- 6.
I rented a small place on the edge of town, far enough from everything that I could have
some peace and quiet. Somewhere I wouldn’t
think about things I didn’t want to think
about.
I ordered takeout, told the delivery guy to
leave it at the door. I heard him walk away,
then let out a long breath and went to grab it.
L
But when I bent down, my leg exploded with
pain. I broke out in a cold sweat and
collapsed to the floor.
I was struggling to get back on my feet when
I saw a pale hand in front of me.
It was long and slender, a girl’s hand.
I hesitated, then didn’t take it. When the pain
eased a bit, I got myself up.
The hand disappeared.
I didn’t look up, just mumbled a “thanks” and
reached for the food.
“Ethan Miller?”
A clear, bright voice said my old name. I
く
The unexpected eye contact didn’t make me
feel anything warm. It made me want to hide.
When I was chained up by those loan sharks,
if I made eye contact with them, they’d yell
and hit me with a stick. I had to get out of the
way.
The others would laugh, like I was a monkey
performing for them.
At first, I felt humiliated. But after a while, I
didn’t have time to think about it.
Less pain was the only thing on my mind.
What was dignity going to do for me?
It wasn’t going to get me out of there, so I
left it behind.
<
The girl seemed to notice something was off.
Her voice was soft and calm.
“Don’t think about that. Just breathe.”
I took a few breaths, like she said. It calmed
me down a little, but I was still shaking.
“Don’t you remember me?”
