VALERIA

"Who... who are you?" I stood up immediately, though a bit unsteady on my feet.

Truthfully, I wasn’t afraid of the small elderly woman who barely reached my chest, but I couldn’t fathom where she had suddenly appeared from.

"Come, come, don’t be frightened. You know I won’t hurt you. Lie down on the bed; the floor is too cold, and you might catch a chill," she said, gently guiding me toward the enormous bed. She pulled back the quilt and tucked me in tenderly.

I felt like a small child a