I stood on the roof of an unfamiliar house, the cool breeze brushing against my skin as I waited for Lena to speak. She seemed to have a lot on her mind but didn't know where to begin. I could relate. My mind was buzzing with questions that I wanted to ask her.
Before Lena could start talking, I found myself breaking the silence. "I thought you were dead," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "How did you survive after the big destruction in the town?"
When Lena realized that things were calm for the moment and that we were safe, she approached me and joined in. "After the destruction of the town," she began, her voice heavy with emotion. "Many of our people died, but a dozen or so survived. The survivors were soon taken prisoner. They threw many of us in jail and tortured us relentlessly."
She paused for a moment, as if gathering her thoughts. "When I thought I would never get out of there," she continued. "I was rescued by a big man in fur.