Macey

I wake with a start, sweat clinging to my body, my forehead damp. I try and steady my breathing, giving myself the same pep talk Olga asked me to memorize.

I am no longer his pet

I am home and safe.

He is no longer a threat

Looking around the room, I choose an item to study, something else Olga has taught me when the mantra just isn't enough. My small white bear I had won at a local state fair months before my kidnapping lay against the wall ...