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I’d always avoided looking at h the rafts that came afterward Like I said--years since I looked atthat I didn’t allow myself to do

I bit down on lied somewhere between my sternum and my throat

My collarbone was okay, a peachy crea onit off My upper chest was s looked like a fked-up Picasso painting frootten a hold of ht over the top of the swell, across the areola, narrowlyonly one nipple would suck Not that anyone saw either of my niles, but still, I didn’t want to think of myself as One Nipple Calla My other breast was fine Both were decent sized, I thought, but the skin between theree burns Scarring was just piges, but then there was my stomach

I looked like an old couch that soether Seriously Third-degree burns were no joke None whatsoever

Patches of the skin were a deep pink, other parts faded to a rose color, and otherwise s my side were raised I could see that in the mirror Kind of looked like a birthmark, but when I twisted around and craned my neck, I saw my back From just above my rump and all the way across my shoulder blades, it ed and puckered skin, almost wrinkled in some areas, and a rafts there

Dad had left by that point, disappearing into the drah school, with the help froed to track downin Florida

He didn’t have any kids

And after one phone call with hihter bond

So he’d been gone when it carafts on otten about the doctor appoint

The back ofas I forced the air to beco I’d ever experienced inas I had been, I had wanted death in those hours and days afterward The scars didn’t hurt now They just looked like crap

I closed my eyes as I turned back around, but I could still see myself That hadn’t been pretty Could’ve been worse When I’d been on the burn floor, I’d seen worse Little kids that played with fire Adults in fiery car accidents Skin literally melted And then there were the people--the kids--who didn’t survive fires, be it the heat or the smoke So I knew it could’ve been worse, but noI stayed away, the night of the fire had left its mark on me, physically and e

I bit down onon Brandon had been du was dued into a pair of cotton sleep shorts with a long-sleeve thin shirt For some reason, no matter the tiet downright chilly at night, so I pulled on a pair of long socks to keep , but the trip was pretty pointless because all there was in the pantry was saltine crackers Grabbing the box, I promised oing to the grocery store and spending so a packet of what I hoped wasn’t stale crackers and the leftover tea I’d had last night into the living room, I came to a startled stop when I heard a knock on the front door

I dropped the packet of crackers on the couch cushion and turned to look at the clock on the wall If the ti, so what the hell?

Standing still, I winced when I heard the knock coain Nervous, I spun and hurried quietly to the narrow and short hallway Stretching up, I peered through the peephole

I frowned

Froainst the door, I stared through the peephole The porch was eoing crazy, I rocked back and unlocked the door Opening it up about a foot, I inized uy had been sitting down and he rose suddenly, causing ainst uy in the diood Tall and really skinny, he had shoulder-length blond hair that was stringy and greasy His face was gaunt and lips chapped Yuck I didn’t want to see anything else I inched back, clutching the doorknob, about to shut it when he slae hand into the door

"I need to see Mona," he rasped in a scratchy, dry voice

"She’s n-not here Sorry" I started to shut the door again, but he got one leg in and then pushed--pushed harder than I thought he could, flingingthe back of my head There was a flare of pain that quickly spiked when the door flew at asped

The greasy guy stepped inside, glancing at where I was s the door offit closed with a scuffed-up biker boot "I need to see Mona"

I blinked a couple of tiainst the side of my head For a mo down the hall

Wincing, I dropped uy walked into the living rooically appear out of thin air

I hurried down the hall, still somewhat in a daze "She’s not here"

Greasy Guy stood in front of the couch, his shoulders hunched In the brighter light, I really didn’t want to see what I saw The man was dirty--his shirt and his jeans His arms were bare, the insides of them covered in red, puckered -out

Shit galore

"Mona isn’t here," I tried again, ear, which caused the ache in my temple to feel like a"She owes alore everywhere and on my shoes

Greasy Guy turned to me, and his eyes were a pale blue, unfocused I wasn’t sure he even saw ot shit here I know she does"

My eyes widened There had so better be no shit here

Without saying another word, he brushed pastfor the bedroo?" I deht for the bed, ripping off the clean sheets and blankets

"Hey!" I shouted

Still, he ignored me as he slipped his hands under the , he let out a string of curses

Oh, this was so not good and quickly spiraling out of control

I started toward hirowled, "Stay the fk back"

My stomach tumbled, and I stayed the fk back as he went to the dresser, pulled out my folded clothes, and then went over to the closet Out of so the roohtened

Then he stopped at the entrance to the bathrooe look crossed his face "Da for the stairs