I look around the room for the last time... Making sure I've left nothing behind.

I'm nervous and shaking, fear overwhelms me...

I am leaving... it's bitter-sweet... I don't want to leave, but I never want to come back... I feel safe here. Can I handle the world outside these walls?


I grab my suitcase and start down the long hallway... It wasn't this long when I got here, was it? It seems as if I've been walking for days, my mouth is dry and throat is scratchy, I don't think I can speak... Beads of sweat take over my forehead. Panic is taking over…

The rooms I pass are all quiet, everyone is still sleeping... I want to crawl back into my bed and hide... but it is time to go... the bed is not mine, and it would soon be someone else’s for a time...

I'm nearing the door. I freeze. The door feels so heavy, a thousand pound weight. I push through it. I'm finally outside! Freedom...

Am I ready for the next chapter of my life?

What happens from here is all up to me...