C H A P T E R 42 - Sam.

I had convinced myself that none of this was going to be even remotely as bad as I was prepared for. I did not know what it was that had made me believe this factor, but I was thankful for the optimism. But, as always, my optimism did not last long. I was too much of a realist to be taken for a fool, because I knew that there were many things that could go wrong while I was here. I just hoped that I would not need to deal with them - although, I also had the feeling that my hope was misplaced here.

Gwen was still standing beside me, which was something that I considered to be somewhat of a miracle in itself. I did not know how long she was going to be here, but I was thankful for her moral support. It was one of the few things that were keeping me in check at the moment, helping me stay grounded. Internally, I found like I was about to collapse from the pressure that I felt, but with her standing here, I was feeling a bit better. One thing that I kept in mind, was the fact that I was