full

“Moth{er}” by Chase Anderson (read by Sierra and Ta'kom)

Mother knows best, but as changes both subtle and monstrous manifest, reality itself is called into question.

Tonight’s story is “Moth{er}” by Chase Anderson, a speculative fiction writer, spreadsheet wrangler, and internet bird. This story was first published in Another Name for Darkness by Sans. PRESS. You can find more of his stories on his website, chase.xyz.

Read by Sierra, the Small Blue One, and by Ta’kom Ironhoof, the Equine Charmer.

thevoice.dog | Apple podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

If you have a story you think would be a good fit, you can check out the requirements, fill out the submission template and get in touch with us.

https://thevoice.dog/episode/mother-by-chase-anderson

Transcript
Speaker:

You’re

Speaker:

listening

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

The

Speaker:

Ghost

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

Dog

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

The

Speaker:

Voice

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

Dog.

Speaker:

This

Speaker:

is

Speaker:

Rob

Speaker:

MacWolf,

Speaker:

your

Speaker:

fellow

Speaker:

traveler,

Speaker:

and Tonight’s

Speaker:

story

Speaker:

is “Moth{er}”

Speaker:

by

Speaker:

Chase

Speaker:

Anderson,

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

speculative

Speaker:

fiction

Speaker:

writer,

Speaker:

spreadsheet

Speaker:

wrangler,

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

internet

Speaker:

bird.

Speaker:

This

Speaker:

story

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

first

Speaker:

published

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

Another

Speaker:

Name

Speaker:

for

Speaker:

Darkness

Speaker:

by

Speaker:

Sans.

Speaker:

PRESS.

Speaker:

You can

Speaker:

find

Speaker:

more

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

his

Speaker:

stories

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

his

Speaker:

website,

Speaker:

chase.xyz.

Read

Speaker:

by

Speaker:

Sierra,

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

Small

Speaker:

Blue

Speaker:

One,

Speaker:

and

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by

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Ta’kom

Speaker:

Ironhoof,

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the

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Equine

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Charmer.

Metamorphosis. Noun. A transformation as by magic or

Speaker:

miracle.

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A

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marked

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change

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in

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appearance,

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character,

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or

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function.

Speaker:

Or a

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stage

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in the

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life

Speaker:

cycle

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of many

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insects

Speaker:

between

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the larval and the

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adult. The

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caterpillar

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to

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the

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butterfly.

Speaker:

Gregor

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to the monstrous vermin. Arachne to the spider.

Speaker:

And

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in

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certain

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rare

Speaker:

cases,

Speaker:

all

Speaker:

three.

Please

Speaker:

enjoy


“Moth{er}” by

Speaker:

Chase

Speaker:

Anderson

My

Speaker:

first

Speaker:

memory

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

of her

Speaker:

room,

Speaker:

white and

Speaker:

bathed

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

light.

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

sat

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

floor,

Speaker:

trying

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

help

Speaker:

Mother with

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

laundry,

Speaker:

folding towels much larger than me. The

Speaker:

walls

Speaker:

were

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clean,

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

hardwood

Speaker:

floor

Speaker:

shining.

Speaker:

A

Speaker:

breeze

Speaker:

carrying

Speaker:

birdsong

Speaker:

filtered

Speaker:

through

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

forest

Speaker:

into

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

open

Speaker:

space.
Mother

Speaker:

had

Speaker:

studied

Speaker:

color

Speaker:

science

Speaker:

at

Speaker:

college,

Speaker:

where

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

met

Speaker:

Father.

Speaker:

She

Speaker:

taught me

Speaker:

how

Speaker:

glass

Speaker:

prisms

Speaker:

hung in the

Speaker:

windows

Speaker:

made

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

dancing

Speaker:

rainbows

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

wall.

Speaker:

The

Speaker:

clear

Speaker:

light

Speaker:

held

Speaker:

all

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

colors

Speaker:

within,

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

said.

Speaker:

It

Speaker:

bounced

Speaker:

from

Speaker:

surfaces

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

your

Speaker:

eyes

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

show

Speaker:

you

Speaker:

how

Speaker:

something

Speaker:

truly

Speaker:

looked.

Speaker:

I didn’t

Speaker:

understand,

Speaker:

but

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

liked how all

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

towels

Speaker:

were

Speaker:

blue,

Speaker:

like

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

sky,

Speaker:

like

Speaker:

our

Speaker:

eyes.
“You look

Speaker:

just

Speaker:

like

Speaker:

me,”

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

said, “when

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

your

Speaker:

age.”

Speaker:

Sometimes

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

would

Speaker:

pull

Speaker:

out

Speaker:

photos

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

brothers

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

sisters,

Speaker:

children

Speaker:

lined

Speaker:

up

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

bench.

Speaker:

I’d

Speaker:

never

Speaker:

met

Speaker:

these

Speaker:

people.

Speaker:

Which

Speaker:

face

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

ours?

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

pointed

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

person

Speaker:

and asked

Speaker:

if

Speaker:

that

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

her.
“No,

Speaker:

dear,

Speaker:

this

Speaker:

is

Speaker:

me.”
I

Speaker:

searched

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

face

Speaker:

hard

Speaker:

for

Speaker:

similarities

Speaker:

but

Speaker:

found

Speaker:

none.

Speaker:

The

Speaker:

picture

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

from

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

really,

Speaker:

really

Speaker:

long

Speaker:

time

Speaker:

ago.

Speaker:

People

Speaker:

changed.

Speaker:

Maybe I’d

Speaker:

be

Speaker:

able

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

tell

Speaker:

when

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

older.
I

Speaker:

stopped

Speaker:

thinking

Speaker:

about

Speaker:

faces

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

listened

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

soft

Speaker:

birdsong

Speaker:

instead.
#
They

Speaker:

tried

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

teach

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

at

Speaker:

preschool,

Speaker:

but

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

teachers

Speaker:

weren’t

Speaker:

as

Speaker:

good

Speaker:

as

Speaker:

Mother.

Speaker:

She’d

Speaker:

already

Speaker:

taught

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

all

Speaker:

about

Speaker:

color

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

light,

Speaker:

so

Speaker:

my

Speaker:

finger-paints

Speaker:

never

Speaker:

turned

Speaker:

into

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

brown,

Speaker:

muddy

Speaker:

mess.

Speaker:

Miss

Speaker:

Teacher

Speaker:

told

Speaker:

us

Speaker:

that

Speaker:

pink

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

color

Speaker:

but

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

blurted

Speaker:

out, “No,

Speaker:

it’s

Speaker:

not,

Speaker:

it’s

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

hue.”

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

put

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

time-out because

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

wouldn’t

Speaker:

accept

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

knew

Speaker:

more

Speaker:

than

Speaker:

her.
“Preschool

Speaker:

is

Speaker:

just

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

learn

Speaker:

how

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

get

Speaker:

along

Speaker:

with

Speaker:

other

Speaker:

kids,”

Speaker:

Mother said. “Or

Speaker:

for

Speaker:

kids

Speaker:

with

Speaker:

bad

Speaker:

mothers

Speaker:

who

Speaker:

work

Speaker:

all

Speaker:

day.”

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

had

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

good

Speaker:

mother

Speaker:

but bad

Speaker:

teachers,

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

told

Speaker:

her,

Speaker:

so

Speaker:

they

Speaker:

never

Speaker:

taught

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

how

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

make

Speaker:

friends.
I

Speaker:

waited

Speaker:

for

Speaker:

Mother

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

tell

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

how,

Speaker:

since

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

knew

Speaker:

so

Speaker:

much.

Speaker:

She

Speaker:

looked

Speaker:

down

Speaker:

at

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

from

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

seat

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

bed.

Speaker:

There

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

white

Speaker:

wicker

Speaker:

chest

Speaker:

between

Speaker:

us,

Speaker:

which

Speaker:

always

Speaker:

creaked

Speaker:

when

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

touched

Speaker:

it.
“You’re

Speaker:

supposed

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

figure

Speaker:

that

Speaker:

out

Speaker:

yourself,”

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

finally

Speaker:

said. “I

Speaker:

can’t

Speaker:

do

Speaker:

everything

Speaker:

for

Speaker:

you.”

Speaker:

She

Speaker:

kept

Speaker:

talking, and

Speaker:

my

Speaker:

gaze

Speaker:

shifted

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

prisms

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

window.

Speaker:

A coating of

Speaker:

dust

Speaker:

blocked

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

light

Speaker:

from

Speaker:

getting

Speaker:

out,

Speaker:

or

Speaker:

maybe

Speaker:

in.

Speaker:

There

Speaker:

weren’t

Speaker:

any

Speaker:

rainbows

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

walls.

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

walked

Speaker:

over

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

fix

Speaker:

that.
“What

Speaker:

are

Speaker:

you

Speaker:

doing?”

Speaker:

Mother

Speaker:

snapped. “I’m

Speaker:

talking

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

you.”

Speaker:

She

Speaker:

huffed. “Maybe

Speaker:

this

Speaker:

is

Speaker:

why

Speaker:

you

Speaker:

don’t

Speaker:

have

Speaker:

friends.

Speaker:

You

Speaker:

don’t

Speaker:

listen.”
She

Speaker:

had

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

be

Speaker:

right.

Speaker:

If

Speaker:

Mother

Speaker:

got

Speaker:

frustrated

Speaker:

with

Speaker:

me,

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

kids

Speaker:

who

Speaker:

didn’t

Speaker:

know

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

surely

Speaker:

did,

Speaker:

too.

Speaker:

They

Speaker:

wouldn’t

Speaker:

give

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

chance

Speaker:

if I

Speaker:

didn’t

Speaker:

try

Speaker:

harder.

Speaker:

I’d show her

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

smart,

Speaker:

just

Speaker:

like

Speaker:

her,

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

could

Speaker:

figure

Speaker:

things

Speaker:

out

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

my

Speaker:

own.
#
Miss

Speaker:

Teacher

Speaker:

pulled

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

aside.

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

flinched,

Speaker:

ready

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

be

Speaker:

scolded

Speaker:

again. “You’re

Speaker:

going

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

be

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

big

Speaker:

sister,”

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

said.

Speaker:

But

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

had

Speaker:

been

Speaker:

wrong

Speaker:

about

Speaker:

things

Speaker:

before,

Speaker:

so

Speaker:

maybe

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

wrong

Speaker:

about

Speaker:

this,

Speaker:

too.

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

asked

Speaker:

how

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

knew.

Speaker:

She

Speaker:

smiled. “Grown-ups

Speaker:

know

Speaker:

these

Speaker:

things.”
I

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

unconvinced.
Mother

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

Father

Speaker:

never

Speaker:

said

Speaker:

anything

Speaker:

about

Speaker:

it,

Speaker:

so

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

knew

Speaker:

Miss

Speaker:

Teacher

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

wrong.

Speaker:

A

Speaker:

few

Speaker:

months

Speaker:

later,

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

mentioned

Speaker:

it

Speaker:

again.
“I

Speaker:

am?”

Speaker:

It

Speaker:

had

Speaker:

been

Speaker:

so

Speaker:

long,

Speaker:

I’d

Speaker:

forgot

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

previous

Speaker:

conversation.
She

Speaker:

laughed.

Speaker:

Not

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

real

Speaker:

laugh,

Speaker:

but

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

kind

Speaker:

people

Speaker:

force

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

pretend

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

be

Speaker:

feeling

Speaker:

something

Speaker:

else. “When

Speaker:

your

Speaker:

mom

Speaker:

goes

Speaker:

to the

Speaker:

hospital to

Speaker:

have

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

baby,

Speaker:

we

Speaker:

can

Speaker:

make

Speaker:

her a

Speaker:

card

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

celebrate.”
Mother

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

Father

Speaker:

said

Speaker:

nothing

Speaker:

when

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

got home.

Speaker:

Miss

Speaker:

Teacher

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

wrong

Speaker:

again.
One

Speaker:

day

Speaker:

Father

Speaker:

picked

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

up. “Where’s

Speaker:

Mother?”

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

asked.
“She’s

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

hospital.

Speaker:

For

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

little

Speaker:

vacation.”
I knew

Speaker:

grown-ups

Speaker:

said

Speaker:

things

Speaker:

like

Speaker:

that,

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

mean

Speaker:

something

Speaker:

else,

Speaker:

so

Speaker:

kids

Speaker:

wouldn’t

Speaker:

know

Speaker:

what

Speaker:

they

Speaker:

were

Speaker:

talking

Speaker:

about.

Speaker:

They

Speaker:

wanted

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

surprise

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

with

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

baby!

Speaker:

That

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

why

Speaker:

they’d

Speaker:

kept it

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

secret.
When

Speaker:

Mother

Speaker:

came

Speaker:

home,

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

went

Speaker:

straight

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

room

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

shut

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

door.

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

waited

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

my

Speaker:

room,

Speaker:

listening

Speaker:

for

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

come

Speaker:

out,

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

tell

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

surprise,

Speaker:

but

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

didn’t.

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

crept

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

door

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

opened

Speaker:

it.
She

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

lying

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

bed,

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

big

Speaker:

quilt

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

top

Speaker:

of

Speaker:

her.

Speaker:

It

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

dusty

Speaker:

from

Speaker:

hanging

Speaker:

on

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

wall,

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

bright

Speaker:

oranges

Speaker:

dulled to

Speaker:

yellow,

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

white

Speaker:

expanses

Speaker:

greyed

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

fuzzy.
“Are

Speaker:

you

Speaker:

sick?”

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

asked.

Speaker:

People

Speaker:

went

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

hospital

Speaker:

or

Speaker:

stayed

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

bed

Speaker:

when

Speaker:

they

Speaker:

were

Speaker:

sick.
“It’s

Speaker:

nothing,”

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

said.

Speaker:

It

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

dim,

Speaker:

with

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

blinds

Speaker:

drawn

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

curtains askew.

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

knew

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

lying

Speaker:

but

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

had

Speaker:

no

Speaker:

idea

Speaker:

what

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

wrong.

Speaker:

She

Speaker:

didn’t

Speaker:

look

Speaker:

sick,

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

didn’t

Speaker:

take

Speaker:

medicine.
The

Speaker:

next

Speaker:

day

Speaker:

at

Speaker:

preschool,

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

asked

Speaker:

Miss

Speaker:

Teacher

Speaker:

if

Speaker:

we

Speaker:

could

Speaker:

make

Speaker:

a “get

Speaker:

well

Speaker:

soon”

Speaker:

card.

Speaker:

Mother

Speaker:

would

Speaker:

like

Speaker:

that.
Miss

Speaker:

Teacher

Speaker:

got

Speaker:

down

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

my

Speaker:

level

Speaker:

and

Speaker:

looked

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

right

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

face. “This

Speaker:

isn’t

Speaker:

something

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

card

Speaker:

can

Speaker:

make

Speaker:

better,”

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

said.

Speaker:

I

Speaker:

really

Speaker:

wanted

Speaker:

her

Speaker:

to

Speaker:

be

Speaker:

wrong, but

Speaker:

something

Speaker:

told

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

this

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

the

Speaker:

one

Speaker:

time

Speaker:

she

Speaker:

was

Speaker:

right.

Speaker:

It gave

Speaker:

me

Speaker:

a

Speaker:

bad

Speaker:

feeling

Speaker:

in

Speaker:

my

Speaker:

stomach,

Speaker:

like

Speaker:

butterflies

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trying

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to

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escape.
#
Mother

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made

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my

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lunches

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and

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drove

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me

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to

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elementary

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school.

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That’s

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what

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good

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mothers

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do,

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she

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said.

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Sometimes

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she

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helped

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me

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with

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my

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spelling.

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Remembering

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the

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order

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of

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the

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letters

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was

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hard.
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ENDS

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my

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week

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with

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FRIENDS,”

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she

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said.
Friday

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didn’t

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mean

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that

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for

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me.

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I didn’t

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have

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friends.

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But

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if

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I

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said

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that,

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be

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arguing,

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and

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then

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she’d

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be

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around

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me

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longer,

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and

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I

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didn’t

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want

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that.
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hair

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short

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now

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and

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she

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looked

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in

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the

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sweatshirts

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and

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sweatpants

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she

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always

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wore.

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There were

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always

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big,

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beige

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band-aids

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on

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the

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backs

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of

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her

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hands.
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I

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was

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around

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Mother

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too

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long,

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my

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head

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get

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and

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I’d

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feel

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like

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I

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so

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stay

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from

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her. But

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she

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was

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my

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a

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so

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why

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did

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being

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her

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feel

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teacher.

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She

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got

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very

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serious.
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your

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mother

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hurting

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you?”
Where

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had

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that

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come

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from?

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She

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never

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hit

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me,

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she

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I

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told

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the

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teacher

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that.
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so

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you’re

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uncomfortable

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around me?”

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Mother

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asked

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a

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few

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days

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later.

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I

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didn’t

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know

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how

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she

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found

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out.
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I

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lied,

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even

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though

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it

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was a

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really

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one.

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was

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no

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way

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I

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could

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make

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to

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have

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her

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think

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else. But

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what

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else

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could

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I

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say?

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The real answer

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would

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hurt her

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feelings

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and

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make

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her

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mad at me.
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that’s

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fine,”

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she

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said. “Sometimes

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I

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don’t

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really like being

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around

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you.”

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The

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corners

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of

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her

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mouth

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kept

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moving,

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when

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she

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to

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speak.

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wanted

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to

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run

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away,

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knew

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make

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things

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going

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her

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all

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the

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things

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in

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it

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she

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wouldn’t

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to

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come

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out,

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except

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for

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dinner.
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upset

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your

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mother,”

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Father

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told

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me

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when

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he

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tucked

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me

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into

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bed.
“I

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won’t.” Another

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lie.

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So many

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things

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I

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did

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upset

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her.

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Or

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even

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things

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didn’t

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couldn’t

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what

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knew.

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Things

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always

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turned

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out

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wrong

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when

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I

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did.
#
In

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middle

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school

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she

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making

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me

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lunch,

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but

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she

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drove

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me

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to

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school,

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since

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what

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good

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mothers

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did.

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I

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knew

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that

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wasn’t

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true,

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though.

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The other

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kids

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had

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divorced

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parents,

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or

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only

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their

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mother,

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or

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they

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took

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the

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bus,

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and

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they

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were

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always

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happy

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around

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their

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mothers.
I

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met

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their

moms:

moms:

some

moms:

were

moms:

fat

moms:

and wore

moms:

sloppy

moms:

clothes

moms:

or

moms:

had

moms:

short

moms:

hair or

moms:

messy

moms:

houses

moms:

or

moms:

no

moms:

jobs.

moms:

Why did

moms:

those

moms:

things

moms:

in

moms:

my

moms:

mother

moms:

make

moms:

me

moms:

feel

moms:

bad?
There was

moms:

something

moms:

wrong

moms:

with

moms:

me.

moms:

The

moms:

kids

moms:

in

moms:

the

moms:

books

moms:

I

moms:

read

moms:

solved

moms:

their

moms:

problems

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by

moms:

trying

moms:

hard.

moms:

I

moms:

tried

moms:

and

moms:

tried,

moms:

but

moms:

it

moms:

never

moms:

worked.
So

moms:

I

moms:

stopped

moms:

trying

moms:

at

moms:

all.
“Can

moms:

you

moms:

explain

moms:

why

moms:

the

moms:

sky is

moms:

blue?”

moms:

the

moms:

test

moms:

question

moms:

asked.
“Yes,

moms:

but

moms:

I

moms:

don’t

moms:

want

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to,”

moms:

I

moms:

wrote.
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did

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this

moms:

character

moms:

feel

moms:

this

moms:

way?”
“I

moms:

don’t

moms:

care.”
“What

moms:

happened

moms:

in

moms:

the

moms:

year…?”
“Stuff.”
There

moms:

was

moms:

something

moms:

wrong

moms:

with

moms:

me,

moms:

everyone

moms:

said.

moms:

They

moms:

took

moms:

me

moms:

out

moms:

of

moms:

class,

moms:

they

moms:

made

moms:

me

moms:

take

moms:

a

moms:

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moms:

of

moms:

tests

moms:

for

moms:

babies.

moms:

Which

moms:

shape

moms:

is

moms:

a

moms:

triangle?

moms:

Which

moms:

face is

moms:

smiling?

moms:

Draw

moms:

a

moms:

house,

moms:

a

moms:

dog,

moms:

you,

moms:

your

moms:

family.

moms:

They

moms:

made

moms:

me

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use

moms:

crayons. I

moms:

thought

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about

moms:

using

moms:

complementary

moms:

colors,

moms:

how

moms:

I

moms:

couldn’t

moms:

blend

moms:

the

moms:

wax

moms:

into

moms:

new

moms:

hues,

moms:

but

moms:

why

moms:

bother?

moms:

This

moms:

was

moms:

a

moms:

punishment.
The

moms:

man

moms:

running

moms:

the

moms:

tests

moms:

took

moms:

my

moms:

paper

moms:

and

moms:

looked

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at

moms:

it

moms:

for

moms:

too

moms:

long.

moms:

Somehow,

moms:

I

moms:

got

moms:

it

moms:

wrong.

moms:

Maybe

moms:

I

moms:

really

moms:

was

moms:

stupid

moms:

and

moms:

my

moms:

lying

moms:

fooled

moms:

everyone.

moms:

He

moms:

asked

moms:

me

moms:

who

moms:

each

moms:

person

moms:

was.

moms:

Me,

moms:

the

moms:

shorter

moms:

one,

moms:

Father

moms:

with the

moms:

black

moms:

hair,

moms:

Mother

moms:

with

moms:

the

moms:

yellow

moms:

hair.
“And

moms:

what

moms:

are

moms:

these?”

moms:

He

moms:

pointed

moms:

to

moms:

the

moms:

two

moms:

lines

moms:

rising

moms:

from

moms:

the

moms:

top of

moms:

her

moms:

head.
They

moms:

were…I

moms:

didn’t

moms:

know

moms:

what

moms:

to

moms:

call

moms:

them.

moms:

I

moms:

would

moms:

see

moms:

them

moms:

sometimes,

moms:

but

moms:

not

moms:

always.

moms:

Obviously,

moms:

I

moms:

shouldn’t have

moms:

drawn

moms:

them. “I

moms:

think

moms:

I

moms:

colored

moms:

too

moms:

fast,”

moms:

I

moms:

said.

moms:

I

moms:

couldn’t

moms:

tell

moms:

if

moms:

he

moms:

believed

moms:

me.
“And

moms:

what

moms:

about

moms:

these?”
I'd

moms:

drawn

moms:

big

moms:

blobs

moms:

on

moms:

either

moms:

side

moms:

of

moms:

her

moms:

stick

moms:

figure.

moms:

That

moms:

sense

moms:

of

moms:

being

moms:

far

moms:

away

moms:

came

moms:

again.

moms:

I

moms:

said

moms:

the

moms:

first

moms:

thing

moms:

that

moms:

crawled

moms:

out

moms:

of

moms:

my

moms:

mouth.
“Butterfly

moms:

wings.

moms:

I

moms:

saw

moms:

a

moms:

big

moms:

butterfly

moms:

outside

moms:

today.”
“I

moms:

need

moms:

you

moms:

to

moms:

draw

moms:

reality,”

moms:

the

moms:

man

moms:

said. “Not

moms:

what’s

moms:

in

moms:

your

moms:

imagination.”
“Okay.”
He

moms:

handed

moms:

me

moms:

another

moms:

piece

moms:

of

moms:

paper

moms:

and

moms:

I

moms:

drew

moms:

exactly

moms:

what

moms:

he

moms:

wanted

moms:

so

moms:

this

moms:

would

moms:

all

moms:

go

moms:

away.
#
“………..Did

moms:

you

moms:

hear

moms:

me?”
“Could

moms:

you

moms:

say

moms:

it

moms:

again?

moms:

The

moms:

TV

moms:

is

moms:

loud.”
A

moms:

lot

moms:

of

moms:

things

moms:

were

moms:

making

noises:

noises:

the

noises:

air

noises:

conditioner,

noises:

scraggly

noises:

animals

noises:

in

noises:

cages,

noises:

the

noises:

rustling

noises:

of

noises:

papers

noises:

under

noises:

my

noises:

feet

noises:

as

noises:

I

noises:

shifted

noises:

my

noises:

weight.

noises:

I

noises:

didn’t

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want

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to

noises:

look

noises:

at

noises:

them,

noises:

but

noises:

I

noises:

didn’t

noises:

want

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to

noises:

look

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at

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Mother,

noises:

either.

noises:

Her

noises:

face

noises:

had

noises:

gotten

noises:

blobbier,

noises:

fuzzier,

noises:

her

noises:

eyes

noises:

darker.

noises:

Bandages

noises:

spread

noises:

to her

noises:

fingers,

noises:

bare at

noises:

each

noises:

joint

noises:

and making

noises:

her

noises:

hands

noises:

look

noises:

chunky

noises:

and

noises:

segmented.
“I

noises:

said………..”
She

noises:

was

noises:

saying

noises:

words, but

noises:

it

noises:

was

noises:

nothing —

noises:

white

noises:

noise,

noises:

swallowed

noises:

up

noises:

by

noises:

the

noises:

lumpy

noises:

webs

noises:

clinging

noises:

to

noises:

the

noises:

walls.

noises:

Every

noises:

time

noises:

I

noises:

was

noises:

here,

noises:

there

noises:

was

noises:

that

noises:

dizziness,

noises:

that

noises:

sense

noises:

of

noises:

things

noises:

not

noises:

being

noises:

real.

noises:

Shapes

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in

noises:

the

noises:

corner

noises:

of

noises:

my

noises:

vision

noises:

squirmed.

noises:

Father

noises:

never

noises:

said

noises:

anything

noises:

about

noises:

it,

noises:

but

noises:

then

noises:

again,

noises:

he

noises:

barely

noises:

went

noises:

into

noises:

her

noises:

room

noises:

anymore.
“Did

noises:

you

noises:

hear

noises:

me?”
“Yes.”

noises:

I

noises:

hoped

noises:

she

noises:

wouldn’t

noises:

ask

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me

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to

noises:

repeat

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it,

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but

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I

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began

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to

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try

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to

noises:

guess

noises:

what

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would

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be

noises:

the

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right

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answer.
“Good,

noises:

finally.”

noises:

She

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rearranged

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herself

noises:

on

noises:

the

noises:

mattress.

noises:

Puffs

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dust

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floated

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into

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the

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air.

noises:

I

noises:

turn

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to

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and

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in

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my

noises:

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I

noises:

knocked

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a

noises:

box

noises:

over,

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crashing

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each

noises:

other.

noises:

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noises:

and

noises:

must

noises:

filled

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my

noises:

lungs

noises:

and

noises:

I

noises:

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noises:

my

noises:

eyes

noises:

watering.

noises:

How

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could

noises:

she

noises:

stand

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this?
I

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scuttled

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for

noises:

the

noises:

door.

noises:

The

noises:

hallway

noises:

was

noises:

still

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a

noises:

mess

noises:

of

noises:

cobwebs

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and

noises:

cramped

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space,

noises:

but

noises:

at least

noises:

the

noises:

walls

noises:

were

noises:

still

noises:

white.

noises:

I

noises:

leaned

noises:

back

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and

noises:

stared

noises:

at

noises:

the

noises:

ceiling

noises:

light,

noises:

willing

noises:

my

noises:

body

noises:

back

noises:

under

noises:

control,

noises:

through

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my

noises:

eyes,

noises:

not

noises:

some

noises:

ghost

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details --

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that:

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Her

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soft,

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warm,

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that:

fingerprints.

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The

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hands

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How

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Mother and

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This

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thevoice.dog, or

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podcasts.

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listening

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The

that:

Ghost

that:

of

that:

Dog.

About the Podcast

Show artwork for The Voice of Dog
The Voice of Dog
Furry stories to warm the ol' cockles, read by Rob MacWolf and guests. If you have a story that would suit the show, you can get in touch with @VoiceOfDog@meow.social on Mastodon, @voiceofdog.bsky.social on Blue Sky, or @Theodwulf on Telegram.

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Khaki