Introduction

When Cybill Sax's public attempt to take Reader's editor position collapses in humiliation, she stops competing and starts planning. The result is a kidnapping so reckless it begins unraveling before Reader is even found, chained in a cold cellar, drawing on Viktor Frankl and Helen Keller to stay alive in the dark.

Within the darkness there were other inhabitants who found the warmth of Reader's body to be inviting. Being unable to move, the mice, snakes and spiders make the most of her, snuggling up, accepting this new resident. Of the three, it was the spiders who never stopped building webs on her skin, and across her face, creating itches she could not scratch, that caused the most irritation.

To maintain sanity, she envisioned herself to be a custodian, merely working with the others that were sharing her space. Meditating helped her more than anything, calming her mind and building resilience.

Reader is the kind of person who builds things. As a teenager, she turned a forgotten school newspaper into a thriving media operation, earning the respect of local police, and quietly becoming the most influential voice of her town.

Cybill Sax, heir to a business empire and a childhood of neglect, spent the same years burning everything down. Her hatred of Reader is specific and consuming: Reader has earned what Cybill believes should simply be hers.

When they finally meet again, in Spain over breakfast, the distance between who they were and who they have become is the most compelling facet of the story.

Change can happen, when you put in the effort!