Her face shifted suddenly and the corners of her mouth turned downwards into a frown as she studied my face carefully. "Why do you hate yourself so much?" she asked, tilting her head even further forward to get a better look. "Why does everything remind you of your mistakes?" I swallowed heavily, unable to tear my eyes away from her face as she examined my features. "What happened to you in the woods?"
My throat tightened as my heart lurched in my chest, the feeling of dread sinking deeper and deeper into my bones when I remembered those nights spent trapped in that cold, dark room. I didn't know why it still haunted me, or if I even still had the energy to deal with it, but my chest grew heavy with guilt and regret whenever the memory crept up on me unexpectedly, threatening to overwhelm
