Branded

I rested my chin on my shoulder, not quite fully looking at his face. "They don't disgust you?" I whispered, my voice shaking. He rested one hand on my other shoulder and the other on my arm and leaned forward, gently pressing his lips into the center of my brand. "Nothing about you could disgust me," he whispered against my neck.

Some people shouldn’t be allowed to make promises.

I knew the marks were never going to disappear. They were always there. Permanent in the deepest sense of the word.

It took me a moment before I could speak; that smile should be illegal.

When the day seems darkest, Remember there is always a friend nearby, A shoulder to cry on, A warm hand to wipe away the tears. Hope to see you tonight. Yours always, Cole

Adam said nothing as we walked, his gaze fixed on our destination. I always wished he would say something comforting. Anything to reassure me against what I knew was going to come. But he was always as silent as the stones that encased us.

And again, those piercing blue eyes. A slight shiver worked its way up my spine.

I sat in one of the uncomfortable chairs that lined the wall, sitting as far across the room from the other man as possible. I suddenly wished that I had asked Emily to come with me. She was so level and clear-headed, it would have been nice to have her with me

You don’t have to, Jessica,” my mother said softly as she sat in a seat by the bed. She gave me a sad little smile. Her eyes were pooled with tears that hadn’t left since she got that call

Jasper Wood,” one of the council members started. It was a man I stood trial for tonight. My name is not Jasper, my name is Jessica, I chanted to myself internally. I often had to remind myself who I really was. It would be all too easy to lose my grasp on reality and fall to pieces

Alice Green, your deeds will now be revealed,” the perfect man before me continued. I could not find the will to even look up to see which scroll was longer. The numbers continued to roll off my tongue, faster and faster

When one is trying to avoid sleep, darkness is the enemy.

When you go 108 hours, four and a half days without sleep, your body starts to do strange things.

I’m a psychology major for crying out loud! I should be able to spot when someone can’t handle reality when I see it. I can’t do this anymore. Goodbye, Jessica.