I opened the door and let Lorraine in. “What are you doing here?” It was rare that she came over without calling first. She kissed me. “Something told me you needed company tonight.” Perhaps my goddess had sent her. I didn’t stop kissing her “What’s wrong,” she asked later in the bedroom. “Wrong?” “We’ve known each other for almost a year. I can tell when something is bothering you.” Lorraine had been my first friend here. She was probably my closest friend. But I’d never told anyone about what happened. I always just wanted to forget it, to put it behind me. I shook my head and held her until we fell asleep. For a time. I woke from a nightmare gasping for breath. Lorraine woke too. “Are you okay? What is it?” She asked. “Just a nightmare. I’ll be okay.” “I just finished three days of double shifts. If I’m going to lose sleep, I want to know why.” So I told her everything. I told her how I was the last elf anywhere, even though that part was obvious. How I had lived pretending to be human using a glamour to hide how I was different, moving around to hide that I didn’t age. I told her how one of my neighbors where I’d last lived figured out I wasn’t human and contacted the military. I was captured by the army. They didn’t know what I was, so they kept me locked in a windowless lab, usually used for studying viruses. I told her of the tests and experiments I’d endured during that time. When they were satisfied I was no threat. They had no current use for me, they dumped me in this town, and they outed me on various social media sites so I couldn’t go back into hiding. “And you don’t have nightmares every night?” Lorraine asked. “I did for a while. Why do you think it took me so long to want to spend the night with you?” “This is still bothering you if one comment causes a nightmare. Have you thought about seeing a therapist?” “I don’t trust them. I’m not even sure if they’d believe me.” “You have the ears to prove it.” “And the scars.” “They didn’t do that, did they?” She traced the scar that crossed my chest. She’d eyed it in the past, but this was the first time she ever mentioned it. “No. I don’t know how I got that. I woke up with it after the battle when all my people disappeared, but I have no memory of getting it. “These are what they did.” I indicated the scars that went up and down my arms. “Each time they took tissue samples left a mark until before I convinced them not to use an iron blade.” “Iron affects you physically, not just your magic?” “It does. A lot of stuff is made of plastic these days, so that helps. I’ll wear gloves if I’m going to be around a large amount. Smaller towns like this one are better than in big cities. And sometimes I go Underhill between identities to get away from it entirely. But the isolation gets to me, and I can only stay a few months at most.” “That’s sad.” “Don’t tell anyone about the iron. There are plenty who protest me being free. I don’t need to give them anything to use against me.” “I’d never.” She kissed me. “Yeah, if they locked me up, who would you come to when you’re bored?” “Bored? Is that what you think this is?” I could only manage a half-smile. “I’m kidding.” “I know. I’m sorry.” She pulled me close and held me. I’m not much of a cuddler, but I didn’t fight it. Eventually, we fell back to sleep.