The Books of Sorrow

Verse 4:3 - When Do Monsters Have Dreams?

Im walking down the road, Im going to the orrery to talk to my dad, and I hear, well, I hear this noise, so I look back. And my sisters are behind me, and theyre ripping up the road. Theyve got these huge swords, execution swords, and theyre levering the stones out of the road. The stones are covered in writing. Theyre like tablets. And theres dirt underneath full of worms.

I need to get to the orrery before they catch up to me so I start running but right away someone trips me, its my dad, hes got his foot out and he grabs me by the horns and just slams me down on my face. Im in so much pain I nearly throw up a worm.

Why werent you ready for this, dad says. Hes wearing glare goggles, those shiny goggles that hed use to save his vision during lightning storms or sea fire. All three of his eyes reflect me. Didnt you know theyd be jealous, because they couldnt come to the orrery and talk to me? Didnt you know theyd move against you??

I start wailing like Im two days old again and I say, Dad, I thought you were my friend, Im supposed to be safe here. But he just puts out his fist and I realize hes laughing at me for believing him, why did I think Id be safe? In his fist hes got a black sun and he holds me by the throat and goes to tip the black sun inside me.

I can see my jaws in his goggles, three reflections of my jaws with so many teeth.

So I start eating my dad. I bite huge pieces out of him and I claw him up. I eat his legs and I eat his arms and I eat his goggles and his eyes and he says, good, good, this is majestic and true.

But my sisters are still tearing up the road so I dont know how to get back.