The two men grabbed an arm each and the larger one muttered a quick “You’re coming with us.” Through one of the doors marked “No Entrance” and past many similar looking people in a whitewashed corridor with identical black doors I was dragged, until we stopped at one of the infinite black doors. They dragged me into the room and proceeded to bind my arms and legs with bits of rope that were lying on the ground amidst the dried bloodstains and teeth. The last thing I remembered was one light bulb hanging from the ceiling and fading out slowly just like the sun sets on a clear summer evening.

“Mommy! Mommy! I think he’s waking up. Come see Mommy.” Was I in heaven or was this indeed the angelic voice of my daughter? I opened one eye to a mere squint and saw Anna leaning over my bruised and bloodied body with a sincere look of sympathy on her face.

“I’m sorry.” I barely whispered through my mouth that felt as if it had several teeth missing. I really was too.

“I know honey, I know. It “s all going to be okay.” Never in my life had I been as happy as I was when I heard these words come out of her lips.

“I think it”s about time we get out of this god damn city and find a new place to raise our children.” I’m not sure that all of the words had come out as they were supposed to, but Anna got the message and she just smiled at me like it was the first time that she had truly smiled in years.