Soolie Beetch and the Dying Light by Skelly Harrington

Author:Skelly Harrington [Harrington, Skelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: bridge city coven press
Published: 2023-09-30T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 17

Bernad hadn’t left his bed since the incident, though it wasn’t really his bed any more than it was really his room. The house was Mam’s domain, both he and Pap knew it. Every surface was polished, every ornament carefully selected, no more than three colors featured per room, and everything tidy and complementarily paired. Bernad was the only ugly thing in the house.

“You ever getting’ out of here?” Pap had asked from the doorway.

Bernad had responded by turning to face the wall.

“Welp, I’m goin’ down to the store.” And that was that.

Even Mam was out most of the time. Her son’s disfigurement had caused quite a stir, and she felt compelled to harness it. “For your sake,” Mam said. She stopped by at least once a day to dust the house, make sure there was food in the cold cellar, and remind him that he should ‘cover his face if anyone stopped by to visit,’ but no one had, and that was fine.

Bernad touched the dead side of his face and slowly hinged his jaw, feeling the stiffness of his cheek resist and crackle. He hadn’t spoken since the incident. He could barely get a thumb’s breadth between his teeth, and even that was a struggle. Eating was an especially horrid chore, because he couldn’t seal his lips around a spoon or chew a piece of chicken without the greasy juices dribbling out the side. Every bite made him feel like more of a monster, and visitors would only make that worse. He didn’t need rots like Hobby and Kip gawking, and girls would want nothing to do with him now.

He’d had a real shot with Winny before. Sure, she was annoying as spak and only after him because he was a Pelig and the alternatives were Hobby and Kip, but he would have liked to see what was under that tight bodice and swinging skirts. And he could have, too. If he hadn’t seen Soolie taking off into the corn field and decided to go for the interesting one.

Bloodwitch skag.

He’d been nice to her, and given her gifts, and shown her his tree—which was more than he’d ever done to show interest in anyone before—and then she’d freaked on him like he’d done something off, when she was the skewed one. The least she could have done was let him have a moment with his friends. It wasn’t as if any of them were ever gonna want to be friends with her anyways.

What did she care?

What had she done to him?

No one knew.

It hadn’t hurt. It might have been better if it had. When the Beetch girl had punched him, for the flash of a moment, he had felt what it was to die. Then he had felt his face crumple like an earthworm dropped into a flame. He shuddered.

He hoped Mam came back with Beetch’s head on a spike.

Downstairs, the front door opened.

“Bernad?” It was Mam’s voice.

For the first time that day, Bernad almost wished he had gotten out of bed.

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