HE LEFT ME FOR MY STEPSISTER, I MOVED ON TO THE NEXT
And the children Mira, the youngest, who clung to my skirt and refused to let go; Ella, who had the sharp eyes of a survivor; and little Sophie who hummed under her breath whenever fear grew too heavy.
When they finished, the silence returned, heavy and thick. I didn’t know what to say. How do you comfort people who have forgotten what sunlight looks like?
“I don’t know how long I’ve been here,” I began softly, “but I know this, we have found a way out and we are going to give it our best.”
Anna shook her head. “We’ve tried, Elena. Every door, every window, every lock. The last time we tried… They beat us so badly, Marianne nearly lost the baby.”