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This is an audio reading of the book, Dance For Me. This story is one of my favorites. In this excerpt, Maelea’s given a gift by one of the men who abuse her. Gifts can be powerful tools of manipulation, ways to confuse a vulnerable survivor. Maelea believes she’s broken, that she’s damaged beyond repair. But, just as she’s on the cusp of falling into despair, a tiny flicker of hope is lit within her, and she begins to ask herself forbidden questions like, Could I get free? How? And she starts to see her abusers as more than powerful and scary for, although they do scare her, they might also be her way out. You can find more about the book on the blog, under its pages.