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protect myself and stay alive is to do what she did to

protect herself and stay alive

Every night the King calls for me and listens as I spin tales

And when the evening ends and dawn breaks, I stop at a

point that leaves hi for more

And so the King spares my life for one more day, so that

he ht hear the rest of my dark tale

As soon as I finish a story… I begin a new

one… like the one that you, dear reader, have before

you now

Prologue

~Brody~

My dad is an asshole He’s yelled and thrown fitsa massive jerk, doesn’t matter

He’s a dick

But last night, he hit me for the first time Like, full-out hit me because he said I’m a man now, and I can take it

And I fucking hate him

I’hbor, at the end of our block, just like ays do on weekdays We walk to school together every day, and have since ere in grade school

She’s beenbrown eyes, and she ht be the one person in this world that I’d do al for

“Hey,” she says with a big smile as I wait for her on the sidewalk Her smile is hts up her whole face “I’m not ready for Mr Koch’s math test today I’h mine and offers me a bite of her breakfast burrito, which I happily accept “Do you have any finals today?”

“Just English” I pass her burrito back and cringe alk down a curb It ony

“Are you okay?” she asks, staring up atHow he screams at both my mom and me for hours How he used to smack her around, but now he’s decided to move on to me

But I can’t because I’ain, and I couldn’t stand that

“I’m fine,” I lie “Just didn’t sleep a lot”

“I sleep like the dead,” she says “I slept until noon on Sunday Noon! That can’t be normal”

“It’s probably normal” I don’t think I’ve ever slept until noon My dad would never permit it

“We have to hurry” She picks up the pace, and I want to et to class early to get some math help”

“You know I’ll help you whenever you want”

“Well, come on I’ll take you up on it”

Three years, and I’m done

That motherfucker put his hands on raduation, he pulled me into his bedrooh up blood Trying to defend myself only makes it much worse

As usual, ed for hiood

I’hteen I have a car, and about a thousand dollars that I hid away over the past two years froood-for-nothing town and make a new start

She refused