Chapter 11

Laying my head back on the pillow, I curl up and hug up as much of the blanket as I can. There are so many emotions going on in my heart right now. For one thing, I'm angry. I'm so beyond furious at the men who took me away from my home, away from my father, away from my happy life. I was perfectly fine far away from all the people who want to hurt me this way.

And I'm sad. Actually, sad is clearly an understatement, but I can't think of a better word at the moment. Not that I'm dumb or uneducated. It's just that there aren't any adjectives that I feel correctly express my pain. The loss of my father has cut me deeply, but it feels so unreal, so impossible that I don't think I'm even truly allowing myself to accept that he's gone and process the grief.

I'm relieved that I have met this woman named Akida. She has been the only person, other than the woman who offered me water at the auction house, who has truly shown me compassion, sympathy, and kindness, since this all began. Hav