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My voice sounded hoarse “I can’t remember”

And then he was right there, lifting one foot, then the other, taking in the broken skin on the pad of my heel

“When did this happen?”

It felt like I was stuck in a vacuuo”

“And you didn’t call me?”

Was he angry at ry

My voice was se”

His face darkened Opening a drawer to the left, he took out a pair of tweezers, rested my foot on his knee, and picked at the small, already closed wound “You’re ed than that”

A s from my heel, lifted the tweezers, and set a slass onto the countertop, then another And when he was done, he scrutinized the area “I think that’s all of it” His heavy broered as he settled his concerned stare on onna do with you?”

If he figured it out, I hoped he’d let ht then, I was ready to dig myself a hole and await death

Taking a s it out, then proceeded to wipe away the sweat and tears dried into my cheeks I closed my eyes as he cleansed my eyelids, my nose, my lips, my neck And when he looked satisfied with his handywork, he threw the cloth into the sink and stood tall, peering at me with mild disquiet

I didn’t knohat to say I felt hollow, like a tree that animals had made a home inside However, demons rested in this hollow tree, their only job to tear me down from the inside out

“C’ me up into his arms I was too weak to protest, not that I was sure I would if I could

Anxiety filledto look toward the bed My heartbeat quickened, then slowed as Vik took thy fall down”

Slowly but carefully, he walked me down the stairs and into the spare bedroom by the kitchen He loweredopen the door of the closet, retrieving a pillow and spare blankets before setting up a pallet beside the bedfrah me

“What are you doing?” My voice didn’t sound like my own

He punched the pillow a few tihost”