The third (or first, depending on how you look at it) in a series of three illustrations done for a single commission. This one represents the tiniest tendril of hope at the very end of desperation. Abandoned and abused - having forgotten even how to speak - she slumps against the crumbling stairs, trying to bring her thoughts to life with smudges of chalk. As energy drains from her, a ghostly guardian appears, protecting her through the long hours. Distribution of this picture without my and the commissioner's permission is strictly prohibited.