Sal's background

healing

a couple days later

i woke up, i couldn't see. there were bandages over my eyes. there were bandages everywhere. i felt funny, people were in the room talking, they're too loud and it hurt my head. they only voice i didn't hear was my mom, which was concerning. where was she? she should be here, maybe she went to get coffee or something. dad was just sitting there grumbling softly, like as if he didn't care about the conversation. i didn't recognize the other voices, probably strangers or doctors because I'm hurt. i knew i was just because my entire body was in pain. i groaned from the pain and everyone stopped talking. "Sal? are you awake?" a strangers voice said, "yes?" i responded softly. "Sal you were in an accident, your face has been injured. thats why you cant see." i reached up to touch my face and pain. white hot pain. it hurt to touch and i made an audible whimper. "dont try to touch it" my dad grumbled. he sounded angry and tired, why was he angry? "where's mom?" and the room went silent again. that didn't sound good at all.
"where is mom" i repeated again, where was she why wasn't she here she should be here.  "sal dear, your mom is….." the stranger trailed off. "dead, shes fucking dead" dad finished. that's why he was so angry. i messed up, it was my fault she was gone wasnt it? after the dog got me it killed mom didn't it? it was my fault? i wanted to cry but nothing came out. my face must've been so damaged that i physically couldn't. "i-i-i-i" and with that i passed out.

days later

we were driving home in dads beat up car, there were stickers on the ceiling and fruit snacks mashed between the seats. there were moms flowers in the back….. "you're a murderer" dad muttered. "what?" he looked straight at me and repeated it "you're 6 years old and a murderer, you killed your mom. i will not have a murderer in my house." and with that the rest of the car ride was silent.

a couple months later we went to see the doctor again, thats when I got the mask. " you need to uh wear this uh prosthetic" the doctor trailed off "you'll look a little scary without it" that part stuck, scary, i was scary. my face looked wrong now, i was wrong now. i had killed my mother and ended up looking like a monster at the end. was this my karma? for killing my mother? forever looking like a deranged creature, an outcast from everyone else?