i

nutes later while passi

hispered. "Soon to be Al

me sent a chill

rutal

ch about it, just the rumour-whispers of madness, violence, a

as E

he looki

to the next table. I trie

always finding me. Not always directly. Sometimes just in my

at he saw in me

at the end of the night, one of the

this to be sent to your home," she

the privacy of the s

sn't

s a r

n

nsfer

th the Dr

invited; I wa

ence at the dinner table

fway through a glass of red wine. My dad sa

leared hi

ity has come. The Dramen Pack saw your... appear

d not

you'll be provided for. They'r

nership," I

the Alpha who requested me. You've heard of him, haven't you?" I said. "And you're still talking about the

rateful; you should be honoured if someone even noticed you

be they're building

d back

her barked, "d

alread

a second longer, I

y dad before, but he doesn't

I lay awa

red, then turned to the window. Outside, t

st a

t not

lik

d looked at the faint cr

ed only fo

'd been choking o

you want

k didn'

de, something

I

as no lon

e I stopped talking

use I fo

ises that never healed but stopped hurting jus

s a way of pull

memo

irst day at

as

ght, too clean. Like they were trying to sterilise the fact t

rom the heat. I had a hole in my left shoe and a mother

irst boy asked, "Are you the weird g

r the teacher's

way she didn'

r I stopped ta

ur house. He said it would give me a better start. But he never asked if I want

sketchbooks. Whisper about how I talked to myself

gs and trace the moon wit

ghed at

he ringleader, said one day,

" Another ad

stood there, fist clenched, jaw lo

w, the swing chain b

touch

e-split clean

reamed

chain in my hand like I'd pull

I did, but after that,

t believe in therapy. "Waste of money," sh

f structure

y name being called. Conversations continued like I didn't exist; I was

er friends I wa

rd. She d

orst

even bl

dn't know who

dream abou

gh the flame. Her face was covered in blood. Her

ves circled h

s she's

e was that voice echoi

ol

I asked my dad once. He fro

I said. "Maybe f

he room and never b

not to

mot

her brows-except I'd never actuall

t she dis

toast in the kitchen. I

ned to me,

r behind my ear. "If anything hap

o? And what would hap

o the moon. You're stronger t

stions, and she o

did yo

ver an

I woke up t

mi

e

n downstairs,

s of br

sce

the table... and

was crying until my

want this kind of life for

ed the

s were