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He heaves out a breath, his eyesaway

“Someone kidnapped you?” I ask, confused

He slowly shakes his head “No My grandmother passed away from heart complications, and the state awarded hts over to her mother when she had me and ran away”

“So you did have a name?” My question comes out soft as I tilt my head

“I did,” he says tightly “But thetime It was part of one, I randh they later found out ht to use it Or even claim it”

My hand slides over hirandmother didn’t do this?” I ask him, just to clarify

He shakes his head “I only have a few rand my mother wasn’t”

“Your ether inthe deepest scar on his face

He catches ain

“No I did the ones on my face”

Ad on him to elaborate When he doesn’t, I ask, “Why would you do this to yourself?”

He shrugs “I thought if I looked less like him, she’d be less inclined to punish lass and cut until I couldn’t bear the pain anymore”

The Demon’s Child…

After another long exhale, he says, “I’m the product of my mother’s rape”

I sn the knot in my throat That’s not what I expected I expected him to tell ious reasons, given the name choice

He goes on, his eyes avertingit to his chest and resting it there with his over it

“She was fourteen, and her family was strictly Catholic The otten out of prison for the very sa He left her abandoned in the street, and when she found out she was pregnant, herit wasn’t my fault this happened and God wouldn’t want an innocent child punished for a hts over after I was born and ran away, hating her randmother never blamed me for any of it”