A Secretary Affair
“Clint, listen to me carefully and remember this no matter what happens. Whatever they do, whatever they say—don’t say your name. Don’t answer if they call out to you, even if they use the voice of someone you know. Names are doors. Once you open it even a little, once you acknowledge it belongs to you, they can walk right in and you won’t be able to close it again.”
I nodded fast, trying to lock those words into my mind even though my head felt like it was spinning and the only thing I could really feel was fear sitting heavy in my chest. I didn’t know if I would be able to remember anything if they started talking to me, if they started pulling at me in ways I couldn’t fight.