Her name is Devin is You could be Me or Anyone who's been discarded dirtied deboned depressed so many "d" words though dumb is not one of them perhaps dangerous yes maybe that d word because Devin does have a knife inside her left boot strapped to an ankle where she had a headstone and dagger tattooed last summer when she ran away for the fourth time that time that time yes it was around that time that she started fighting back and so he hit her in a new place making a mistake using his fist on her face for once her face where the wounds would show but his rage at being challenged roiled made him seethe like a pan of popping grease his hard hands open closed mitts racquets paddles whips whiplashing his hands his hands looming lingering longing to choke the life out of her the very life he helped create so she hides now in someone's stoop that reeks of piss and road tar and a Band-Aid smell while the night around her is a black shell broken open by slices of light at the end of the alley we will be all right she tells Emory holding her headless bear under one arm, brushing the scruff of its severed head with the other hand it was fourth grade when she won Emory at the Evergreen State Fair damn lucky shot he'd told her then to make sure she knew she was anything but lucky it started that night that night similar to this one same stench of sweat same ripped up places Emory's head torn then still torn now here comes someone of course this stoop belongs to people this alley is haunted these shadows are men moving toward her soon they will want what she has what her father took without worry that's how it works but not anymore Devin digs inside the boot unsnaps the knife it's all right she tells Emory let there be a God she tells herself a kind God on the other side up there hey the first man says put down the knife the other says we're police officers look he says and shows a badge we're not going to hurt you he says and they don't.

 

 

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