Chapter 1My eyes snapped open and my body went completely still as I took in my surroundings. I scanned the area, trying to orient myself. It took only a few seconds for the familiar ceiling, curtains, and bedspread to seep into my consciousness. Still, I had to force myself to relax. To stand down. I took deep, even breaths, and focused on releasing the tension in every rigid muscle. It was another minute or so before I could breathe easily.
I was home. I was safe.
It wasn’t the first time a vividly realistic dream had yanked me from slumber back into the waking world. But this time it wasn’t a horror-filled vision of the desert, blood, and exploding IEDs. My time in combat had produced some terrible nightmares. Though thankfully they were fewer and farther between since I hadn’t seen a
