CARMEN
I slept.
Not lightly, or haunted with nightmares. No old, constant knife-edge fear waiting to snap me awake.
I slept a deep, bone-soft sleep I hadn't known in longer than I cared to admit. Something felt different. I felt different. Stronger.
When I stirred, it was to the early morning light just creeping in and the slow, steady rise and fall of Mr. Bear beneath my cheek.
For one confused second, I did not remember where I was.
Then I did.
The tree. The lattice. The night air. Mr. Bear was waiting for me.
My eyes fluttered open. I became aware of two things: first, I was still curled against a bear so large the world’s poisons could never reach me. Second, he had not moved away from me all night.
Not once.
My fingers sank into thick, warm fur. One massive foreleg formed a
