Mama led me to her room and I quietly sat on the bed next to her. "Now, Leila, I want you to tell me the truth. What really happened when you entered the human world?" Mama asked.
I squeezed my eyes shut and pressed my hands over my ears, curling up into a little ball and started shaking. She rubbed my back gently and murmured, "It's all over. You're safe now. You're safe. I've got you."
I nodded, shakily. She nodded gently for me to begin my story. "I still have nightmares," I began slowly. "I just—I can't talk about it, Mama. I've buried as much as I could. I don't want to remember…"
Udonna wrapped her arms around me and said, "Leila, sometimes it helps to talk about these things."
I shakily nodded but still refused to tell her anything.
She nodded and murmured, "When you're ready to talk, I'll be ready to listen, Leila."
I smiled weakly up at her. I bit my lip—I had suffered the most at the School—the tests, the days and weeks and months and years of feeling sick and helpless and of wanting to either get out or die.
She studied my face cautiously, seeing me debate telling her. I buried my face in her shirt and began to cry. "It's that bad?" she asked, slowly.
I nodded. "When your father comes home, you can tell us then," she murmured, gently.
I nodded again, too scared to say anything. Then she said, "If you get a chance, go with one of the other rangers and buy a journal. Maybe writing about what happened will help you deal with the nightmares."
I grinned up at her and said, "Sure, Mama."
She smiled and said, "Now go help your brother clean up."
I nodded and scampered off, to help my brother finish cleaning.