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"Hey, sweet boy," I said as I unlocked the latch on his pen He ca his surroundings Tears filled retPoe’s life He had givenelse on earth I wanted more than to be a veterinarian

I kissed the top of his nose "Be a good boy You’ll be leaving soon You’ll be big and strong enough to go back to the woods I know you’re going to do just fine"

I think I was saying the words more for me than for Poe In a way, I had just had , I needed reassurance that everything was going to be all right

At the sound of Rev approaching behind me, I asked, "You remember what to do for him when it’s time to release him?"

"Yes, I do," he murmured

"Good"

"Annabel, don’t leave like this," Rev pleaded, his voice thick with anguish

"You ask me not to leave like this, yet you haven’t once toldall of that, how else would you presume I left? You’ve told , you’ve s for you are based on so victims experience for their captors" I shook my head "I just wish you could see what’s truly in h, I eased Poe back into his pen As much as I hated to leave hiood care of him, even after he was released into the wild I stood up and breezed past Rev to the porch steps Afterof mine, I went out the front door onto the porch

As I started down Rev’s front steps, I saw that my parents’ li to the car, but a small voice behind me causedup at hting back tears, I nodded "I wish I could stay longer, but I really have to go back ho to h I knew the answer to her question was no, it broke my heart to disappoint her "Maybe one day" I bent down to her level "Will you help Uncle Rev with Poe? It won’t be er before he’s ready to be released"

"Yes, I will I proirl for yourto be a wonderful sister to your brother"

"I will"