Kate remembers the before. Of course she does.
It's hard to forget a life that was forged in misery and pain.
There's a constant and never ending cascade of memories that ambush her. Swirls of violence that leave her head throbbing and her stomach nauseous. The stench of death lingers. Always and forever.
Along the way, she learns to paint a smile on her face, a silly twist of lips and teeth, and forces the bitterness out of her voice when she laughs.
She traps her emotions deep enough so that no one suspects what's wrong. She doesn't belong here.
