Flayed!

 Yesterday in in class we were finishing up 1984. In the novel the main character, Winston Smith, has to go into room 101 and face his biggest fear, being devoured by rats. He can't deal though and so betrays his love, Julia. I asked the students what their worst fears were. Most of them said loneliness and isolation.  Then I asked the follow up question, "Would you betray your loved ones to escape your worst fear?" This put them on pause. One student asked me what mine was and I said it was being flayed. Then they asked me if I would betray loved ones to avoid that. I said I didn't think so, but couldn't know for certain without being in that situation. Then I a had a crazy revelation. I said, Wait a minute, I HAVE been in that situation! They started at me like, what? I told them the story of riding a motorcycle when I was 19. My girlfriend at the time was on the back of the bike. We hit patch of gravel on a turn and the bike flipped. I remember that even as I was skidding face first on the gravel, my front side being, essentially, flayed, having the thought, Thank God she is on the my back right now so she's not getting her skin ripped off too.