1
Patches don’t look it, but when attached to your soul they can get pretty heavy. They go over the holes in your soul, like when you patch a sock. When you have a hole in your soul, it’s because you’re hurting from something. I don’t know if you noticed, but that girl had a lot of holes.Nathan Reese Maher
2
The shadow self is what lies beneath the makeup. It’s those ugly parts that you haven’t accepted about yourself. You hide those parts in the shadows until you’re ready.” Her face remained a haunting calm. “When you realize the scars are who you are, that there was nothing wrong with you and that you were beautiful all along - that’s when you decide to take the makeup off.Nathan Reese Maher
3
Because I am, just as you are you. We don’t always get to pick who we are, Shelly Wynn, but we can choose to celebrate it.Nathan Reese Maher
4
There’s nothing wrong with you at all. Sometimes people say or do things that are mean because there's something the matter with them. With Lydia, it seems there’s always something wrong with her.Nathan Reese Maher
5
I’m afraid they’re not coming.” Abby said fearfully. “Our parents, our teachers — everyone! They’ve disappeared. That’s it. Lights out, Shelly. We’re on our own.Nathan Reese Maher
6
Lydia displays her right hand and instantly bathed the room with a blinding light. It lasted only a moment before it drew back into her palm. “I can fix you if you’re ever broken.Nathan Reese Maher
7
It’s no big deal. It’s kind of like a tattoo. It won’t hurt, not too much, just a few stitches and it’ll be all over. It’s really interesting how it’s done. You won’t believe where your soul hides. Go on, take a guess. Where do you think it is?Nathan Reese Maher
8
Aloha Oukou. It looked like your soul was escaping so I put you in a tree.Nathan Reese Maher
10
Somehow her hula hoop had cut into the driver’s side door like the vehicle was made of cheese.Nathan Reese Maher
11
Soon, all the children were chanting it. “No school! No school!Nathan Reese Maher
12
Shelly shook her head and made sure she had plenty of space so that she wouldn’t hit anything. As many times before, she kept the hoop close to her waist and then twirled it with small, tight bursts of speed. As the hoop gathered in momentum it started to give off a hum that soon took on a light blue illumination far brighter than the streetlamps. It was so bright, that it lit up the entire backyard. .Nathan Reese Maher
13
Sister, why do you do that?"" Do what?"" Cage the animals at night?"" Well.." She looked up and out through the barred window before answering me." We don't want to, Jennings, but we have to. You see, the animals that are given to us we have to take care of. If we didn't cage them up in one place, we might lose them, they might get hurt or damaged. It's not the best thing, but it's the only way we have to take care of them."" But if somebody loved one them, " I asked, "wouldn't it be a good idea to let them have one? To keep, I mean?"" Yes, it would be. But not everyone would love them and take care of them as you would. I wish I could give them all away tomorrow." She looked at me. There were tears in her eyes. "But I can't. My heart would break if I saw just one of those animals lying by the wayside uncared for, unloved. No, Jennings. It's better if we keep them together.Jennings Michael Burch