I went to the bathroom, locked the door, and turned on the hot water. Everything hurt as I peeled off my soiled clothes. I looked at my underwear crumpled on the floor. No blood. I balanced myself into the tub and closed my eyes, trying to puzzle fragmented memories into a whole picture. Nothing fit. I vomited into the shower drain and used my big toe to push chunks into the tiny circular grates. My thin bruised body sank to the floor. Hot water pelted my head like a punishment. “I deserve it,” I thought, and sobbed into my knees.
After 30 years in education, Kerby Kunstler Caudill decided to put pen to paper for more than just grading tests. www.kerbycaudill.com Instagram: @kerbnerd