It hits her like a freight train. The image and the memories slam into her and she doesn't really have the time to throw up a barrier. It's like she's living it and it hurts. it stings. It reminds her too much of events in her life, although her situation was never active pain or abuse (except for that one bright, painful moment). No; hers was a quiet neglect and disdainful silence that let her drift on her own, without support, struggling to find a way to live and to be when she was so young that she couldn't reasonably do it on her own. This? This is different and terrifying in its own way.

When he finally walls it off, she gasps aloud and sways. There's a faint tremor through her and she almost wants to cry. What the Hell? Who would do that? In that moment before it's all locked away, there's a single image that gets seared into his head - a flash of memory, there for instant and then gone.

The sound of surf in her (their) ears, a blackened sky overhead. Someone (a boy, dark-haired, brown-eyed) is crouched over her (them), straddling them, hands around her throat and squeezing, choking the life out of her. They don't move, even as their lungs start to ache until finally one hand lifts to caress the boy's cheek-

Then it's all gone, shields up, walled off.

( Yeah. Yeah, you should. )

She's just as rattled. If not moreso.