I mistook this feeling for safety.
-- Narrator (chapter 2)

Importance: Shortly after Dyson appears at Sasha's apartment, she sinks into the comfort and familiarity of his presence. Though he has just proposed that together they form a cult for the betterment of middle-aged white men, Sasha feels free and safe for the first time in months. In this moment she confesses that she confused her relief for feelings of security. This moment illustrates Sasha's profound desire for safety. The line also gestures towards Sasha's perpetual avoidance maneuvers, and foreshadows the coming complications within The Atmosphere.

Standing in the center of the clearing, I felt the grip of isolation. Like a mouse in a fist.
-- Narrator (chapter 5)

Importance: When Sasha and Dyson first arrive at his grandparents' abandoned property, she is struck by a feeling of loneliness. For the first time in years, Sasha is confronted by the truth of her alienation. The property's physical seclusion from society...