Prologue

My body shook violently. It took every ounce of my strength to keep walking. It was only a mile or so until I got to the gas station. I kept my arms crossed in front of my chest to ward off the cold. Bastards took my coat. The shorts I wore gave me little coverage. I felt something wet trailing down my thighs. Tears stung but I fought to keep them back.

Just keep your eyes on the prize, Lay, you're almost there.

The problem was that these small encouragements did nothing for me. I was only reminded of how I was stranded on an Atlanta street in the middle of the night. Odds were that the gas station was closed. Or the clerk would totally dismiss me. Or deny me usage of the phone. I let the tears run freely now. This is what my life had become.