The novel follows Feasa, who has spent most of his life in a mental health institution, believing himself to be ill, but later understanding that he has powers. In this scene, Tiarna (the antagonist) forces him to relive a traumatic childhood memory. He has recently merged consciousness with another character and refers to himself as “we”.
Word Count: 1084
“Tell me a secret, Feasa.” Tiarna’s fingers dug into our jaw, strong enough to leave a bruise. She stood over us, at the head of the table, her hands on either side of our face. Her essence scrabbling at ours as much as her fingers did. “Tell me. Tell me something you’ve never told anyone else in the world. Tell me something deep, something that haunts.” She licked her lips, a wild gleam in her eyes as her fingers dug in further, the sharp sting of her nails cutting into our flesh. Her essence pulled and ripped at us, stripping us away, pulling little pieces off. Strings of memory, threads of hope, and strands of thought all fluttered away from us and into her. “Tell me your secrets, Feasa, tell me.” And we couldn’t help but tell. She stripped it from us as easily as a child plucking away a butterfly’s wings, our memories flowing directly into her.
Feasa woke with a cough. He couldn’t breathe; the air was thick with black, cloying smoke that rolled and billowed across the ceiling. The wall opposite his bed was engulfed in flames, the stickers of dogs, rockets, and stars he had carefully placed curling and blackening, turning to ash.
