The Golden Cage

Camila drifted slowly out of an unusually soft, cloud-like sleep. In her dream, she had been floating on a warm, weightless haze, safe from the cold and the pain that usually defined her daily existence. It was the kind of deep, restorative rest she had not experienced in years. The heavy, plush blanket wrapped around her body felt like a shield against the harsh realities of the world. The mattre