# The Outlet Story Arc 2: Keema - Redemption from tough breaks + bad decisions. Remorse) - Names: Ruhana, Keema, Lidya, Galilah, Fida - drug recovery, lost children or family member - Loss of loved one, went into depression. drugs. Crashed the car and could have died. ### Keema is coming out of the darkest period of her life. She watched in a state of helplessness as her dearest partner slowly succumbed to a disease with a long name. It was like he was whittled away. Day by day a small, almost imperceptible piece of him shaved off by a sharp knife. But unlike the stroke of a artist, whose slice sculpts beauty from an inanimate block, the disease was removing his beauty little by little, only to leave an inanimate block where her beloved once was. Before and after photos exist, and to look from that vantage point the difference in his health is clear. But from Keema's perspective, the one that exists in real time, the ongoing failure of his body was not something she could notice until it was virtually upon them. And then it was over. ### Keema couldn't cope. How could anyone blame her? The loss of someone you love is catastrophic and there's no way around the grief except going through it. But like many others Keema tried to circumvent her grief. At first she was distracted by the practicalities of the process. The wake. The funeral. The visitors. The belongings. She had support throughout, but that waned over time as people drifted back to their own lives. And one day Keema was alone with nothing to do but sit with her thoughts. In a lonely house. ### Keema she did a very human thing. She filled the silence with frivolity, and numbed the pain away. For a long time. She stopped working. Stopped seeing friends and family because it became too difficult to bear their pity. Without steady income her money ran out. And soon after so did her credit. Eventually the only thing left was the bottom. ### Awakened But there is an amazing truth about the human experience. Time passes. Memories and the feelings that anchor them fade. And one day Keema woke up with a clarity she hadn't felt in a long time. She took inventory of her life and realized she needed to start taking an active role in her life again. It was time to move on. But Keema knew she needed to give herself the best chance of success. That means staying away from old patterns, old jobs, and even people she was close to in the past. She needed a fresh start. She had already burned bridges, financially and emotionally. It was time to wipe her slate clean, and stand on her own. ### The Outlet Keema had heard of a place called The Outlet, where people go to start fresh. Where reputation is earned by being productive and trustworthy. Where she could use her talents to earn a living, and earn back her self-respect. So she got ready and boarded a train to The Outlet