience was humiliating.
Panel 7
A plain black screen with text.
Text: 15 years later, my second abortion was because of rape.
I told no one.
Panel 8
Four people crowded around a water dispenser. The person in the left most corner is standing at a right angle to the other two people on the left of the water dispenser, with legs slightly apart and both arms folded across each other. The next person facing the water dispenser on the left is standing akimbo. The third person slightly in the background on the left of the water dispenser is wearing glasses and standing facing the person standing akimbo. The person to the right of the water dispenser is standing with legs spread apart and arm stretched out in an angry/aggressive stance.
Text But around the same time, my office was abuzz with gossip: someone else at the office was getting an abortion.
Panel 9
A picture of three people with varying thoughts.
Person 1: She is such a slut.
Person 2: She wants to kill her baby! No sense of mortality.
Person 3: Why can’t she own up to her mistake? She should be forced to keep her baby as a lesson.
Panel 10
A plain black screen with text.
Text: I was horrified.
I was so ingrained with shame that I did the procedure alone, drove myself home afterwards, and no one came to check on me because I couldn’t bring myself to tell anyone.
I still have a block on my tongue about speaking with anyone about this part of myself. But I am happy with my decisions.
