Chapter 22

I hugged myself tightly as a flood of memories rushed back to me, an unending river of emotion that could not be quelled.

“I can’t even dream of eating a healthy meal, most of the time I have to scavenge for something to eat from the dumpster. My bed is the cold hard floor; I am constantly exposed to mental, physical and spiritual abuse. It's like my whole life is filled with darkness - an endless cycle of pain that I cannot escape from. Even when trying to find reprieve in sleep at night, it's like a storm brewing inside me that won't rest until-”

I hadn't even completed my thought before someone's hands found their way around my waist in an unexpected embrace. I felt a sudden warmth spread through me, radiating outwards from the point where their arms were connected to mine. But this feeling was quickly replaced with an uneasiness that came from being so completely wrapped up and vulnerable in someone else's arms without any warning. It caused me to tense up, uncertain of how to rea