It happened like this. I was stolen from an airport. Taken from everything I knew, everything I was used to. Taken to sand and heat, dirt and danger. And he expected me to love him. This is my story. A letter from nowhere.

I love you," you said, simple as anything.

But without humans, the wild would take over. It would only take a hundred years or so for nature to win again.

How long will you keep me?" I asked. You shrugged. "Forever, of course.

I want you to see that the person I glimpsed running beside the camel, running to save my life, is the person you can choose to be.

It sounded weird to hear you talk so much; normally you only said a few words at a time. I'd never imagined that you'd have a story, too. Until that moment, you were just the kidnapper. You didn't have reasons for anything. You were stupid and evil and mentally ill. That was all. When you started talking, you started changing.

Doesn't that hurt?" I said. "Yep." "How do you keep them in there?" "I'm stubborn." You grinned. "Stubborn as a waddywood. And anyway, pain means it's healing." "Not always.