“I shouldn’t have left Springville,” I spat, the words bitter and rough in my mouth. “I shouldn’t have left my parents. At least there, I knew what my life was. At least there, I wasn’t caught up in someone else’s stupid war.”

Why did my mom trust these people with me?

A cold wave of realization washed over me, drowning me further in my frustration. I collided against a huge wall of guilt. What had I been doing? My parents. I hadn’t thought about them—really thought ...