I tossed and turned all night. I counted beetles on the ceiling like sheep, but it was no use. They fell like nickels on the wood floor and I lost track after 16. I rolled over and looked at my watch. In 4 hours I would be surrendering myself to a process I knew very little about. You know, just a typical Wednesday. The humidity had done its job and sloughed off the layers of physical insecurity that I wore as I entered the commune just a day ago. The blotchy, anxious skin no longer phased me. My sunken eyes and damp, stringy hair were all but normal now. My mind was swimming in deeper, darker waters.

All I could think about was what I'd have to face in the coming week. Handing over full control to people I didn't know was one thing. Confronting the small crowd of voices i...

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