Ashley had to try something new. She was so sick of being broken. She was so tired of all of it. The depression, being suddenly so fat, her emotional instability, her crippling fears of everything, her complete lack of social connection, & a life without passion or purpose. Ashley did not know how to change any of these things, but she did know that she was ready to try anything to crawl out of this dank, dark hole. So she just went for it. She took a leap of faith and quit studying under her etiquette master before she could reconsider. She packed all of her things again, and without telling her mother, as she was sure that she would try to guilt her into staying and scare her into not going, she hopped on the first wagon out of town. She did leave a note, but it was vague so that her mother did not try to come after her. Of course Ashley was terrified, but for the first time in a very long time, she had been the master of her own destiny, despite that fear. She refused to look back, and she was determined to change her fate. She knew that she was no longer as young or beautiful, and now very overweight, but she was still breathing. And as long as she was still alive, she at least had the ability to choose.
