Somewhere, in the blur of my agony, I heard my father sigh.
"Untie her," he commanded. "Let her crawl back to the dirt where she belongs."
The rope came loose, and I collapsed onto the dirt like a rag doll. My arms were too weak to catch me, my body too broken to move. My face hit the ground, dust clinging to my tear-streaked cheeks.
First, I heard footsteps and then, fading voices.
They were leaving me there.
Like an animal.
Like nothing.
A broken sob wracked my body, my fingers curling weakly in the dirt. My entire back pulsed with unbearable fire. Every breath I took was sending fresh pain rippling through my ribs.
I had no strength left.
I wanted to disappear. To sink into the earth and never feel this pain again.
Just then, I thought I heard some movement.
From the corner of my eye, a shadow shifted. Someone was watching. For one wild, desperate moment, I thought—Axel.
But no.
