We recently published Marie-Louise McGuiness’s devastating “When She Falls.”

Here, we ask her two questions about her story:

1) Damn. I mean: DAMN. The absolute brutal horror of the voice here. The justifications for why they let their friend go. It just hits me in the gut and doesn’t let me go. They regret it — of course they regret it, people always regret it — but do you think there is a part of them that thinks their night, compared to hers, was worth it?
If it was a fun night, one usually dissected with laughter over tea and toast, a night that sparked romance or one where they danced all night, it may have seemed worth it initially. However, any fun memories would be tainted by association, flirting and dancing could only wilt to frivolity in light of a friend’s pain and perhaps, their own feelings of guilt and responsibility. 

2) And of course what will happen to their friend, what does happen to their friend, isn’t their fault, isn’t her fault — no one’s fault but the taxi driver’s. But people don’t always see it that way. Do you think the girls will blame themselves more? Or … their friend? For needing to leave? For falling?
Oh, the blame would be projected in all directions; towards the girl who drank too much and fell, the bouncer who wouldn’t let her into the club and of course, the friends who continued their night regardless. The real culprit, the Taxi driver would never be apportioned the whole blame, as would be right. The sad thing is, if they had gone home with her, thwarting the attack, they would, in all likelihood, blame her for cutting their night short, oblivious to how their action positively changed the course of events.