E

<>

GA

against my lungs as I sta

outside campus, headphones muffling the

-rise building across the street, its wi

was almos

chbook slipp

dog barrelled past, so fast its paws

but before I can salvage

rise crumples be

it's already gone, its tail

, like it was being chased, le

ck onto t

ade glistens beside me like

e into m

ness tastes wrong,

es of sharing t

n't want to t

escapes

as my first

al parents, who always threatene

mons

her at my feet, pale a

slipping it

uvenirs from the

this one feels d

a bad

to pac

body go

er, my eyes darting as

, tangled feelin

ke

omething is

~

I head back to the dorm, taking hurri

dorm is deserted, lined with tree

clutch my b

over my

ain. Someone i

h

buzzes wi

with

lize it's

trils

an

my head, momentarily replacing the

th anger, and my kne

emember giving

lur my

m away and ig

diot keep

ai

ZZ

ag

hit the ans

?!" I

neighbor." Evander's voice is ca

UN

behind me. Like twigs

y face t

watched comes back,

begins t

en tighter, my knu

my pace, I

ere's

rapidly, and I focus on gettin

n my ears for more movement, b

cutting him off and ending the call

rt dropping into my stomach,

rape of metal

ind

berate. An

ke

ch

es down

hair on my

ing against my rib

~

stands

arrow, her face red

don't reco

emory

irl from t

Evander k

mach t

ca

d, like she'd been cry

matted and tangled,

e, she looks like she crawle

teps

nd stumb

e growls, voice slurred, like she'd been

metallic sc

weapon out fr

with wi

hain glints in

ps into sur

ore. She's impulsive. Vola

tures blur int

light. Don

he, R

hands, h

y se

late,

breathe

and realize making any sudden move

p my head off

at trail dow

ce tre

ening between Evande

nd starts to circle

k. "He never looked at me like tha

heavy, desperat

eet crunch

hain like she e

ss than six feet a

e next words come out

me get close... talk

ack

scrape de

n yells

Reyna

could make her

ll, I try to

efore

above her head, holdi

in hatred and a

eeze the life out

ke a rag

le