t my ribs, a frantic bird trapped in a cage. I could feel the cold sweat bead on my forehead, my vision

Are you okay?" His v

ugh brick wall of the prison's administration building. The rough texture scraped

mask of worry. He grabbed my arm, his grip firm this time, pullin

. The drive was a blur of hazy colors and muffled sounds. We ended up at a private, sterile-looking cli

her smile as cold and polished as the floor. "Mark, darling. I was just in the area.

Mark explained, his voice tight with

or thing. It must be so overwhelming. The world can be a scary place after... well, you know." Her words were honey-laced with venom, designe

d. He wanted to believe he was my savior, but Clara was reminding him that I was damaged goods, a problem he needed to

xury apartment I had never seen before. "You'll stay here," he announced, his tone l

ge. I wanted to scream, to run, but my body was still trembling from the earlier panic. I needed to get awa

listic. Who's going to hire you?" His voice was soft, but the words were a slap in the face. "Don't worry about that. I'll take c