Andrew

Burns

As I pull my sweaty shirt off my back, I can hear my mom gasp. Wincing, I turn and glance at the shocked expression on her face. Mom always bathes me, since I have problems doing it myself, so I knew she would see the burns. I just didn't want to explain her what happened until I had to.

"Who did this to you?" she exclaims.

I stay silent. I don't like to talk unless I really have to.

"Andy, answer me. Who did this?" Mom repeats.

Sighing, I mumble, "A cop."

"A police officer?" Mom looks mortified, "Why? How?"

I just wince. It would take too much talking to explain about how I left school early... again. She knows I do that sometimes, but she doesn't like it.

"You know, they can't do that!" Mom fumes, "The Nexus doesn't have complete control over-"

Suddenly, Mom doubles over, clutching her scalp.

"Ohh... my head hurts," she groans.

I don't pay much attention to this, because Mom sometimes gets headaches when she gets mad at the Nexus. I think she might have a medical condition that gives her headaches when she gets mad.

Grabbing an aspirin from a nearby cupboard, Mom says, "Get in the bath, honey. Hopefully you'll heal soon."

As I let the waters of the bath flow over me, I feel my muscles relax. Even when something something bad happens, by the end of the day, a bath always makes it feel better. Sometimes, vaguely, I can even remember before the Nexus started. But mostly, I just go to my happy place.

For now, I close my eyes, and let my mind drift away.