I was running. I didn’t know where or how, but I knew on the other side was something I needed. I heard Candido speaking to me. Sometimes his voice was gentle. Sometimes I heard him growling, but I felt his presence nearby. He didn’t leave me though I didn’t know what I would be waking to. Whenever he spoke, I felt like I was drifting closer to consciousness. When silence fell around me, I sunk.
I slept for a long time. I don’t know how long, but it felt like at least a few days. I didn’t want to wake up and face what had happened. The way the world had spun and the sound of them laughing at me chased me nearly every time I started to relax.
“You’re okay, Hedy. I’m here.”
Candido’s voice kept the sounds at bay when he spoke, but he wasn’t always there. I felt disoriented and lost. My s
