Chapter 55

“How?” Brooke gasped. “He told me you died. The attack—”

“I was close to death. My breathing had slowed so drastically that a pulse would have been almost impossible to find. I was buried quickly—no one realized that I was actually alive. After a few days, I was alert enough to figure out what had happened. I was terrified. I clawed myself free. When I emerged, I was pretty much insane. I thought everyone was dead. I thought the rogues had killed my whole family. I was basically crazy. I walked for days through the woods. I had no idea where I ended up, but somehow I made it into a town. Into civilization.

“Emergency services found me, and I was taken to the hospital. I was extremely malnourished, nearly delirious. My injuries had healed slightly while I was buried in the coffin, but I was so weak. The doctors and the police tried to find out what had happened, but I didn’t say anything. I was too scared. I was five and thought my whole li