Danielle Hammelef

“Where does seeking justice end and seeking vengeance begin?”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“We can’t define people by their worst actions.”
― Paula Stokes, This is How it Happened

“Jesse stirs again. This time his fingers twitch. As much as I want to see him open his eyes, I can’t be here for that. It’ll make leaving him too hard. I turn toward the doorway and I’m outside in the main room of the ICU when I hear his weakened voice say, “Winter?”

I hurry back to the waiting area. Hopefully he’ll think he dreamed me. Maybe he did. Sometimes I feel like I’m not even real anymore”
― Paula Stokes, Ferocious

“I remember a time when all I wanted was a gun and to learn how to use it. I thought a gun would make me feel safe. I thought a gun would make me feel powerful. But right now I just feel . . . heavy. Like I live in this world of death and destruction and I’ll never escape alive.”
― Paula Stokes, Ferocious