what if i said ben was the bridge in the sense that he was the only one who wasn't a cannibal that could ever truly know the girls? he never ate like they did but he came to understand why they went there. because he didn't lose that part of himself he could have led the way back into society. he wouldn't have faced the same challenge of integration and he could have been a support figure to them all, a secret keeper, a kind ally, as they got back on their feet. he could have reassured them that what they built in the wilderness was beautiful, because he came to understand that in the end.
and without ben, they have no kind mirror. they have no bridge. they have no one to tell them they were just kids. all they have is the blood on their hands and the hunger in their stomachs and the quiet certainty that no one could ever, ever understand.
