CHAPTER 318

Cori

The next two weeks went much like our first two days. Duke taught me signs to look for in the desert. He taught me how to find my way back to the house. He made me get us home after the second day. We probably did some extra hiking but we made it and I felt proud of myself.

My body was no longer sore and I was actually using my left hand. Bumping it didn’t hurt like it had. My calves gained muscle and I began gaining control over fear. I wasn’t in the city so it would need to be tested. I didn’t feel like there was a man waiting to cut off my fingers and rape me around each corner. Being away from everyone allowed me to see the fear for what it was. Trauma. With my head clearer, I could finally divide out the memories and think of them in small bits without becoming overwhelmed.

I didn’t have the words to explain it to Duke. He was my rock and I would always be grateful to him for understanding what I needed when I did not.

The second week, nature began speaking to me. The land a