We got it. We actually got it. Signing our names was one of the longest moments of my life. I could see the tears building in his eyes as we pulled into the driveway. He’s had such a hard life, the joy made each room brighter than the one before it as we made our way slowly through the unfamiliar house. He caressed every light switch, opened every cabinet, claimed every closet, and ran his finger ...

Alarm clock stirs. Before I even open my eyes, I reach for the noise, using my fingers to search the plastic top for silence.

Wish granted.

I open my eyes to the four walls of my childhood. My hand finds the wall hugging my bed; the bond stronger than my parents’ marriage. The smooth pale blue wall wraps me in a heavy comfort, begging me not to leave its side. My joints begin to scream as I move...

Thank you.

For messing up. For making those mistakes. For leaving me in the pit of snakes.

Thank you.

For criticizing everything I did. Everything I wore. Everything I was.

The morning judgments before I left the house. The rigid routines that wouldn’t let me out.

The silence I sat in because, “that show makes me cry”. The bland food I ate because, “my stomach can’t take their fries”.

The lo...

The euphoria is intoxicating. I can feel his heartbeat in my ears. His memories are flooding the insides of my eyelids. My eyes are so heavy and seeing their memories is almost a comfort at this point, letting me escape my own reality consisting of killing in order to save my life.

He was just 23. Thick brown hair that hung in all the right places. Light skin, but not European light, more li...